Gettin' Down to It

• Artist: James Brown
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1969 05
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

James Brown recorded the pet project Gettin' Down to It in Cincinnati, OH, at King Studios, between December 1968 and March 1969. Although you can't tell by the album's title, it reflects Soul Brother Number One momentarily stepping back from the fiery racial and political atmosphere of the times. Following the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., the riots sparked by that event, and his calming effect on it, Mr. Dynamite replaced "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" with his love of standards utilizing the melancholy phrasing of his favorite male vocalist, Frank Sinatra. Aided by the acoustic piano trio led by Dee Felice, Brown tackles such romantic chestnuts as "Strangers in the Night," "That's Life," "It Had to Be You," "Willow Weep for Me," and "All the Way." Although laid-back could be applied to the album's overall tone, these 12 tracks are by no means "mellow." After all, this is James Brown! For instance, "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," clocking in at 7:40, combines pianist Frank Vincent's percussive vamping with James testifying as if he had this tune confused with "Ain't It Funky Now." While the disc is made up of mainly standards, that doesn't stop Brown from including two of his compositions, "Cold Sweat" and an instrumental take of "There Was a Time," reworked to fit the album's easygoing mood with jazzy elements intact. Even though there aren't any bonus tracks, this Verve reissue does include the original packaging and liner notes with Marc Eliot's insightful addendum tacked on. A curious entry in the James Brown catalog, Gettin' Down to It is a savory listen. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Sunny	Bobby Hebb	James Brown	(3:20)
That's Life	Kelly Gordon, Dean Kay	James Brown	(4:31)
Strangers in the Night	Bert Kaempfert, Charlie Singleton, Eddie Snyder	James Brown	(3:28)
Willow Weep for Me	Ann Ronell	James Brown	(4:41)
Cold Sweat	James Brown, Alfred Ellis	James Brown	(5:04)
There Was a Time	James Brown, Bud Hobgood	James Brown	(3:01)
Chicago	Fred Fisher	James Brown	(2:53)
(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons	William Best, Deek Watson	James Brown	(7:43)
Time After Time	Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne	James Brown	(4:51)
All the Way	Sammy Cahn	James Brown	(3:43)
It Had to Be You	Isham Jones, Gus Kahn	James Brown	(2:45)
Uncle	Frank Vincent	James Brown	(2:35)

Credits

James Brown (Vocals), James Brown (Main Performer), Marva Whitney (Vocals), Lee Garrett (Guitar), Allan Tucker (Reissue Mastering), Hal Neely (Liner Notes), Dee Felice (Drums), Hollis King (Reissue Art Director), Kenny Poole (Guitar), Lee Tucker (Bass), Bryan Koniarz (Reissue Producer), Frank Vincent (Piano), Alexander Gelfand (Note Editing), Ken Druker (Executive Producer), Jeff Smith (Reissue Design), James H. Brown (Vocals), James H. Brown (Producer), Marc Eliot (Liner Notes)