Music Is...A Reason to Celebrate

• Artist: Joe Claussell
• Rating:
• Release Date: April 23, 2002
• Type: Mix-album
• Genre: Electronica

Review

Accomplished compilation providers Barely Breaking Even hook up with Urban Theory, following their mixed albums from the likes of Masters at Work and Pete Rock with a double-CD set from Joe Claussell, label manager at the acclaimed Spiritual Life label as well as resident at New York's Sunday night session Body & SOUL, a title that also counts François Kevorkian and Danny Krivit among its number, widely regarded as the spiritual successor to the legendary Larry Levan's Paradise Garage. This shimmering track list represents Claussell well, effortlessly slipping the likes of Sounds of Blackness and Monday Michiru into a selection of early influences represented across the two discs by the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire, Louis Armstrong, and Syreeta's '70s Motown. Even the aforementioned Levan gets a mention, checked here in a remix of Imagination's "Changes." ~ Kingsley Marshall, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Spanish Gypsy	Luis Gasca	Luis Gasca	(15:07)
Sweet Talk	Robin Beck	Robin Beck	(6:12)
Let's Get Together	Greg Carmichael	Joe Claussell, Pam Todd & The Love Exchange	(5:25)
Sunny	Bobby Hebb	Yambu	(4:32)
Celebration	Bheki Mseleku	Bheki Mseleku	(7:51)
Gay Cavalier	Pino Daniele	Pino Daniele, Joe Claussell, Richie Havens	(3:30)
Fantasy (Lyrics)	Maurice White, Eddie Del Barrio, Verdine White	Earth, Wind & Fire	(4:39)
The Essence [Bonita Mix]	Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell	Herbie Hancock	(6:09)
Sypnopsis Two: Mother's Day	D. Warren	24-Carat Black	(2:06)
Changes [Larry Levan Mix]	Steve Jolley, A. Ingram, Leee John	Imagination	(7:43)
New Math	Dave Samuels	Dave Samuels	(4:56)
17.1	Eddie Palmieri	Eddie Palmieri	(7:18)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Creator Has a Master Plan (Peace)	Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas	Louis Armstrong	(4:07)
Message to the People	Shirley Caesar	Shirley Caesar	(4:42)
Optimistic (Lyrics)	Gary Hines, Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam	Sounds of Blackness	(5:20)
To Know You Is to Love You	Syreeta Wright, Stevie Wonder	Syreeta	(4:59)
Mysteries of Life		Monday Michiru	(15:22)
Trying to Find a Way	Stanley Cowell	Joe Claussell, Regeneration, Stanley Cowell	(3:57)
Oba la Vern Ela	Jorge Ben	Jorge Ben	(4:13)
El Cantante	Héctor Lavoe	Héctor Lavoe	(10:26)
A.I.E.A Mwana		Black Blood	(3:12)
The Message	King Sunny Ade	King Sunny Ade	(8:17)
Fanga Alafia [Joe's Edit]		Drum Dance, Joe Claussell	(3:19)
Pagliacci	Jay Chattaway, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Giacomo Puccini	Maynard Ferguson	(5:35)

Credits

Stanley Cowell (Performer), Regeneration (Performer), Héctor Lavoe (Performer), Black Blood (Performer), Stevie Wonder (Producer), Richie Havens (Performer), Eddie Palmieri (Performer), Greg Carmichael (Producer), Pino Daniele (Performer), Melanie Waldheim (Coordination), Lee Reinke Bright (Project Director), Dave Samuels (Performer), Peter Adarkwah (Project Director), Shirley Caesar (Performer), Bheki Mseleku (Performer), Jorge Ben (Performer), Jay Chattaway (Adaptation), Greg Carmichael (Arranger), Jay Chattaway (Arranger), Stevie Wonder (Arranger), Bill Laswell (Producer), Robin Beck (Performer), Louis Armstrong (Performer), Luis Gasca (Performer), Sounds of Blackness (Performer), Herbie Hancock (Producer), Joe Claussell (Compilation Producer), Maynard Ferguson (Performer), Syreeta (Performer)