(I imagine some of his background singers may think they are responsible for Luther Vandross’s success.) Vandross’s sensibility and voice-a sensibility and voice created out of choices, influences, and ambitions-are so unique that the otherworldly music that accompanies him may be absolutely necessary. (I imagine one of the synthesizer players may think he’s responsible for Luther Vandross’s success.) Vandross’s background singers-some of the industry’s best-are his true human witnesses, his most impressive collaborators. on piano, and Yogi Horton on drums, and Paulhino Da Costa on drums and chimes, very talented men all, are simply not as prominent as the constructed tempos and tones of the synthesizer, no matter who is programming it. The instrumentation that supports him includes a bass guitar, piano, drums, chimes, and significant synthesizers, forming tasteful, well-arranged but predominately artificial sounds. Luther Vandross took love as his theme, and he consistently created a world of feeling-of desire, hope, worry, pain, resignation, and joy-in his music. about faith in love, are given a ballad treatment that becomes a more dramatic exchange featuring a chorus and a charged rhythm, and Vandross raises his voice without losing pitch or tone-or any aspect of civility or sorrow. The first lines of “Wait for Love,” a song co-written by Vandross and Nat Adderley Jr. In “So Amazing,” Vandross sings of being grateful for the love he has found-and his carefully placed phrases, light and thoughtful, invest the song with joyful tenderness. In the first song on the career retrospective recording The Essential Luther Vandross, “Any Love,” written by Vandross with his longtime collaborator and friend Marcus Miller, a song about a man who faces-admits-his loneliness, but maintains the hope for love, Vandross speaks of refusing to cry, but he does not have to cry-the tears are in his voice. Vandross’s sensitivity is a constant-and there is no doubt that it is genuine. Luther Vandross’s voice is one of strength, but the strength is built of confidence, directness, and great sensitivity, rather than attitude, force, or sexuality: his approach is often intimate and supple in its expression of passion. Original recording produced by Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller,Ĭompilation produced by Leo Sacks and Ray Bardani