![Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann [Black Lion]](https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_75/MI0001/758/MI0001758198.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
All one has to do is glance at the instrumentation to quickly realize that this is not a Jimmy Witherspoon date one would recommend to blues purists. With the utilization of such instruments as Pete Wingfield's dated electronics, steel guitar, electric sitar and Johnny Dankworth's electrified alto, plus a string section, the music does not look too promising. Actually, Witherspoon sings in prime form throughout the set and sounds quite strong, but with a few exceptions (such as "Fool's Paradise"), the material is not up to his level and the arrangements are so much of the period that they often come across as corny. A pre-disco R&B set that is closer to Isaac Hayes than to Spoon's roots, this 1997 CD reissue is just a historical curiosity today.
Jimmy Witherspoon
Love Is a Five Letter Word
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AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow
Track Listing
| Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0:59 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 2 | 3:34 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 3 | 3:10 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 4 | 3:18 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 5 |
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2:34 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
| 6 | 4:29 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 7 | 2:49 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 8 | 4:11 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 9 | 3:07 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 10 | 2:46 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 11 | 2:54 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 12 | 3:01 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 13 | 3:02 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 14 | 3:12 | SpotifyAmazon |
