![Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann [Black Lion]](https://rovimusic.rovicorp.com/image.jpg?c=4ls2rkN4lhi8d80O1J-46FWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=&f=1)
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 | 00:59 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 2 | 03:34 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 3 | 03:10 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 4 | 03:18 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 5 |
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02:34 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
| 6 | 04:29 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 7 | 02:49 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 8 | 04:11 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 9 | 03:07 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 10 | 02:46 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 11 | 02:54 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 12 | 03:01 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 13 | 03:02 | SpotifyAmazon | |||||
| 14 | 03:12 | SpotifyAmazon |
