(March 28, 2019) D.C singer Samuel Prather’s talents and interests span the musical spectrum. Prather is a drummer, pianist and a vocalist who for the last several years leading his own band, the Groove Orchestra. I checked out some of their past work and this ensemble has a pretty interesting take on things. Prather and the Orchestra did a master class on how to own a cover on their 2014 album Samuel Prather Groove Orchestra, with the highlight being their swinging, percussive amalgamation of jazz and hip-hop of “Never Will I Marry.” I’ve heard the Nancy Wilson, Cannonball Adderley original and versions by Cecile McLorin Salvant and Barbara Streisand, and this one – which includes additional lyrics that are excellent — may top them all.
Prather gave us a little Tower of Power styled quirkiness on “All I Want for Christmas is the Funk” from his 2015 holiday album A Groove Orchestra Christmas. That track had the vocalist asking someone who was born about two thousand years ago what he wanted for Christmas (and His birthday) and learning that the Man who holds the whole world in his hand just wants some funk.
Prather and the Groove Orchestra’s flip it on their take on Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk,” a track that appears on their new album, G.O.! This remake captures the zeitgeist of our time when the old rules of love and attraction no longer apply. Check it out.
By Howard Dukes
