Friday, November 08, 2013

Easy Cuz Yer Beautiful: Minnie Riperton (11.8.1947-7.12.1979)

Since I am doped up on painkillers from extensive dental work, I will keep this short and as coherent as possible. Today would have been the 66th birthday of the magnificent vocalist Minnie Riperton, born Nov. 8, 1947. In honor of this occasion and for anyone that has never heard her do her multiple-octave thing, here is a pretty good introduction I made a while back, encompassing her albums with the legendary psychedelic soul ensemble Rotary Connection as well as tracks from her first solo LP, released in 1971 while she was still in the band:
If I Sing My Song
Minnie Riperton & Rotary Connection
1967-71

01 Amen
02 Expecting
03 I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
 04 Tales of Brave Ulysses
05 Les Fleur
06 Respect
07 Turn Me On
08 May Our Amens Be True
09 The Burning of the Midnight Lamp
10 Amuse
11 Lady Jane
12 Last Call for Peace
13 Love Has Fallen On Me
14 Living Alone
15 Vine of Happiness
16 I Took a Ride (Caravan)
17 If I Sing My Song
18 Life Could
19 We're Going Wrong
20 Want You to Know

Total time: 1:18:57
479 MB FLAC/November 2013 archive link
So if anyone thinks "Lovin' You" is the extent of what this wonderful lady accomplished in the musical realm -- and yes, she is also the mother of SNL comedian Maya Rudolph! -- have another guess, starting with the CD I posted above. Although Minnie is gone many, many years (she died in 1979), while she was here she made sounds in which people will be reveling thousands of years from this moment.
 Happy Birthday, Minnie Riperton!!!!