The Best Of Roberta Flack (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Roberta Flack (vocals, piano, keyboards); Roberta Flack (electric piano); Maxi Priest, Peabo Bryson (vocals); Lee Ritenour , Michael Landau, Paul Jackson, Jr. (guitar); Earl Klugh (acoustic guitar); Gene Orloff, Emanuel Green (violin); Theodore Israel, Alfred Brown , Selwart Clarke (viola); Charles McCracken, George Ricci (cello); Ray Chew (strings, horns); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Richard Tee (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Randy Kerber (piano, synthesizer); Robbie Kondor (keyboards, programming); Marcus Miller (keyboards, background vocals); Larry E. Williams, Craig Huntley, Barry Miles, Paul Griffin (synthesizer); Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter (bass guitar); Jim Keltner, John "4 Daddman" Robinson, Buddy Williams , Carlos Vega (drums); Crusher Bennett, Mike Fisher , Paulinho Da Costa, Steve Thornton (percussion); Sammy Merendino (drum programming); Brenda White-King, Dennis Collins, Diva Gray, Gabrielle Goodman, Zack Saunders, Eleanore Mills, Jerry Barnes, Kacey Cisyk, Katreese Barnes, Lani Groves, Vivian Cherry (background vocals); Donny Hathaway (vocals, keyboards); Eric Gale, Hugh McCracken, John Pizzarelli (guitar); Burt Bacharach (synthesizer); Jack Jennings (vibraphone); Ray Lucas, Steve Gadd , Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Ralph MacDonald (percussion).

Audio Remasterer: Rick Essig.

Liner Note Authors: Roberta Flack; David Nathan.

Recording information: Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY; Bell Sound Studio, New York, NY; Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Hit Factory, New York, NY; Master Sound Astoria Studios, Astoria, NY; Paul Serano Studios, Chicago, IL; Right Track Studios, New York, NY; Rosebud Recording Studio, New York, NY; Skyline Studios, New York, NY; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA; Westlake Audio, Hollywood, CA.

Photographers: David Redfern; Jack Robinson.

Arrangers: Roberta Flack; Rubina Flake; Jerry Hey; Barry Miles; Gwen Guthrie; Leon Pendarvis; Luther Vandross; Robbie Kondor.

It's quite easy to place Roberta Flack near the top of the pile of singer/songwriters who changed the course of pop music, not only soul music, during the '70s. She was fortunate enough to deliver the velvet-smooth ballad "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" to an unsuspecting public, and followed it up with an onslaught of ballads that would keep her on the charts for the remainder of the decade. From start to finish, this greatest-hits compilation is the most comprehensive look at her finest moments available on record. From her legendary string of duets with Donny Hathaway to her duets with Peabo Bryson and Maxi Priest that kept her at the top of the charts through the '80s, they're all here. But it's not just the duets that made Flack such an outstanding performer, as her solo works also rate high in quality. Free of the filler and goofy remixes that can make other greatest-hits collections seem diluted, this is easily the best retrospective of her work available to date. ~ Rob Theakston minimize