That gap? It’s not so wide.
Saturday’s broadcast of The MTT Files describes how conductor Michael Tilson Thomas gained new musical insight listening to James Brown and features an extensive interview with the late Godfather of Soul recorded at his home in Georgia.
Get a jump on the energy MTT taps into (and the not-so-wide divide between two performers with very different backgrounds) with this video of James Brown and Pavarotti bringing down the house with “It’s a Man’s World”:
3 thoughts on “James Brown Sings with Pavarotti”
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I LOVED this! One of my favorite classic R&B songs performed by two admirable artists. The choice of song was inspired.
It was wise to have Pavarotti sing in Italian. Often the “crossover” attempts of opera singers are marred by struggles with the language that are unintentionally comical.
I look forward every holiday season (for all the wrong reasons) to the time when WDAV plays The Three Tenors singing Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.” Hearing Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti trying to handle the syncopated rhythm of the English words is a real hoot!
But I admire them all for letting their hair down and having some fun. And James Brown for having the nerve to share the stage with Pavarotti. He did himself proud in this video.
Now go surf the web to find Aretha Franklin singing “Nessun Dorma” at the Grammys a few years ago!
That has to be the stillest performance I’ve ever seen by James Brown. Loved it!
This is one of my favorites. I grew up listening to James Brown and love Pavarotti. The two of them singing this song is totally awesome. I think this my be the best I have ever heard James.