CD Review: Blackbird, Lennon-McCartney Icons

Marylyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.: Blackbird, Lennon-McCartney Icons…

Blackbird, Lennon-McCartney Icons, Featuring Derrick “Dock” Murdock, Rick Taylor, Nick Ornelas, Tim Sonnefeld on Bass.

I grew up on The Beatles music and I am fully aware of how high the original band set the bar with their groundbreaking performances. That said, it is a daring move for any musician to take on such iconic music. Marylyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. (both of whom you will remember from the Fifth Dimension) are two such daring vocalists… and did quite a spectacular job.

Marylin and Bill give us their soulful interpretation of ten Beatles classics and do so in an impressive fashion. They brought in a veritable army of musicians, including four different bass players, and gave us a highly refined musical treat with immaculate attention to detail.

The entire team of bass players did an excellent job and laid down the low end in a creative, precise, articulate manner. 

There are some very nice Blues, Funk, Gospel, and slow ballad takes on tunes that you might not have thought possible. The vocals are all amazing and Marylyn and Billy have a seasoned performance quality that comes with many years of experience.

This collection of very creative, excellent arrangements puts a whole different spin on many of our favorite songs. They effectively take something very familiar and make it their own in a unique and exciting fashion.

Through their interpretation, this music is put in a perspective that is relevant to current-day, civil rights events.

Available on Amazon.com