Al Jarreau is perhaps best known for his genre-bending work of the late '70s and '80s, but with
Early Gold and New Spins Jarreau chose to play it straight, leaving the arty stuff behind and turning out some fine, funky, and easily digestible retro-soul music. Though the concept behind the disc -- covering only
Bill Withers compositions, most of them obscure oldies -- could have made for a much lengthier and weightier album,
Early Gold and New Spins is about a different sort of vibe: accessible, feel-good soul and funk in the tradition of
the O'Jays' best singles. ~ Christian Hoard