The follow-up to the successful
Romantic Journey,
This Is Your Life was
Connors' first album for Arista and found him doing the same great, intelligent music that had placed him at the top of the list of true jazz/R&B innovators. His self-production debut, the record was done in the same style of his high-selling late-'70s efforts. Although
Connors was highly regarded as a sideman with
Pharoah Sanders, among others, jazz/R&B was definitely his metier. The title track is a delicate rendering of a contemplative
Jimmy Webb tune, powered by an emotional vocal from
Eleanor Mills. As a producer,
Connors was unabashed about his R&B skills and the execution comes across more confident and defined. The melodic "Say You Love Me" has
Connors stepping out on lead vocals; unlike many other jazz artists turned singers,
Connors' lack of great pipes provided a good juxtaposition to flawless backing track (having
Jean Carn on backing vocals didn't hurt either).
This Is Your Life, more than any of his albums of the time, skillfully balanced his R&B and jazz offerings. The cover of
Herbie Hancock's "Butterfly" has a phenomenal and dramatic arrangement with vocals from
Mills and James Robinson. The last track, "The Creator," doesn't fare half as well but it's not enough to dim the virtues of this effort.
This Is Your Life is not only one of
Connors' strongest, but also one of the genre's best. ~ Jason Elias