Giving You The Best That I Got

by Anita Baker

Product Description:

Personnel: Anita Baker (vocals); Paul Jackson, Jr., Michael J. Powell, Danny Lyle, Kevin Moore (guitar); Courtlen Gale (alto saxophone); Gerald Albright, Dave Boruff (tenor saxophone); Chuck Findley (trumpet); George Duke, Bobby Lyle, Sir Gant (piano); Vernon Fails, Robbie Buchanan, Peter Schwartz, Sonny Burke, Patrick Moten, David Spradley, Nell Walker (keyboards); Joseph Vitarelli, Bruce Nazarian (synclavier); Nathan East (bass); Omar Hakim (drums); Paulinho De Costa (percussion); Valerie Pinkston Mayo, Alex Brown, Carl Carwell, Angel Edwards, Perri,

Recorded at Encore Studio; Yamaha International Recording; Sound Suite; Hitsville; TMF; Gnome Studios.

Anita Baker's follow-up to her 1986 breakthrough, RAPTURE, closely follows the template of that album, reconvening the same producer, musicians, and some of the same songwriters for an outing that sounds more like a refinement than a retread. The jazz influence that was RAPTURE's secret weapon is even more apparent here, with songs like the slinky, neo-Brazilian "Good Enough" reaching into Dinah Washington territory. Elsewhere, the title track and the playful "Just Because" are tuneful modern R&B, given weight by Baker's assured delivery and Michael Powell's organic production, which keeps the record from dating as notably as many of its contemporaries. Although Anita Baker continued releasing stylish and soulful R&B albums after this disc, GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT remains one of her career high points.