Dance With My Father
Given Luther Vandross's precarious state of health at the time of its release,Dance With My Father’s title track--a tale of yearning for a lost loved one--takes on added poignancy. It’s something of a centerpiece on an album that moves in several directions, reaching for varied constituencies, while ultimately staying focused on Vandross’s trademark buttery vocals. In addition to "Dance," there’s more adult-contemporary balladry ("Buy Me a Rose"), lightly sassy soul ("If I Didn’t Know Better"), and a number of collaborations with hip-hoppers that often work surprisingly well. While suspending disbelief is hard when considering Luther andFoxy Brownas a couple ("If It Ain’t One Thing"), remakes of soft-R&B; classics withBeyonce KnowlesandBusta Rhymesprove to be highlights. With theDestiny’s Childsinger, Vandross actually improves on the familiarRoberta Flack/Donny Hathawaytake of "The Closer I Get to You," turning in a cut that recalls his slow-burning signature reworking of "A House is Not a Home." A languid turn at "Lovely Day," with a purring Busta, works almost as well. (The "Part II" remix is superfluous, however.) Otherwise,Danceis in the vein of post-‘80s Vandross discs, and guaranteed to please fans.--Rickey Wright