Live Experience 2

Description

Live Experience 2 is a live album by the American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Leon Patillo, self-released on Positive Pop Records in October 2005, distributed by TAG Artist Group. The album was recorded live at Crossroads Community Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mixed at The Upper Room Recording Studio.

I popped the CD into my car’s player and spun the first song an R&B tune named «J.E.S.U.S.» that soon has me car dancing. I had never heard of this guy Leon Patillo and as the song plays I think to myself, ‘Man this guy has a voice silky smooth like Luther Vandross.’

As subsequent songs play I am now groovin’ to this Latino / Soul blend of tunes with R&B overflows such as «On the Way Up». At track number nine I hit a snag. Right away I recognize an easily identifiable riff from one of the favorite songs harkening back to my youth, Carlos Santana’s «Black Magic Woman». Righteous indignation follows, who does this guy think he is and why is he changing the words to read «Born Again Woman?» I fire off an email to Patillo’s publicist Brian Mayes asking him why I can’t find a credit in the liner notes. Well for all you budding journalists out there let this be a lesson to you. First the lack of a credit in the liner notes was a production oversight, more importantly if I had read the press release and bio sent to me by my friend Brian Mayes prior to listening to the CD I would have known that for six years during the 1970’s Patillo was the lead singer and a songwriter for Santana.

To show you what a fickle lot reviewers can sometimes be I am about to tell you that this was an incredible stroke of genius to rework «Black Magic Woman» into a gospel tune. On second thought maybe I will just stay quiet, save myself the embarrassment and let you reach that conclusion on your own.

Live Experience marks Leon Patillo’s return to the studio after an absence of many years. His gifts for arranging and song selection are undeniable Patillo is a tremendously talented singer and the music soars with Latino beats and then pulls at your heart strings with «Mama Dear» much the same way as Vandross did a few years ago and his song «Dance with My Father».

Recorded on Patillo’s own Las Vegas based label Positive Pop Records the album features the marvelous voices of both the adult and youth / children choirs of Crossroads Community Church. The later provides a beautiful compliment to Patillo on the sweet «Rise Above».

Live Experience 2 is now on the shelves and how can you go wrong with a guy who can sound at times like Vandross and at other times has a voice approaching the depths of the late Barry White­ I said approaching have you really ever known anyone else to get that low? [Joe Montague, The Phantom Tollbooth, 2005]

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CD tracklist:

01. J.E.S.U.S. – 4:07
02. You Make Me Fly – 3:49
03. On The Way Up – 8:38
04. Mama Dear – 3:40
05. Sky Is The Limit – 4:09
06. Pulling Down Strongholds – 8:46
07. Rise Above – 3:47
08. I Can – 4:52
09. Born Again Woman – 6:56
10. I Am Your Friend – Special Message – 11:04