Come To My Garden

About

In the late ’60, Minnie Riperton was a backing singer at Chicago’s Chess Records and a vocalist with the psychedelic chamber soul group (and cult favorite) The Rotary Connection. The band never gained mainstream fame, despite some fascinating reworkings of the era’s pop hit. Riperton’s contributions were a high point, and fans of her magnificent five-octave range were eagerly anticipating her 1970 solo debut, <i>Come to My Garden</i>. They were richly rewarded. Though <i>Garden</i> tanked commercially upon its release, it’s now recognized as a ’70s-soul masterpiece. Key to the proceedings is Riperton’s celestial voice, which hovers above the clouds in a range visited only by angel, theremin, and perhaps Yma Sumac. When she descends to the earthly realm, she alights on these songs as delicately as a butterfly on the lip of a flower. She’s met instrumentally by a flurry of harp, string, and backing singers: In the dewy title track, she gently guides us along the garden path; in the standout “Les Fleur,” she sings from the point of view of a flower that’s bringing hope to the world. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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