Were Donny Hathaway alive and well today – he committed suicide in 1979 at 33 – he would be ranked as one of the most important figures in '70s soul music, along with Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Stevie Wonder. He was a gifted piano player and soulful, evocative vocalist whose eclectic taste in music showed a panorama of influences that energized R&B in that era – anchored by the church but with a healthy respect for pop music too. In fact, Hathaway was probably best known for a pair of early-'70s hits with Roberta Flack ("You've Got a Friend" and "Where Is the Love"), but he was a musician's musician, and the relatively small but powerful body of work he left behind shows a remarkably talented, immensely likable artist.

Hathaway's best moment was the 1973 album Live, recorded with a lineup that included stellar guitarists Cornell Dupree and Phillip Upchurch and incredible bassist Willie Weeks – all a perfect match for a young pianist who radiated confidence and ambition. Unfortunately, Hathaway's demons were on the verge of getting the upper hand, and he released but two more albums, one posthumously.

Though These Songs for You, Live! has a handful of unreleased cuts, including Hathaway's take on Wonder's "Superwoman," the best moments come from Live – a cover of Gaye's "What's Going On," "Little Ghetto Boy," and the unforgettable 12-plus-minute version of his infectious, upbeat classic "The Ghetto." The latter is worth the price of the album, but since Live is still in print, the attraction here is several cuts gleaned from 1980's In Performance, including a memorable take on Leon Russell's "A Song for You." The new material is good – especially the jazzy "Valdez in the Country" – but not outstanding. The bottom line is this: if you aren't familiar with Hathaway, you've got something to look forward to – no matter what album you buy, the playing is terrific, and you'll come away with an appreciation of what you've been missing. But unless you pick up Live, you won't have the fabulous 14-minute version of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)" to go with "The Ghetto," and that would be too bad – the bass solo by Weeks (introduced as "the baddest bass player in the land") is as good as it gets. Get that first, then decide what comes next. (J.H. Tompkins)