MANHATTAN JAZZ QUARTET: (FEAT DEBBY DAVIS) - KILLING ME SOFTLY

KILLING ME SOFTLY

MANHATTAN JAZZ QUARTET: (FEAT DEBBY DAVIS)

SONGWRITERS: CHARLES FOX & NORMAN GIMBEL

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: NEW YORK LOUNGE JAZZ(VOCAL CLASSICS)

LABEL: ZIP MUSIC

GENRE: EASY LISTENING/JAZZ

YEAR: 2010

 

          The Manhattan Jazz Quintet is a jazz ensemble consisting of David Matthews on piano, Lew Soloff on trumpet, Victor Lewis on drums, Andy Snitzer on saxophone, and Charnett Moffett on bass. Previously, the band featured George Young on tenor sax, Eddie Gómez on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums.                                                                                           

          The group was formed in 1983 at the suggestion of Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal and the King record label and won the Gold Disk Award of Swing in 1984.        

           Gadd left in 1987, with Dave Weckl serving as a replacement in 1988 and 1989, but came back for a reunion in 1990, with John Scofield as guest artist on a number of selections. These later recordings were recorded for the Sweet Basil label.

    Gomez left the band after the recording of Manteca in 1992 and was replaced by Charnett Moffett. Gadd left the band, with Victor Lewis becoming his permanent replacement in 1993; Young left in 2000 and was replaced by Andy Snitzer.

       Due to the group's extremely limited distribution in other countries (albums are only available as imports from Japan), it is not well known outside Japan.

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

 

I heard he sang a good song

I heard he had a style

And so I came to see him

To listen for a while

And there he was, this young boy

A stranger to my eyes

 

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

 

I felt all flushed with fever

Embarrassed by the crowd

I felt he found my letters

And read each one out loud

I prayed that he would finish

But he just kept right on

 

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

 

He sang as if he knew me

In all my dark despair

And then he looked right through me

As if I wasn't there

And he just kept on singing

Singing clear and strong

 

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

 

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song.