"SOME LIVE PERFORMANCES ARE NOT ALL THAT GREAT, SO I AM A LITTLE SKEPTICAL OF PURCHASING THEM, BUT THIS ONE WAS INCREDIBLE! DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS BAND WAS A LITTLE LOST AT TIMES, THIS TRULY SHOWS HOW GREAT A SINGER J.T. WAS AND HOW MUCH OF A ENTERTAINER HE HAD BECOME! YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT ANY MISTAKES BECAUSE HE IS SINGING THE SONGS WITH SOOO MUCH POWER AND HEART FELT CONVICTION. YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION!!!!"
Possibly Johnnie Taylor's all-time best CD.
Justo Roteta | Los Angeles, California United States | 05/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a historically important live recording from one of Stax Records' most important figures. Recorded at the long-defunct Summit Club this is raw, funky and down-home Southern R&B at its best. Although I'm not a big fan of live albums I admit that "Live At The Summit Club" is a true masterpiece of Southern Soul which has a very intimate and relaxed yet spontaneous, anything-can-happen-here feel and ambience. This set's live versions of "Who's Making Love", "Stop Doggin' Me", "I Don't Wanna Lose You" and "Steal Away" eclipse the original studio versions for their greatness. Many thanks to the people at Concord Records for releasing this CD."
Missing JT.. last of the great Soul-blues men.
SoulKingsQueen | United States | 11/23/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Listening to him live, really makes me miss him so much. *teardrop*. He wasn't appreciated enough when we had him, he wasn't. As the saying goes, you're gonna miss your good thing when it's gone... and I don't know about you but, I'm really, really, really missing the man.. especially with authentic soul music being basically non-existent now, and those claiming to be soul brothas & sistas and the heir apparent, just do not possess the vocal prowess or showmanship to carry on the legacy. So.. I miss you JT. Something terrible."
GREAT JOHNNY TAYLOR
Curtis H. Francis | new york usa | 09/17/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"LIVE AT THE SUMMIT CLUB WAS MORE THAN I HOPED FOR. I HAD A COUPLE OF SONGS LIVE ON ANOTHER CD BUT THIS ONE IS THE GREATEST. ANYONE WHO LOVES JOHNNY TAYLOR WILL GO CRAZY FOR THIS LIVE PERFORMANCE REAL BLUESY TOO I
LOVE EVERY SONG.YOU LOVE JT DEFINITELY GET THIS ONE."
Feel the sweat, smell the whiskey ! ! !
Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 09/23/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Holy cow... actually I happen to be listening to his recording now, and just observed that its 10:00 PM, September 23 today... which according to my notes is the 37th anniversary of this great mind-blowing performance.
If you saw the movie WATTSTAX (and you better have) you probably saw the seen at the night club with all the hustlers and players, Johnny covered in sweat, the huge band groovin' its butt of, and the crowd really gettin' down on it...
Well, this friends is that performance, finally released from the vaults and remastered by the legendary Joe Tarantino.
As for what to expect... well, let's just say JT may not have been very happy to have been bumped off the festival's main stage - - however, the truth is that the folks that didn't show up for this set were really the ones left out, especially considering how close and intimate it was, how stone cold slick the crowd was and the fired up performance JT gave... back by screaming horns, sizzling Hammond and a fired up rhythm section...
Take note, that a number of reviewers have noted that at times the hastily assembled big band is off now and then, but what the show lacks in perfection, it makes up for in terms of grits, groove and excitement once the tunes take off... further, the revival like reactions of the audience are classic... almost to the point even *I* found myself shouting back at the i-pod at 2:00 in the morning."