Paths in The Night

Wege in die Nacht / Paths in the Night - by Andreas Kleinert (1999)

Wege in Die Nacht/Paths in The Night concerns Walter (Hilmar Thate), a middle-aged man who suddenly finds himself out of a job. While his wife has a job as a waitress and they have no children to support, the loss of his position is still a crushing blow for Walter. He finds himself wandering the city streets at night, trying to find something to do that will give his life some sense of purpose. He strikes up a friendship with a cynical young couple, and later, in hopes of regaining the respect of his wife, he tries to steal an expensive piece of jewelry for her.

Pianist, singer/songwriter, producer, author, and host Ben Sidran is a literate performer known for his engaging, jazz-influenced sound and laid-back, conversational style. Essentially a pianist/vocalist with a storytelling approach in the tradition of Mose Allison, Sidran grew from a supporting player with rocker Steve Miller to a solo performer, and to an award-winning radio and TV host. Along the way, he has produced albums for such luminaries as Allison, Van Morrison, Michael Franks, Rickie Lee Jones, and others.

One of Cheryl Lynn's early killers for Columbia – an album of tight, bouncy, joyous soul all the way through – free from any of the too-commercial touches that sometimes slowed Cheryl's later work! Ray Parker Jr produced the set – and he as well is free from the slicker sounds of his hits – keeping things warm, personal, and real on most of the album's best tracks – and balancing Cheryl nicely between heartfelt mellow tracks and a few more uptempo tunes designed to keep her on the minds of the dancefloor scene. Titles include "In The Night", "Baby", "What's On Your Mind", "Hurry Home", and "With Love On Our Side". CD also features the bonus track "Shake It Up Tonight (single version)"