Come to My Garden

by Minnie Riperton

Overview

Minnie Riperton's solo debut is in many respects her finest hour -- devoid of the overly syrupy production that hampers her later work, Come to My Garden instead couches her miraculous voice in the elegant arrangements of the great Charles Stepney, striking a perfect balance between romantic melodrama and sensual nuance. Call Stepney's singular approach "chamber soul"--the nimble melodies and insistent grooves swell with orchestral flourishes, while the jazz-inspired rhythms (courtesy of Ramsey Lewis' group) at times evoke Van Morrison's masterpiece Astral Weeks. Stepney creates the ideal backdrop for Riperton's soaring vocals, which reveal a subtlety and restraint absent from the glass-shattering bombast of her subsequent performances -- the opening "Les Fleurs" (covered decades later by 4Hero) crystallizes the entire record, embracing both intimacy and majesty to haunting effect. ~ Jason Ankeny

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2024
Label:	Janus Records
UPC:	0741869395769
Rank:	122616

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Minnie Riperton   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background)
Ramsey Lewis   Guest Artist,Rhythm
Phil Upchurch   Guest Artist
Maurice White   Guest Artist,Rhythm
Cleveland Eaton   Rhythm
Kitti Hayward   Vocals (Background)
Elsa Harris   Vocals (Background)
Charles Stepney   Conductor

Technical Credits

Richard Rudolph   Composer
Dean Rudland   Liner Notes
Terence Blanchard   Composer
Cary E. Mansfield   Reissue Producer
Dick Fowler   Original Design Concept,Design
John Stocklin   Composer
Rose Johnson   Composer
Tom Ornshaw   Artwork
Daniel Hersch   Digital Remastering
Robert Rudolph   Composer
Dick Lapalm   Album Supervision
John Reed   Coordination
Bill Pitzonka   Reissue Art Director
Nick Watson   Remastering
Gary Starr   Engineer
Charles Stepney   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Orchestral Arrangements
Stu Black   Engineer