Traveling Soul

August 22, 2016
According to this biography by his second eldest son, talented vocalist and musician Curtis Mayfield was an intensively private, overly ambitious man who loved his family. The author, aided by music journalist Atria, follows Mayfield’s legacy from the cotton fields of Louisiana to the urban wilds of Chicago, where his strong willed mother surrounded the gifted child with church, faith, and family. As a leading member of the popular Impressions and as a solo star act, Mayfield never forgot the poverty of his time in the projects, his Jim Crow experiences on the Chitlin Circuit, or the glory years with one of the premier soul groups. His son devotes much ink to the bloody protests of the 1960s and his father’s masterful writing of powerful anthems, including “I’m So Proud,” “Keep On Pushing,” “People Get Ready,” and “We’re a Winner.” Mayfield the man and entertainer wanted the spotlight and money, and was never really a social person. He was often controlling and abusive in his relationships. Following the soaring achievement of Superfly, the singer’s success declined during the 1980s, and his failed comeback ended when a 1990 stage mishap rendered him paralyzed and hopeless. This is an affectionate portrait and a fascinating, balanced account of a tormented soul.

The late soul singer's son turns in a thoughtful appreciation of his father, the author of the civil rights anthem "People Get Ready."Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999), perhaps the most famous graduate of Chicago's infamous Cabrini-Green housing project, has been the subject of several books in whole or part. It seems unnecessarily contentious of his son to say that no previous biographer has done a good job at least in part because "they didn't know where he came from." He means that idiomatically, it seems, as well as genealogically, though it's not very helpful to lay part of the difficulty on Mayfield's "deeply divided nature as a Gemini." Still, once the younger Mayfield settles into the story, he delivers an effective portrait of a man possessed of great talents and the usual demons. Late of the Impressions, paralyzed in a terrible accident that effectively ended his solo career, Mayfield is known today for his work on the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly, a flick more often referred to than seen, but it is really for "People Get Ready"--covered by everyone from the Staples Singers to Rod Stewart--that Mayfield is best known. Here we see the song nicely deconstructed, its message an appeal to the coded Negro spirituals whose audiences knew very well that the train to Jordan was really a train out of Mississippi. The author is occasionally heavy-handed and obvious, as when he makes a trope of the childhood nickname Smut and Mayfield's sensitivity over his large teeth. However, just as often he turns up things that other writers have underplayed or overlooked, and he hits on the right salient points, notably Mayfield's contributions to the civil rights struggle in the face of censors and, at times, critics offended by his wordplays on racial slurs. The portrait is warts and all, to be sure, but respectful--and it'll make readers want to seek out the singer and songwriter, if they haven't already fired up their old LPs. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

A central figure in the melding of soul and social consciousness, Curtis Mayfield (1942-99) has been long overdue in receiving the recognition he deserves. Although he is a significant figure in Craig Werner's collective biography Higher Ground, Mayfield's son Todd has rectified matters with a full-length study that adds greater detail to the life and times of the "Gentle Giant," a prolific composer and performer who brought a distinctive style and unforgettable voice and message to the mainstream. Curtis's second son, the author provides an insider's view full of family stories and professional anecdotes, and befitting the nature of his father's work, places his oeuvre firmly in the social and political backdrop of the times. Best of all, it will leave you hearing amazing music. VERDICT Mayfield achieved both group success with the Impressions and as a solo artist; his music (and influence) will be treasured for years to come. This book is super fly; people get ready.--Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR

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