Album of the Day

Roberta Flack and producer Joel Dorn labored for more than a year on the follow-up to the performer's duets album with Donny Hathaway, and the effort paid off with this double Platinum hit. Though none of the tracks on KILLING ME SOFTLY are self-composed, the collection has the introspective feel of a singer-songwriter album, with Flack's soulful vocals joined to nuanced piano work that hints at her affinity for jazz and classical music. Among the eight cuts here are outstanding interpretations of Leonard Cohen's “Suzanne” and Janis Ian's “Jesse,” not to mention the title track, which topped the U.S. singles chart on this day in 1973 (and later won a Record of the Year Grammy). One of Roberta Flack's best, KILLING ME SOFTLY remains a perfect album for late-night reverie.