Who is Terry Callier?

 -Terry Callier grew up in Chicago, and was a childhood friend of soul greats Jerry Butler, and Curtis Mayfield and began singing doo-wop in his teens.  

-Terry Callier was began his musical journey in the early 60's (1962 to be exact) and signed by the famous Chess Records, recording his debut single "Look at Me Now", while attending college and playing in folk houses around the city.

-Terry Callier wrote songs in the late 60's that were later recorded by the psychedelic outfit H.P. Lovecraft.

-Terry Callier continued to write songs for artists on Chess Records, and his track "The Love We Had Stays In My Mind", became a hit for The Dells.

-Terry Callier, in my opinion, made his best music in the early 1970's, when he recorded a trio of soul-jazz-folk albums that were largely ignored by the public.  One of them "What Color is Love", released in 1973, I consider a masterpiece.

-"What Color is Love", sadly enough, should be recognized as one of the great albums of the 70's, of any genre, but doesn't receive the praise that it should.  From the build-up of the opening track "Dancing Girl", to the jazzy ballad of the title track, Callier's voice, expressive, your emotions hanging on every syllable of every word spoken..."What Color is Love" is one of those albums difficult to express.  You listen first time though, and you know it's something special though, which is rare when you've listened to millions of albums as I have.  The strings, Callier's acoustic guitar playing, the backing female vocals, but more than anything, it's his voice.  It aches...and you feel it.  The only album I can even compare it to in terms of true feeling and inspiration is Van Morrison "Astral Weeks", but there's just more beautiful moments in "What Color is Love" than in "Astral Weeks", so I give it the edge, although it's close.  

-Terry Callier continued to write and record music on and off through 80's and 90's, occasionally recording and even toured on separate occasions with Gil Scott-Heron and George Benson.  In his spare time, he taught classes in computer programming at the University of Chicago, while pursuing a degree in Sociology.  He continues to reside in Chicago.

-Listen to the greatness of Terry Callier "What Color is Love".  His voice, his words, his guitar-work...he is Terry Callier, one of the great singer-songwriter soulmen alive and very deserving to be heard.