Donny Hathaway – Everything Is Everything (Speakers Corner, 180g)

Everything Is Everything, released in 1970, is Donny Hathaway’s debut solo album. It brings together soulful originals and sensitive covers, bridging gospel, jazz, and R&B into an emotionally rich statement. Hathaway’s own compositions—such as “Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)” and “The Ghetto”—sit alongside interpretations of Ray Charles’ “I Believe to My Soul” and Nina Simone’s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” The arrangements highlight warmth and space: piano and electric keys, light percussion, and sparse horn touches allow Hathaway’s voice to carry both intimacy and intent. The sequencing builds from reflective moods to socially aware expressions without relying on bombast. Given its status as a debut, the album already points to Hathaway’s strengths: the capacity to inhabit vulnerability while speaking to community, to blend personal feeling with social resonance. Over time, critics and listeners have come to regard Everything Is Everything as a high-water mark of soul artistry, setting the foundation for Hathaway’s later achievements and legacy.

Reviews

“Already a respected arranger and pianist … with this debut LP Donny Hathaway revealed yet another facet of his genius — his smoky, pleading voice, one of the best to ever grace a soul record.” – AllMusic