José Feliciano ‘Feliciano!’ Album Review

A soulful classic 1968 release from a masterful performer, Feliciano! defies categorization.

Some albums take decades for their virtues to shine, allowing time for the veils of popularity to clear, revealing what should have been apparent all along. Such is the case with Feliciano!, an album released nearly 57 years ago. It was a collection of several much-loved popular tunes which had been big sellers for the original artists, among them The Beatles, The Doors, and The Mamas and Papas. It was too easy to dismiss the project as an Easy Listening event, when music critics and fans alike were clamouring for the next Jimi Hendrix release, or the new live album from Clapton’s supergroup trio known as Cream.

There was no reason then, to release an album of cover songs, especially when it came from a little-known classically-trained guitarist. Except for this one other thing: José Feliciano also possessed a wonderful, soulful voice that brought to mind the likes of Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. The combination of his guitar wizardry and memorable voice made for an Essential Musical experience that contemporary audiences deserve to hear to this day. It’s a diverse and passionate look at another side of music: pop infused with uncommon virtuosity.

The album opens with “California Dreaming”, eases into ‘Light My Fire”, offers up three Beatles tunes (two of them original instrumental interpretations), reveals the jazz possibilities of the Bobby Hebb classic “Sunny”, and closes with a heartfelt rendition of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind”. Somewhere in the middle is a rendering of a blues classic from Fred Neil, the understated “A Little Bit of Rain”. A surprising inclusion is a wonderful take on the Gerry and The Pacemakers hit “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying”. There is also a nod to Feliciano’s Latin heritage, with a rousing rendition of “Nena Na Na”, a song about a young Latin woman dancing the samba. Each of these tracks is easily as compelling as the original version; in some cases, more so.

Feliciano’s guitar work is on splendid display on every track, as are his passionate vocals. As a blind Puerto-Rican child who showed precocious musical ability, at the age of five he moved with family to Spanish Harlem in New York. He was fortunate to study classical guitar with a teacher who had been a student of Segovia. Feliciano astounded all with his facility with complex rhythms, arpeggios, and tremolo, all of which he later brought to his versions of popular song. His talent with nylon-string jazz guitar rivalled that of Charlie Byrd, while in the realm of pop there was simply no one like Jose. He may fairly be said to be the first crossover artist, incorporating such diverse elements as pop, blues, classical, jazz, and Latin, along with R& B and soul.

The album was expertly produced by Rick Jarrard, who had worked with both Harry Nilsson and The Jefferson Airplane. Supporting musicians included jazz luminaries such as Ray Brown on bass, and Paul Horn on flute. “Light My Fire”, the biggest-selling single from the album, earned a Grammy Award for best contemporary vocal. The Doors band, by the way, loved Jose’s version.

Feliciano went on to record more than 50 albums, and continues at the age of 79 to write and perform. His most recent full-length album, Behind This Guitar, was released in 2020, his talent on the guitar and his inimitable way with a song still much in evidence. In May of 2024, he released the 5-song EP, My Foolish Heart (Chatfield Remix).

Brian Miller

Brian Miller is the Publisher and Editor of Vivascene, which he founded in 2010. A former record store owner, business executive and business writer, he is devoted to vinyl records, classical guitar, and b&w photography.

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