Music
Various Artists, Fire in My Bones: Raw, Rare and Other-Worldly African-American Gospel 1944-2007 (Tompkins Square)
“A portion of benefits from this compilation will benefit the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund,” it says right in the liner notes. So buy a copy. Know, however, that this […]
Irma Thomas, The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration (Rounder)
On which we celebrate the Queen’s 49th anniversary in show business, actually, counting from her first single, 1960’s “Don’t Mess with My Man.” But given the Queen, who wants to […]
Teena Marie, Congo Square (Stax)
Ahhh, the return of Lady T, “Honey” if you want her “Southern name,” Mary Christine Brockert if you want the (snore) legal one. Documentary proof that someone (I didn’t say […]
Various Artists, Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm (Vanguard)
Tribute albums: We smile, nod, applaud a good cause if one’s attached, take it home, play the first 15 minutes, file, excrete a few years down the road at the […]
Booker T., Potato Hole (Anti-)
In which the imperial (not imperious) king of B3 soul and funk climbs out of his own hole to make friends with Neil Young and the Drive-By Truckers. One unlikely […]
Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, Willie and the Wheel (Bismeaux)
Asleep at The Wheel’s been rolling since 1974, but this is their first showdown with Willie. I’m happy to report that nobody gets drunk (that wasn’t drunk before), and nobody […]
Jeff Kaliss, I Want to Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly and the Family Stone/Eddie Santiago, Sly: The Lives of Sylvester Stewart and Sly Stone
For those who tuned in late, Sly and the Family Stone released seven essential albums, from 1967’s A Whole New Thing to 1974’s Small Talk. Go out and get them. […]
James Sullivan, The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America (Gotham)
To New York Senator Jacob Javits, trying to praise him, James Brown was “Jamie Brown.” To Boston mayor Kevin White, whom the singer introduced at Boston Garden that fateful night, […]
Aaron Parks, Invisible Cinema (Blue Note)
The crux of pianist Aaron Parks’ fifth album as a leader: time and tide. Time, in that even from the first notes of the “Travelers” leadoff cut, Parks puts meaningful […]
Mavis Staples, Live: Hope at the Hideout (Anti-)
Under normal circumstances I’d cite Mavis as rusty on pipes, and nevertheless imbuing more history, more life, into one knowing “heh!”, than the usual suspects (usually one-third her age) manage […]
