All we need is that
sweet soul music:
new R&B releases & reissues

Sam Cooke, The Man Who Invented Soul, RCA Records

Sam Cooke really didn’t invent soul music, and it’s almost certain that Ray Charles would take exception to that statement, but there’s no denying Cooke’s importance to the genre now known as Rhythm & Blues. This four-disc box set chronicles Cooke’s recorded RCA output from 1957-1963, and all the obvious hits are here; “You Send Me,” “Cupid,” “Bring It On Home To Me,” “Having A Party,” and much more, including alternate takes and live cuts. What’s missing is Cooke’s final 1964 RCA material (owned by ABKCO and waiting for repackaging), and his earliest tracks with the gospel Soul Stirrers. Those tracks have already been released elsewhere. The Man Who Invented Soul is a very well presented and musically satisfying, albeit long overdue, career retrospective on Sam Cooke.

Stacy Mitchhart, What I Feel, Dr. Sam Records

Stacy Mitchhart isn’t a household name yet, but with talent like his, it’s a wonder why that hasn’t happened. A Tennessee-based singer/songwriter/guitarist, Mitchhart may be one of the blackest sounding Caucasians this writer has ever heard. His original material is fleshed out with gospel-derived female backup singers, and a band that breathes with his every move. The material is uniformly excellent R&B and blues, and Mitchhart sings and plays B.B. King-inspired guitar with fire and real soul. What I Feel took this journalist a few listens to appreciate, but once it did, I found myself unable to remove it from my CD player. The disc has the dogday feel of a hot July afternoon down south. Order your copy by logging on to www.stacymitchhart.com.

Various Artists, The Stax Story, Fantasy Records

Mention 60’s soul music to musically aware people in my, ahem, age group, and you’ll probably hear two words, “Motown,” and “Stax.” No doubt about it, the Stax recording studio, a converted movie theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, produced some of the most exciting soul records anywhere, from the early 60’s to the mid-70’s, when the label went out of business. The classics are all included, by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Booker T. & The MG’s, The Staple Singers, William Bell, blues guitarists Little Milton and Albert King, Isaac Hayes, and rarities by Ollie & The Nigthingales, Barbara & The Browns and David Porter. It’s pretty evident after listening to the full four-disc set that Stax’s glory days were the mid to late 60í’s, but occasional flashes of brilliance occur right up to the end. This set is much more affordable than past Stax reissue boxes, so grab The Stax Story on Fantasy now. Great packaging and rare photos too, as well as exhaustive liner notes.

Joe Zook’s Blues Deluxe, Blues With a Capital B, Bluesamongous Records

I get hundreds of blues CD’s every year, many by whiteboy blues wannabes who’ve gone the DIY route: Do It Yourself. In other words, record your stage show, press it up and sell it at gigs. No harm in that. Truth is, many of these local blues bands aren’t worth listening to. I could name names, but what’s the point? I’d rather talk about a fine local blues band than flame 50 fakers. Joe Zook and Blues Deluxe, natives of Trenton, New Jersey, are among the very best area blues bands this writer has ever heard, most definitely on a par with any nationally known act I can think of. Featuring the sometimes soothing, sometimes frantic and always compelling lead guitar and vocals of Joe “Zook” Zuccarello, Blues Deluxe (which eschews keyboards for a trumpet/sax horn section), burn from start to finish on eight originals and two covers. One will hear traces of roots rock, soul and jazzy instrumental workouts mixed in with the downhome blues sounds that have made them a favorite in their home area of New Jersey/Pennsylvania/Delaware. Get a copy by emailing Joe at JoeZook53@aol.com. Highly recommended.

The Meters, Kickback, Sundazed Records

I had the privilege of seeing the original Meters around 1975 at the Bottom Line in New York City and it was a musical experience I’ll never forget. These funky sons of New Orleans played funky grooves like nobody’s business and exemplified the Crescent City R&B sound better than anyone else. All the tracks on Kickback were recorded during the period 1975-76, when The Meters were signed to Warner Brothers Records, a time when they made the transition from an instrumental band to a vocal act. None of this material has ever been released before, so Meters fans will have plenty to rejoice about, including covers of “Honky Tonk Women,” “Down By The River,” “Love The One You’re With,” “Hang ‘Em High” and Hank Williams’s “Jambalaya,” plus originals like “All I Do Everyday,” “Keep On Marching (Funky Soldier)” and the oddball “He Bite Me,” the brainchild of drummer Zigaboo Modeliste. Essential for New Orleans music fans. Sundazed Records, PO Box 85, Coxsackie, NY 12051.

King Ernest, Blues Got Soul, Fat Possum Records

King Ernest never lived to see the release of this disc. He died in a car accident after a gig in California just days after hearing the final mixes. Ernest was a talented throwback to the days of blues shouters like Bobby “Blue” Bland, coupled with soul masters like Otis Redding and Percy Sledge. The tracks are all slow to medium tempo, and it becomes apparent upon listening that King Ernest was a fine singer, whose work deserves to be heard by anyone with a penchant for deep soul music. Fat Possum Records, PO Box 1923, Oxford, MS 38655.

Curtis Salgado, Soul Activated, Shanachie Records

Curtis Salgado, the man who inspired John Belushi’s “Jake Blues” character, just might be the best white R&B singer in the world, but he hasn’t got the bank account to prove it. In other words, the man has never reached the upper echelons of stardom, because he has stayed true to a brand of vintage R&B that no longer sells millions of recordings. That’s good news for us in any event. There’s a strong rock and blues influence here as well, with guest performances by Jimmie Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton, Lloyd Jones and the Memphis Horns, and there’s not a bad cut in the bunch. Soul Activated is the best recording of its type released so far this year, perhaps (and it’s a BIG perhaps) with the exception of the new Delbert McClinton disc, reviewed a few weeks ago in these pages. I’ve saved the best for last in this case, so do the right thing and buy Curtis Salgado’s new CD. Trust me on this one. This is a great record. Shanachie Records, 13 Laight Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10013.