Solomon Burke

At the one-minute-30-second mark of the title track of this Grammy-deserving album, the magnificent Solomon Burke single-handedly revives real soul music in America. How serendipitous the title is for this 62-year-old, under-recognized legend. He never gave up on himself, not after being called “the greatest soul singer ever” by legendary Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler; indeed, Burke built that label with his whisper-to-a-soar voice on countless hit singles. Witness here the artists who came bearing profound words specifically for Burke to sing on this meaningful project: Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson and the Southern soul mystery man, Dan Penn. Burke is mesmerizing in his phrasing, glorious in his vocal skills, a genius in his storytelling. Recorded live in a studio in just four days, this album puts most other artists to shame.