Solomon Burke
(Shout Factory)
At 68 years old, Solomon Burke doesn’t need anyone to validate his remarkable talent, which includes a voice that has only gotten deeper and wiser with age. Certainly, the man who wrote “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” could move to an uninhabited island in the middle of some distant sea and his presence would still be felt thousands of miles away. But record companies are less interested in an aging artist’s presence than they are in the monetary benefits of pairing him with contemporary performers. So once again, Burke has recorded an album of songs by more-mainstream names. Eric Clapton and Keb’ Mo’ do the singer no favors with, respectively, a lazy title track and the well-intentioned but underwhelming “We Don’t Need It.” Ben Harper and Jesse Harris, however, provide the King of Rock and Soul with material that does exactly what it should: Get out of the man’s way and let him sing.
Standout Tracks: “A Minute To Rest and a Second To Pray,” “What Makes Me Think I Was Right” JAKE CLINE
