Charles Bradley Black Velvet - (M) (ONLINE ONLY!!)

In classic soul songs, life often just isn't fair. True love doesn't work out, fate takes a wrong turn, hard work goes unrewarded. Charles Bradley knew plenty about what made soul music great, and it was sad but somehow fitting that, after decades of struggle and disappointment, Bradley finally started receiving the acclaim he deserved after he cut his first album in 2011 at the age of 62, only to succumb to cancer in 2017. To honor Bradley's passing, Dunham/Daptone Records has released Black Velvet, a collection of rarities and unreleased material that Bradley cut during his tenure with the label, and while this album lacks the thematic coherence of the three LPs he cut in his lifetime, this certainly demonstrates the skill, passion, and emotional intelligence that Bradley brought to his music. Working with producer and bandleader Tommy "TNT" Brenneck, Bradley consistently delivered performances that made clear he wasn't merely inspired by legendary vocalists like Otis Redding, James