Lou Rawls : Best Of The Capitol Jazz And Blues Sessions

The death of Lou Rawls on January 6, 2006 silenced one of the most distinctive voices in music. With his rich, resonant bariton, he could sing gospel, blues, jazz, pop and soul with equal authority and success. From a traditional hymn like 'Motherless Child' to 'Let's Burn Down The Cornfield', Randy Newman's ominous ode to boredom, Lou could get inside a song and make it his own without compromising its essence. This collection, drawn from 14 albums, covers the greatest blues and jazz performances of his Capitol years (1962-1970) and finds him in the company of such great arrangers as Benny Carter, Onzy Matthews, Benny Golson and H.B. Barnum and with Les McCann's trio and The Pilgrim Travelers. Researching this compilation uncovered an amazing, previously unissued session of three classic blues with saxophonist Curtis Amy's sextet with the legendary trumpeter Dupree Bolton. Now these wonderful performances are available at last. EMI.