Solomon Burke 1940 - 2010
For those of us who seem to tie every single event to music, it's our relationships, perhaps more than anything else, that seem to be tied to particular artists, records or songs. I've really only had three "serious" relationships and each has an artist. The one straight out of college was The Jayhawks. My most recent was Josh Ritter. The one that ran from 2002-2005 in Park Slope was Solomon Burke (slightly nudging out Josh Rouse).
I discovered Burke via Joe Henry, one of the my favorite artists of the last 20 years. Singer/songwriter, turned jazz frontman, turned producer, Henry stood behind the boards on Burke's fantastic 2002 comeback album Don't Give Up On Me. Mostly covers (Waits, Dylan, Lowe, Costello), Don't Give Up On Me, is likely the best contemporary soul record I own. And it was this record that led me to Cooke, Redding and all the rest.
Sometime around 2004 or so, my girlfriend and I were on a near endless search to unearth more Burke material. We bought his early records, but it was really his new material that we loved. We bought grossly-overpriced tickets to see some Scorcese-produced blues event at Radio City Music Hall. Buddy Guy was there along with other "legends," but we were there to see Solomon. About midway through the set, out came Burke, who sat down on the largest chair north of the equator and made our hair stand up. I think Burke was also a pastor. I don't have much to say on that front, but those vocal chords bordered on the mystical.
Similar to Johnny Cash, I much prefer Burke's later-year material to the 60s stuff that made him a legend. Maybe it was that relationship. Maybe it was my introduction to soul. Whatever it was, for me, Solomon Burke will always be tied to 11th Avenue and 16th Street in Brooklyn. It wouldn't have been the same without him.
I discovered Burke via Joe Henry, one of the my favorite artists of the last 20 years. Singer/songwriter, turned jazz frontman, turned producer, Henry stood behind the boards on Burke's fantastic 2002 comeback album Don't Give Up On Me. Mostly covers (Waits, Dylan, Lowe, Costello), Don't Give Up On Me, is likely the best contemporary soul record I own. And it was this record that led me to Cooke, Redding and all the rest.
Sometime around 2004 or so, my girlfriend and I were on a near endless search to unearth more Burke material. We bought his early records, but it was really his new material that we loved. We bought grossly-overpriced tickets to see some Scorcese-produced blues event at Radio City Music Hall. Buddy Guy was there along with other "legends," but we were there to see Solomon. About midway through the set, out came Burke, who sat down on the largest chair north of the equator and made our hair stand up. I think Burke was also a pastor. I don't have much to say on that front, but those vocal chords bordered on the mystical.
Similar to Johnny Cash, I much prefer Burke's later-year material to the 60s stuff that made him a legend. Maybe it was that relationship. Maybe it was my introduction to soul. Whatever it was, for me, Solomon Burke will always be tied to 11th Avenue and 16th Street in Brooklyn. It wouldn't have been the same without him.
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