Featured artists: THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND & SOLOMON BURKE
On LIKE ANYONE ELSE from Joyful Noise, the Derek Trucks Band's third studio outing, the smoldering voice of Soul music legend Solomon Burke blends seamlessly with the refined virtuosity of the ambitious quartet. Rather than opting for a safe, deferential, photo-op laden collaboration with the established Burke, they refreshingly take the road less travelled, giving him a dynamic forum in which to showcase his rare talent.
At the tender age of 23, Trucks is already exhibiting an astounding mastery of the slide guitar's subtle charms, coaxing it to sing with a resonance rivalling even Burke's awe-inspiring voice. On Joyful Noise (2002, Columbia Records), he continues to stretch his wings, venturing into a wide variety of musical idioms with self-assuredness and a profound sense of integrity.
Meanwhile, Burke's Don't Give Up On Me (2002, Fat Possum Records) sees the aptly named Solomon come to claim his rightful place as the new King of Soul. Among those in attendance at the coronation were Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Tom Waits and Brian Wilson, all contributing unrecorded material. Long live the King, and may he continue to grace us with his blessed voice.
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SIX DEGREES OF
BLUES: Conceived
and written by Emanuel Pordes
With
a curiosity that begins in the delta and extends to the stratosphere,
Emanuel Pordes is a blues lover for whom the addiction to 12 bar
has no downside. Where there's good blues to be had, whether it
be old, lost, neglected, co-opted, or buried under the charts,
that is where he likes to be. He
produced Six Degrees of Blues at WGRE 91.5
