South of the Snooty Fox by Sterling Harrison (CD, 2007 HackTone) Soul Blues/New!

Description: Tonight, about the time you're fluffing up your pillow and shutting off the light, there's a party going on. People are kicking back for a good time in a club across the tracks. They're dressed up to get down, dancing to the kind of knees-on-the-floor soul music that most of us thought disappeared decades ago. South of the Snooty Fox is your invitation to the party, led by Sterling "Mr. Entertainment" Harrison, one of the finest singers to ever strut across a stage. Like many of the singers playing the chitlin' circuit, Sterling's resumé goes back as far as soul music itself. He's shared the stage with Otis Redding, James Brown, and Millie Jackson. He's released singles and albums scattered back to the 60s for labels like Smash, Motown and Atlantic. Still, he's never recorded an album that truly did his immense talent justice. Until now. Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Sterling tears through songs from Bobby Blue Bland, Bobby Womack, Otis Redding, Johnnie Taylor and O.V. Wright, making each one his own from the start. It's everything that's happening on the other side of town, and you're invited to listen in. Review HackTone Records, a boutique imprint based in Culver City, Calif., has quickly made a name for itself by issuing uncommonly good music that has been neglected or otherwise fallen through the cracks. Last year, HackTone gave "The Lost Album" -- an aptly titled set of trippy pop from British soul singer Lewis Taylor -- its long-overdue commercial release. This year, they unearthed the Dynamics' "First Landing," a bracing collection of Detroit soul that had languished in the vaults since 1969. HackTone's best find yet, though, could be this soul-blues wonder from the late Sterling Harrison. Recorded shortly before he died in 2005, the album consists mainly of gut-bucket takes of lesser-known favorites by soul singers ranging from Sam & Dave and Bobby Womack to O.V. Wright and Howard Tate. Harrison's conversational drawl often recalls that of the great Arthur Alexander, but he can just as easily break into a robust gospel shout or an octave-scaling falsetto. Galvanized by a tight, funky rhythm section, his performances here hint at what a more pyrotechnic Alexander might have sounded like had he made an album with the Meters. Every track on the record is terrific, but the real stunners are a pair of slowly unfolding ballads. Harrison's smoldering, 6-minute reading of Brook Benton's "I'll Take Care of You" shows his command of an extended spoken recitation. And the way he burrows into Tom Waits's "The House Where Nobody Lives" is devastating -- an expression of emotional and spiritual abandonment worthy of the great Delta blues singers. --The Washington Post In a fairer world, South of the Snooty Fox would have launched a comeback for soul singer Sterling Harrison. Instead, it will serve as a fitting epitaph for the veteran soul singer who died of cancer at age 64 in August 2005. A commanding vocalist with a range that went from deep growl to liberating falsetto, Harrison displays his versatility on the album's songs. The joyful "Seven Days" sounds like Little Richard fronting the Isley Brothers, while Harrison captures the pain of "A Nickel and a Nail" without being over-wrought. Co-producers Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and Eddie Gorodetsky wisely allow the New Breed Band, which played behind Harrison in Los Angeles clubs, to support him. "There's a Rat Loose in My House", a bluesy tale of a romantic triangle, captures the energy of his concert performances. "The House Where Nobody Lives", a Tom Waits original, shows Harrison's ability to make contemporary material his own. --No Depression This could be one of the last great soul records. Vocalist Sterling Harrison never caught much luck as a soul singer, despite spending almost 50 years in the business. He was the perennial ghetto nightclub opening act around Los Angeles for years, where he was eventually stumbled across by "Saturday Night Live" writer Eddie Gorodetsky, who recorded this set of tunes with Harrison and his band in 1999. Unfortunately, Harrison was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the recording and died in 2005. This posthumous release shows Harrison as a classic - a passionate vocalist, a witty hipster, an all-around savvy entertainer working in deep soul. They don't make 'em like Harrison anymore. --San Francisco Chronicle Track Listings 1. Ain't Nobody Home 2. A Nickel and a Nail 3. Seven Days 4. Surprise, Surprise 5. There's a Rat Loose in My House 6. You Left the Water Running 7. The House Where Nobody Lives 8. Don't You Mess With My Money 9. I'll Take Care of You 10. I Believe in You (You Believe in Me) Combined shipping discount on all items unless otherwise noted. Just use the add to cart option and proceed to checkout when done. Please note that the Buy It Now button voids the discount. See the shipping link for more shipping options.

Price: 9.99 USD

Location: Old Saybrook, Connecticut

End Time: 2025-01-30T17:20:41.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.25 USD