JERRY BURTON, Great American Soul Book, Reimagined, Vol. 1

After your ears pop with grace, joy and gratitude, upon first listen to the alternately warm and inviting and boisterous and barn burning interpretations Jerry Burton brings to his spectacular, continuously infectious and engaging Great American Soul Book Reimagined, Vol. 1, you might be inclined to ask, “Where’s this wildly wonderful soul singer been all our lives?” Then, “Why did he wait for so many decades before regaling us with this masterfully eclectic album?”

Perhaps the answer is, he’s been busy enjoying a prolific 40-year career performing regionally, writing, producing, arranging and conducting for countless other fab soul singers. His musical lifetime taps a bit into the social history of America, starting with playing sax at age 12 on the southern chitlin circuit and joining the popular Tuscaloosa, AL band The Diplomats to play some dangerous gigs in front of drunks hopped up on moonshine and ready to fight.

Turns out, the sum total of Jerry’s musical passions, as reflected on this album, is a great match for our own – at least among those of us who grew up loving 60’s and 70’s pop soul. Like the legends he so artfully reimagines here – starting with Sam & Dave (“Soul Man”), Al Green (“Tired of Being Alone”), The Temptations (“My Girl”) and Otis Redding (“Try a Little Tenderness”), he’s got a rich, soul-searing voice that expresses both deep pain and playful joy with effortless dazzle and panache, buoyed by his trademark poppin’, often smartly brassy arrangements.

As one of those cats who could sing the proverbial phone book (or whatever the modern equivalent is!), Burton could have gone the easy route and stuck to classics we associate with top soul singers. But his choice of material extends beyond what the album titled might suggest, mining the glory of soul-jazz greats Les McCann and Eddie Harris (a blues, funked up spin on “Compared To What,” featuring Barbara Walker), soulful late 70s’ adult contemporary greats Gino Vanelli (“I Just Wanna Stop”) and Bobby Caldwell (“What You Won’t Do For Love”) and brilliant one hit wonders like Skylark (“Wildflower”) and Rockie Robbins (“You and Me”).

Burton's lone original, the silky romance “Sha La Girl,” fits right alongside the legendary tunes he shares here. A special shout-out is due his powerhouse 12-piece band and his five female backup singers (including Walker). Bring on Vol. 2!