Don't Give Up On Me

These things always look good on paper: take a respected, if neglected, vocalist, give him a bunch of songs from hip contemporary writers, place him in front of some hot musicians and see what shakes out. Sometimes the results pay off, others it comes across as a complete mismatch. A lot depends on the producer and, of course, on the songs. On Solomon Burke’s Don’t Give Up On Me, both rise to the occasion.

The songs, either written specifically or chosen for this project come from the pen of such esteemed writers as Elvis Costello and Cait O’Riordan, Brian Wilson and Andy Paley, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe and Van Morrison. The producer is Joe Henry, whose own track record veers from alt. country to angular funk. Here, the direction is not back towards that sweet ‘60s soul music; rather it is a more discreet Hammond-led late-night soul sound.

But then Solomon Burke has little left to prove. A vocal master, he may not have reached the heights that James Brown, Wilson Pickett or Otis Redding achieved, but he is part of that pantheon. His backing band here consists of a tight unit of bass, guitar drums and keyboards (including some expressive playing from his regular organist Rudy Copeland). But while the wonderful vocal group The Blind Boys Of Alabama feature on one track, as does Daniel Lanois, the clear star here is Burke himself, whose interpretive skills are paramount.

His reading of the Waits/Brennan song ‘Diamonds In Your Mind’ immediately recalls Waits’ own vocal styling but with a depth and understanding that makes it entirely his own. Also worthy of note is Dylan’s ‘Stepchild’ which has a bluesier edge and some laid back guitar from Lanois. The Mann/Weil/Russell song, ‘None Of Us Are Free’ – a song of solidarity – reaches out to the listener without ever preaching. It is perhaps the album’s finest moment.

There may be those who will find this album a disappointment for not sticking to a solid ‘60s soul blueprint, but ultimately this brings a new perspective to a man considered, by some, to be the finest soul singer of his time.