Many moons ago, a friend gave me a half dozen or so CDs he created, all featuring deep soul and obscure R&B tracks. For every song I was familiar with, there were four that were new to me. And almost all of the tracks were special for one reason or another. From Ironing Board Sam and Cal Wayman to Gorgeous George and Ned Towns, these CDs brought endless pleasure.
One track that stood out was "It Ain't What's On A Woman" by Jimmy Lewis. This slice of soul from 1974 features a classic rap that would certainly not get beyond the studio walls if recorded in 2026. But I loved every second of it. It took over 20 years, but I finally listened to Jimmy's 1974 album, "Totally Involved" and it did not disappoint.
The band includes Wilton Felder on bass, Ed Greene on drums, with backing vocals by Oma Heard and Gloria Jones. Every track is a winner. Sometimes Lewis channels Bobby Womack and other times, Otis Redding. But, when Lewis raps or screams, he sounds like no one but Jimmy Lewis. This is definitely the best album I've heard by a singer from Itta Bena.
5 comments:
Underrated soul singer thanks
that is one helluva rap
and that low rumble from the Baritone sax underneath the vocal mmmmmmmm
wait it may be a trombone correction ?
That's one hell of a mix tape (or mix CD) if he can introduce you to numerous obscure but great soul gems. Kudos to him. I couldn't do that if I covered every genre known to man! (Well, maybe one or two obscure Prefab Sprout B-sides,)
Post a Comment