![]() But its sampler nature showcases how Bradley could ease himself into any style of the classic soul era. Black Velvet isn’t as cohesive or tight as 2013’s Victim of Love or the emotionally charged Changes. To that end, Black Velvet is a fitting tribute to the late singer, perhaps capturing the breadth of his appeal better than any of his actual albums. This may lessen the feeling of discovery for longtime Bradley watchers, but Bradley’s music was always about maintaining tradition, not discovery. Otherwise, the compilation gathers songs stranded on singles or released as bonus tracks a deluxe edition contains “Stripped Down Mixes” of songs from Bradley’s first two albums, spare variations on the original recordings designed to showcase his voice. ![]() Black Velvet runs a scant 10 tracks, just three of which are newly unearthed and completely finished: “Can’t Fight the Feeling,” “Fly Little Girl,” and “I Feel a Change,” each dating from a different phase of his brief career. The presence of the unsung “Black Velvet” suggests Bradley didn’t leave much in the vaults. But Bradley couldn’t muster the energy to sing it, so the instrumental plays here as a mid-album elegy: soft, slow, and sweet, a song in search of a singer. He wrote and recorded “Black Velvet” with his Menahan Street Band, the group that backed Bradley since his 2011 debut, No Time for Dreaming. Despite his illness, diagnosed just months after the release of 2016’s Changes, Brenneck didn’t abandon the idea of creating new music with Bradley. He signed Bradley to Daptone, linked him with producer and guitarist Tom Brenneck, and released the single “Take It As It Come,” launching a partnership that lasted until Bradley’s death from stomach and liver cancer in September 2017.īlack Velvet rounds up the stray tracks Bradley made during his last decade, apart from his three studio albums for Daptone. Bradley introduce himself to Daptone co-founder Gabriel Roth, who heard something within that gravelly rasp. He was in his mid-50s and moonlighting as a James Brown impersonator named “Black Velvet,” one of many monikers he used in service of his JB tribute. Bradley heard about Daptone’s success with Sharon Jones, another singer specializing in soul from another era. In 2002, Bradley finally happened to be in the right place at the right time-in New York City, just as Daptone’s retro-soul empire began to rise. As an adult, he drifted back and forth across North America, working odd jobs and singing on the side. His early years were filled with neglect and poverty, buoyed by his discovery of James Brown when he was 14. ![]() Charles Bradley lucked into the kind of third act that few people could ever imagine.
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