Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The rich, warm voice of Brook Benton was to earn him fame and acclaim over three decades of recording and although most of his big hits occurred in the late '50s and '60s this intriguing compilation of his early recordings - including many demos he recorded when toting his compositions for other artists - is targeted at completists and serious collectors. Musically Brook covered all the bases from rock 'n' roll to jazz to pop balladry though from time to time his gospel roots would show through. This compilation features four gospel cuts made with the Bill Landford Quartet (Landford being a founder of the renowned Golden Gate Quartet) and pretty good they are too, though some may wince at the Landford composition "The Devil Is A Real Bright Boy". A lot of the cuts here sound pretty dated today though Benton's smooth vocal tones are consistent throughout.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.