Tribute To Soul
Third Street Cigar, 2026
9/10
A pairing of 2 soul music giants, Dave Keller and Johnny Rawls bring their inimitable talents to these 11 songs by Rawls’ mentors.
“I’m Qualified” opens the listen with the bright brass and Ira Friedman’s animated keys that complement Rawls and Keller’s soulful pipes, and “I’ve Never Found A Girl” follows with Jay Gleason’s agile drumming that suits the heartfelt climate and well timed backing vocals.
Further along, “I Remember” benefits from Be DeLong’s well timed trumpet alongside Rawls’ and Kellers’ rhythmic guitars, while “Hold On To What You’ve Got” is a calmer moment where the talking and singing is met with Alex Budney’s strategic bass.
The last 2 tracks are “Drowning On Dry Land” and “You Didn’t Know It But You Had Me”. The former layers the horns amid the stylish rhythm section and dueling vocals from Keller and Rawls, and the latter finishes with a textured and timeless blues rocker that’s harmonic and invites singing-along.
An excellent batch of times from leaders in the area of modern blues, we’re also treated to R&B, soul and dance music via this top notch collaboration.
Travels well with: Johnny Rawls- Make Them Dance; Johnny Rawls- Walking’ Heart Attack