Mighty Sam McClain - Blues For The Soul (2000)

New Telarc signing Mighty Sam McClain is considered by many to be our greatest living soul singer. The story of his rise from years of obscurity to his triumphant return to the top tier of soul blues performers is the stuff of legend. Featuring a powerhouse horn section, Blues for the Soul, is a showcase for the Mighty One’s ever-evolving vocal and songwriting talents, and is sure to be considered one of his most masterful recordings.

Produced by McClain’s longtime producer Joe Harley (whose Telarc resume includes discs with Terry Evans and Ronnie Earl), Blues for the Soul spotlights 12 original compositions. Mighty Sam enjoys solid support from his working band (these days its members include three horn players), plus the ever-dependable keyboardist Bruce Katz and trumpeter Joe Casano.

A two-time Grammy nominee and perennial W. C. Handy favorite, Sam McClain was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1943 and began singing in his mother’s gospel groups at age five. His music is a reflection of the troubled life and many struggles he has gone through. He first rose to stardom in the mid-‘60s, when his cover of Patsy Cline’s "Sweet Dreams" (recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama) landed him onstage at the Apollo Theatre. This was followed by years of oblivion before he resurfaced with a string of releases for Audioquest in the ‘90s. A deeply religious man, McClain is a specialist in Southern soul blues and, as one of its original masters, carries on the tradition of vocalists like Bobby “Blue” Bland, O. V. Wright, Solomon Burke, and Otis Redding.