When Solomon Burke sings, you can hear his smiling eyes — he's having a laugh at his detractors. Over the past half-decade, the 68-year-old soul titan defied the odds, re-emerging from commercial oblivion with a string of albums that showcase his genius for ragged-voiced ballads, and for pure blarney. You can hear the latter on Like a Fire's title track, where Burke delivers the most hackneyed rhymes — "burning in my soul" rhymes with "yearning to be whole" — with an endearingly hammy baritone rumble.
Like a Fire pairs the old master with younger guest stars (Keb' Mo', Ben Harper) on songs that emphasize Burke's uptempo side. Producer Steve Jordan gives the music a clattery, funky underpinning, and though the material isn't as strong as 2006's country-soul tour de force Nashville, Burke wrings maximum pathos and humor even from the weakest stuff. The highlight: A wonderfully blustery reading of the cocktail jazz standard "If I Give My Heart to You." It's proof that Burke could spend his sunset years enthroned on a Vegas concert stage.
JODY ROSEN
1. Chills & Thrills
1. Keep On Goin' (Album Version) 4:50
1."Something More Besides You" – 4:15
1. Mining For Gold
1. Fantasy
Black Gold
Robert Randolph & The Family Band is a multicultural American funk and soul band composed of Robert Randolph, Marcus Randolph (drums), Danyel Morgan (bass), Jason Crosby (keyboards and fiddle), Lenesha Randolph (vocals and rhythm), as well as three rotating rhythm guitarists, Joey Williams of Blind Boys of Alabama, "Shmeeans", and Cousin Ray-Ray. Frontman Robert Randolph was trained as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church, Keith Dominion, and makes prominent use of the instrument in the band's music. Randolph, a native of Irvington, New Jersey,[1] began playing the steel guitar in the House of God Church, which used steel guitars in worship services. The instrument is referred to in many African American Pentecostal style churches as Sacred Steel. Randolph was discovered while playing at a sacred steel convention in Florida. Randolph himself cites the late Stevie Ray Vaughan as a primary influence in his own technique and style. The group's sound is inspired by successful 1970s funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & the Family Stone, another multicultural band composed of former members of the Church of God in Christ. Randolph himself has explained that in his adolescent years before his discovery by the secular community, he was almost completely unaware of non-religious music, saying "I never heard of the Allman Brothers, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, none of them. I wasn’t into that music, only the church thing."
The first Robert Randolph & the Family Band album, Live at the Wetlands, was released in 2002, recorded live just prior to the club's closing. The band released their studio debut, Unclassified on August 5, 2003. They attracted the attention of Eric Clapton, and have subsequently toured as a supporting act with the English blues guitarist. Clapton also featured on the new album Colorblind on the track "Jesus Is Just Alright".
Before releasing albums with The Family Band, Randolph was selected by avant-jazz organist John Medeski to join him and the North Mississippi Allstars on their 2001 jam project, The Word. Just prior to the release of this album, Randolph was brought to the attention of some music fans through an enthusiastic review[1] by Neil Strauss in the New York Times in April 2001. On that first non-church tour of the East Coast, the new band led in for the North Mississippi Allstars and then rejoined the musicians after their set, with Medeski, as The Word.
In September 2003 Randolph was listed as #97 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. [2]
In 2002, they were hired by ABC to make the network's new NBA theme song. The song, "We Got Hoops", was only used for three telecasts, though it was used throughout both the NBA and WNBA seasons during promotions for both leagues.
In February 2004 Robert Randolph & the Family Band along with the band O.A.R. released a cover version of Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain", which can be purchased in the iTunes Music Store.
The third album, Colorblind, was released October 10, 2006. The song "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That" was used in many commercials for NBC. In June of 2008 the Discovery Channel used this same song in a popular promo entitled "It's All Good" for their summer lineup.
They are currently[when?] working on their fourth album which could be released in the fall of 2008.
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