Sam Cooke: Night Beat CD Track Listing

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Sam Cooke Night Beat (1963)
2001 RCA Records Label\nOriginally Released September 1963\nCD Edition Released June 6, 1995\nRemastered CD Edition Released November 6, 2001\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Saddled with soaring strings and vocal choruses for maximum crossover potential, Sam Cooke's solo material often masked the most important part of his genius -- his glorious voice -- so the odd small-group date earns a special recommendation in his discography. Thankfully, Cooke's voice took center stage on this admirably low-key session from February 1963, recorded in Los Angeles with a quartet of studio veterans. Unlike so many session crews and producers of the time, these musicians gave him plenty of space and often simply framed Cooke's breathtaking vocals. (On one of the best tracks here, "Lost and Lookin'," he's barely accompanied at all; only bass and cymbals can be heard far in the background.) The results are wonderful -- except for his early Soul Stirrers sides, Night Beat is the best place to marvel at one of the two or three best voices of the century. The songs are intimate blues, most taken at the pace of a late-night stroll, but despite the dark shading and heart-rending tempos, Cooke's voice is so transcendent it's difficult to become depressed while listening. Cooke also wrote three of the songs, including the excellent "Mean Old World," and rendered the traditional "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" practically unfamiliar with his own re-arrangement. Cooke also stretches out on a pair of jump blues classics, "Little Red Rooster" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll," summoning some honest grit for the former and putting the uptown swing into the latter. He also allows some solo space, from Barney Kessel's simple, unadorned solo on "Get Yourself Another Fool" to Billy Preston's playful organ vocalizing on "Little Red Rooster." If Sam Cooke had lived longer, there would've been several more sessions like this, but Night Beat is an even richer treasure for its rarity. -- John Bush\n\nAmazon.com essential recording\nThe title implies a party record, but much of this bluesiest of Sam Cooke albums is downbeat stuff, as the master adapts the gospel standard "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," shakes his head at a "Mean Old World," and picks covers like "Trouble Blues" and "I Lost Everything." By the grace of his voice, a thousand interpretive shadings, and utterly gorgeous stripped-down arrangements, Cooke never loses himself or the listener in despair. Still, this is serious stuff. Fans of Aretha Franklin's Atlantic days and Frank Sinatra's at Capitol will cherish this reissue. --Rickey Wright \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nCan't Beat This!!, August 17, 2001 \nReviewer: M Allen Greenbaum from California \nCan't Beat This!\n\nAnother soul-stirring effort by the great Sam Cooke, "Night Beat" is one of the best vocal soul/blues/rock/gospel albums ever made. The focus throughout is Cooke's incredible voice and phrasing, with simple comping by bass, drums, piano, and organ. (including Barney Kessel (guitar) on three songs, and Beatles' sideman Billy Preston on keyboards). The opener is almost a cappella; it may send chills up your spine. His "It's a Mean Old World" is masterfully phrased, and I daresay that Rod Stewart may have drawn a lot of inspiration from it. Play some early Rod Stewart ballads (say, with the Jeff Beck group) and you may hear the similarities. Cooke strays in front of and behind the beat, his usual silky smooth voice sounding slightly raspy. \n\nHe puts new life into "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" (with a slight reggae influence), finishing it off with a beautiful falsetto. Cooke does a fun "Shake, Rattle, and Roll," demonstrating once again that he is the master of all genres. Somehow he manages to save "Little Red Rooster" from the gimmicky effects of the otherwise excellent Billy Preston. (Though Preston's solo near the end of the song burns it up.) Other highlights include the blues/gospel of "Laughin' and Clownin," (and "Trouble Blues"), "Fool's Paradise," and, especially, the up-tempo "You Gotta Move."\n\nSam Cooke's immediacy, intimacy, and sheer soul power make this a compelling album. Ranks up with the best of Al Green, Otis, Nat Cole, and Aretha. Excellent liner notes by Robert Palmer. By all means, try to find this one! \n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nBarney Kessel, Contributing Artist\nBilly Preston, Contributing Artist\nHal Blaine, Contributing Artist\nDave Hassinger, Engineer\n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Sam Cooke (vocals); Rene Hall, Barney Kessel, Clifton M. White (guitar); Raymond Johnson (piano); Billy Preston (organ); Clifford Hils (bass); Hal Blaine, Edward J. Hall (drums).\n\nProducers: Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore.\nReissue producers: Jody Hart Klein, Gregg Geller, Lenne Allik.\n\nRecorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California on February 22-23 and 25, 1963. Includes liner notes by Robert Palmer.\n\nBy 1963 Cooke was a big enough star to call his own shots in the studio, and NIGHT BEAT is the result of his desire to make an intimate, artistic album that abandoned pop arrangements in favor of intimate soul-jazz settings. Accompanied by a small band that includes drum legend Hal Blaine and a very young Billy Preston on organ, he tackles a batch of tunes that were close to his heart. From the mournful, set-'em-up-Joe feel of "Lost And Lookin'" to the randy blues of Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster," Cooke pours out his heart. Freed from pop strictures, Cooke allows himself to stretch out vocally, his singing at its most unfettered and emotional throughout NIGHT BEAT.\n\nVibe (10/01/1995)\n...Cooke was sometimes called `the black Sinatra,' and NIGHT BEAT shows exactly why. With spare, jazz inflected backing, he offers the sort of loosely swinging, nuanced delivery that few besides Frank could ever match...
This jazz cd contains 12 tracks and runs 37min 53sec.
Freedb: 9c08df0c

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