Documentary captures larger than life soul legend Solomon Burke

On this Valentine's Day, I'll share a recommendation for fans of Southern Soul or good music in general to check out a DVD documentary of soul legend Solomon Burke titled "Everybody Needs Somebody".

The hourlong documentary is authorized, so there's only one side of the story to a man who did have some enemies. But the archival footage, family stories and interviews with fans like Bill Wyman of the Stones and producers Don Was and Joe Henry drive home just how brilliant a performer Burke was, particularly when it came to spinning a romantic tune. 

Burke was larger than life in more ways that one -- he was forced to sit while performing in recent years -- and when he died last year, he left behind a legacy as one of the very best examples of Southern soul and rhythm and blues. 

In pursuit of peace, Southern Soul style

On this special day I'll share video of an amazing televised 1968 James Brown concert at the Boston Garden that is credited with muzzling rioting in Boston in the wake of the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

The splicing/editing of this series of clips is very choppy but it's worth tolerating as Brown delivers fantastic performances throughout.

Pay special attention about 65 minutes in when Boston Mayor Kevin White pleads with the crowd and local television audience to make "Dr. King's dreams a reality in Boston. This is our city and its future is in our hands -- tonight, tomorrow and the days that follow. Martin Luther King loved this city and it's up to our generation to prove his faith in us. So all I ask you tonight is this, to let us look at each other, here in the Gardens and back at home, and pledge that no matter what any other community might do, we in Boston will honor Dr. King in peace." 

If anyone needs proof music can unite, this is it. Peace be with all of us. 

Sharon Jones + Southern soul + analog = good times

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings are popping up all over the place in advance of a new album hitting stores next week. That's a good thing.

Jones generated critical acclaim a few years ago with the release of "100 Days, 100 Nights," a throwback to mid-60s Memphis soul. The Dap-Kings earned some fame on its own, backing Amy Winehouse on her hit "Back to Black" album.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings give old-school soul a new twistJones and the DK's will release a new album "I Learned the Hard Way" next week. NPR is streaming the entire album for free until then. After one listen, I can't say "Hard Way" knocked my socks off like "100 Days" but it's still top-notch soul worth follow-up listens.

And I'll be listening more closely after reading Jim Fusilli's band profile in The Wall Street Journal today that reveals the new album was recorded using analog equipment at a homegrown studio (as opposed to the digital formats that represent 99% of all music released today). Such techniques, favored by people like Jack White of the White Stripes, provide a warmer sound than the harsh, compressed digital recordings so common in modern music. It's a perfect match with Southern soul, a genre known for punchy, passionate arrangements.

Jones was so into the analog thing that she herself wired the electrical sockets in building the studio. Can you imagine any star other than Jack White tackling dirty work like that?

If you're a glutton for more, head over to NPR/all songs, which is streaming a recent Jones/DK gig at SXSW. I say the more the merrier.