It seems to be somewhat of a rite of passage for R&B and soul singers. International superstar Seal did it a few years back, and has just done it again. So did the beloved frontman for Jacksoul, the late Haydain Neale.
To what am I referring? Both of the above artists made albums that paid musical tribute to the legends of 1960s and '70s soul and R&B.
The latest artist to walk this path is Gerald Eaton, known by his stage name Jarvis Church. Church is the former lead singer of the popular Canadian band the Philosopher Kings. In more recent times, he transformed himself into more of a soul ballad crooner. Jarvis' latest project, however, puts the focus on his musical heroes.
The plan is for Jarvis to release a series of solo albums, each one celebrating the music of a particular artist who's influenced him. With whom does Jarvis start? None other than the legendary Sam Cooke.
Cooke is a fine choice. In his day, he was considered to be the artist's artist. Known as the "King Of Soul," he was a veritable pop star whose popularity traversed colour boundaries, at a time when the dividing lines in America couldn't have been clearer. Cooke paved the way for the major black artists who followed him. Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder are but three who benefitted from his trailblazing.
Cooke contributed one of the most important songs to the Civil Rights movement: "A Change Is Gonna Come". We can only speculate about how much further Cooke might have taken his music, were it not for his untimely death at the age of 33. Still, half a century later, Cooke's musical legacy remains intact, and as important as it ever was.
Jarvis Church plans to release his Sam Cooke album, The Soul Station Presents the Sam Cooke Sessions on Oct. 2, but you don't need to wait. You can listen to him performing these classic tunes -- as well as a couple of his own -- at the Jackson-Triggs Winery in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont. You can check out the tunes and some videos of his performance on Concerts on Demand, but tune in to Canada Live on Sept. 13 for the full deal.
Related:
Jarvis Church releases new single 'Do It Better'
