Singers: Soulin' & Sweet-Talkin'

For more than ten years, most U.S. jazz polls have named Frank Sinatra the top male vocalist. Now, for the first time, a rank outsider suddenly shows every sign of deposing the "Chairman of the Board." Lou Rawls is his name, and "soulin' " is his game.

The elusive, bittersweet quality that gives bite to the blues, soulin' is a Rawls specialty. His style is all his own. Drawing from a mixed bag of songs, he improvises effortlessly within a three-octave range, spiraling up to a keening, gospel wail, then swooping down to a gritty, resonant bottom. Betwixt...

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