Review - 'Putumayo Presents: Rhythm & Blues'

Generations before Rhythm & Blues evolved into what it is today, it was sort of an upbeat, danceable version of Blues music. And on the Putumayo World Music label's first-ever R&B compilation (released in the U.S. on Feb. 9, 2010), the deeps roots of R&B are celebrated via a collection of old and newer songs that are virtually tributes to 1950s and early '60s pre-Motown Rhythm & Blues; the kind where horns and pianos were every bit as important as guitars and vocals. And the artists on this compilation, including Angie Stone, James Hunter, Sharon Jones & others, are worthy heirs of the legacy of Rhythm & Blues music.

Rhythm & Blues has evolved so much as a music since it's early days in the 1950s that many people might not even consider the 12 songs on this compilation to be R&B. And to be truthful, under current definitions, many of these songs are musically closer to Blues and Soul than R&B. But even though that's the case, many of the songs here are indeed classic Rhythm & Blues tunes stylistically. One of the better-known tracks here is "100 Days, 100 Nights," an original Bluesy, soulful track recorded in 2007 by retro-R&B revivalists Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. And although the song is arguably the best track on the album, there's plenty of other fine material too, particularly "'Til Your Fool Comes Home," a swinging Rockabilly-ish tune that almost sounds like something that Jerry Lee Lewis might have in the 1950s, even though it's actually from The Hard Way, the 2008 sophomore album by British singer-musician James Hunter.

Other noteworthy tracks are "'Cuz I'm Here," a beautifully sung relationship song that was recorded in 2006 by Ruthie Foster; and Catherine Russell's version of "Put Me Down Easy," a Sam Cooke-written song that was originally recorded by Cooke's brother in the early 1960s. Surprisingly, a cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Wang Dang Doodle" by Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave fame), Keb' Mo and Angie Stone falls a little flat. The track, which was written in the early 1960s by Blues legend Willie Dixon, has been covered by everybody from Ted Nugent to the Pointer Sisters to the Grateful Dead over the years, but for some reason, the version here doesn't sound particularly fresh, which is odd considering how talented the individual vocalists are. The only other questionable choice here is the inclusion of "Before I Find the Right Girl for Me," by Rockie Charles, whose vocal similarities to Al Green straddle the line between loving homage and utter rip-off.

But despite the couple of bumps in the road, Putumayo's initial Rhythm & Blues music release is a welcome addition to the label's long line of quality compilation albums. If you've liked any of the label's previous releases - and they range in content from Jazz to Blues to Latin to children's music to much more - then you'll probably enjoy Putumayo Presents: Rhythm & Blues. Not only is it a fitting addition to the label's catalog, it's a fitting tribute to the original era of R&B music.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the label. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.