Considered the smoothest and most elegant of the R&B singers of the 50s, Ben E. King (1938-2015) is probably best known for the classic crossover hit “Stand By Me”, but that is only one small part of his importance. This two disc, 43 song collection captures King just after he left the doo wop team The Drifters and was able to become a popular singer for both black and white audiences, a very rare feat back in the day.
This se includes all of the material from his early 60s albums, Spanish Harlem, Sings For Soulful Lovers and Don’t Play That Song as well as some vintage 45 rpm singles. Of the former, his first big charter was “Spanish Harlem” filled with wondrous strings along ( and backing from jazzers George Barnes/g, George Duvivier/b, and Danny Kessler/perc) with Latin-tinged nightclub material like “Amor” “Besame Mucho” and “Perfidia” as King gives a hint of influence from Sammy Davis Jr. The followup has him singing standards and showing a glimpse of Sam Cooke or Lou Rawls on pieces like “Moon River” while “Fever” has support by Claus Ogerman’s orchestra. Arguably his finest album was the 1962 session that featured the mega-hit “Stand By Me” but also “Ecstasy,” “On The Horizon” and “ Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” making for a soulful serenade. Also featured are some singles, most notably a pair of duets with R&B Queen Lavern Baker on “A Help-Each-Other Romance” and “How Often”. This is more than mere nostalgia; it shows how genuine class and art transcends cultures and musical genres.