Al GreenThe Reverend Al Green is 62 years old and his new album, "Lay It Down," is better than any other soul record released this year.
Produced by youngster musicologists Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of The Roots and James Poyser, partners in progressive soul project The Randy Watson Experience, "Lay It Down" captures the essence of Green's classic sound and builds on it, while avoiding the trap of overtly copying his legendary 1970s recordings.
The album includes duets with the best of today's R&B/soul artists, John Legend ("Stay With Me"), Corinne Bailey Rae ("Take Your Time") and Anthony Hamilton ("You've Got the Love I Need"). But the behind-the-scenes star of the record is the late Chalmers "Spanky" Alford, whose distinctive guitar work makes a good album great.
