The Classic Aaron Neville: My Greatest Gift by Aaron Neville

Though R&B crooner Aaron Neville is best known for his work with the Neville Brothers and his solo recordings from the 1990s, he cut some excellent solo sides in the late '60s and early '70s. This 12-track disc collects the finest of those songs, and is a dazzling showcase for Neville's prodigious talents and for Allen Toussaint, who arranged and produced the album (and contributed several original compositions). This is classic post-'50s New Orleans music--a blend of gospel, roots rock & roll, lean funk, stirring soul, and native Creole rhythms. Ears uninitiated to Neville's sweet, vibrato-rich tenor will be stunned--his is one of the purest, most lilting soul voices ever put to tape. Neville and Toussaint's collaboration, additionally, is a winning one, as shown by the laid-back strut of "Hercules," the smooth gospel/soul of "You Can Give But You Can't Take," and the unbelievably beautiful "Tell It Like It Is" (a signature tune for Neville). MY GREATEST GIFT is a good selection of Aaron Neville's lesse...