For the next few weeks, I'll be posting songs for a break-up mix. The blues seemed like a natural place to start. And who better to sing a soft, velvety blues song than the one and only, Lou Rawls.

The Lou Rawls Live!  album is a hidden gem in Rawls' long, and sometimes overly sentimental, career. It is a flawless record, with highlights that include Rawls' impromptu monologues and stirring, souful performances. One reviewer writes, "When Rawls sings, everybody wants to absorb the lyrics." But I wouldn't stop there. I want to become the lyrics. Wrap myself up in his silky songs. Lap up the piano notes. Roll naked in his crooning baritone. Okay, maybe not naked.

In 1962, Rawls was signed to Capitol Records. His first solo release on Capitol was Stormy Monday. The Live! album was recorded in a studio (which explains the awesome sound quality), but with a live audience. The experiment could have gone horribly, but Rawls pulls it off. When you listen to these tracks, you actually feel like you're sitting in a smokey, dark club right alongside the other patrons. I hope you enjoy!

1.  Stormy Monday - Lou Rawls

2.  St. James Infirmary - Lou Rawls 

3.  A World of Trouble  (with monologue) - Lou Rawls 

-- Jess