Jimmy Robins - Wind Beneath My Wings (CD)

Jimmy "Preacher" Robins was one of the most unsung heroes of Rhythm and Blues in the 1960s. He was known as a great and powerful singer with a gravelly voice, and also played Hammond B3 Organ, as well as being an excellent songwriter and arranger off Soul Music. He had some success with several 45 rpm singles, but never truly got the traction his talent deserved. Later in life, in the 1980s, he was a featured performer in the Broadway Musical, Black and Blue, all well as building a residence at the legendary Showman's Cafe on 125th street in Harlem, New York City. He was crowned as the "King of Harlem Soul" and was often called the "honorary" Mayor of Harlem by his fans. "Wind Beneath My Wings" is a very rare collection of very rough-sounding live and studio masters from the later part of his career. The importance of these recordings is the fact that there, till now, exists not one album of his music in the post-45 era. The sound quality is not great, but that is not our emphasis here, which is rather to open up the mysterious crypt of deep Harlem Soul that is the Preacher Robins sound. The sheer depth and power of this music will be immediately apparent to the listener, and collectors of rare Soul Music will be blown away. The complete personnel of these recordings is unknown, but there are features by Joey "G-Clef" Cavaseno on alto saxophone and Bill Easley on flute, (one song each.)