A new album featuring recordings made by late soul singer Charles Bradley entitled Black Velvet is available to stream via NPR Music’s First Listen series. Dunham/Daptone Records will officially release the posthumous album on November 9.
Titled after the name Bradley used while working as a James Brown impersonator, Black Velvet presents 10 previously-unreleased tracks recorded during sessions for each of Bradley’s three albums — 2011’s No Time for Dreaming, 2013’s Victim of Love and 2016’s Changes. The record includes three new songs, “Can’t Fight the Feeling,” “Fly Little Girl” and “I Feel a Change” as well as covers of Neil Young’s “Heart Of Gold,” Rodriguez’s “Slip Away” and Nirvana’s “Stay Away.”
Bradley died September 23, 2017, following a battle with cancer. Menahan Street Band recorded the instrumental title track, which was supposed to feature Bradley but he died before adding his vocals. Listen to Black Velvet via the link below:
