Sam Cooke - Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964

Some 46 years after his first pop hit, and 39 years after his death, comes only the second attempt at a comprehensive Sam Cooke collection. Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 eclipses RCA's early-'80s The Man and His Music, going it better in running time but losing some important recordings -- "That's Heaven to Me" and "Soothe Me," arguably one of Cooke's most important songs -- in the process of summing up his career. From 1951's Soul Stirrers' gospel classic "Touch the Hem of His Garment" through to 1964's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Shake," we get highlights of Cooke's career presented in state-of-the-art digital audio; superior in every way possible to the audio quality of The Man and His Music. What's more, this is a hybrid disc with SACD capability, and the sound on that layer is almost as much of a jump above the quality on the CD layer as this remastering is from the old The Man and His Music disc; and either the standard CD or the SACD playback makes that 1980s-issued compilation sound faint and anemic. There's also annotation here -- which was totally lacking on the earlier CD -- by Peter Guralnick, which delves very effectively into the background of each song. And the producers have taken the trouble to be a little inventive in the programming -- it would have been easy enough to follow a strict chronological approach, but instead the disc opens and closes with tracks that reveal Cooke's gospel roots, which is pretty much where his music started and where it ended up, bookending his first hit with songs from his first session ever. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Name Credits Adolphus Alsbrook Jr. Bass Al Schmitt Engineer, Producer Alexander Neiman Viola Alfred Brown Violin Alicia Adams Vocals (Background) Alisa Ritz Art Direction Allan Harshman Viola Ambrose Russo Violin Angelo Tillery Cover Illustration Anthony Terran Trumpet April Hobbs Art Coordinator Archie Levin Violin Armand Karpoff Cello Arnold Belnick Violin Art Rupe Producer Barney Kessel Guitar Ben Bailes Assistant Engineer Ben Miller Violin Betty Jane Baker Vocals (Background) Billy Preston Organ Bob King Guitar Bob Ludwig Mastering Bobby Womack Guitar Bumps Blackwell Producer Carol Lee Lombard Vocals (Background) Cecil Figelski Cello Charles Blackwell Drums Charles Libove Violin Charles Parlato Vocals (Background) Chuck Badie Bass Clifford Hils Bass Clifton White Guitar Darrel Terwilliger Violin Dave Wells Trombone David "Panama" Francis Drums David Hassinger Engineer David Nadien Violin Dino Lappas Engineer Doreen Tryden Vocals (Background) Earl Palmer Drums Eddie Hall Drums, Percussion Eddie Tilman Bass Edgar Blanchard Guitar Edgar Redmond Saxophone Edward Truman Beal Piano Elliot Fisher Violin Emil Radocchia Percussion, Tympani [Timpani], Marimba Emmet Sargeant Cello Ernie Freeman Piano Ernie Hayes Piano Everett Barksdale Guitar Frank Capp Percussion, Drums Frank Fields Bass Fred Fradkin Violin Frederick Seykora Cello Gareth "Garry" Nuttycombe Violin George Collier Guitar Glen Campbell Guitar Glenn Osser Conductor Gus Skinas Engineer Hal Blaine Drums, Percussion Harold Battiste Piano Harold Dicterow Violin Harper Cosby Bass Harry Hyams Viola Harry Lookofsky Violin Hinda Barnet Violin Hiroyuki Komuro Assistant Engineer Howard Roberts Guitar Hugo Producer Iris Keitel Art Direction Irving Lipschultz Violin Isadore Roman Violin Israel Baker Violin J.J. Farley Vocals (Background) Jack Costanza Bongos Jack Halloran Vocals (Background) Jack Pepper Violin Jackie Ward Vocals (Background) James Bryant Vocals (Background) James E. Bond Bass Jesse Ehrlich Cello Jewell L. Grant Saxophone Jimmie Haskell Conductor, Arranger Jimmie Outler Vocals (Background) Jody Klein Restoration Supervision John Anderson Trumpet John Boudreaux Drums John DeVoogdt Violin John Ewing Trombone John Kelson, Jr. Saxophone John Pisano Guitar Joseph Coppin Cello Joseph R. Gibbons Banjo, Guitar Joseph Saxon Violin Julius Wechter Percussion June Gardner Drums Larraine Walton Audio Production Director Lee Gotch Vocals (Background) Lenne Allik Concept Leonard Malarsky Violin Leroy Crume Guitar Lou Adler Producer Lou Rawls Vocals Louise Blackburn Trombone Loulie Jean Norman Vocals (Background) Luigi Producer Marshall Sosson Violin Marvin Limonick Violin Matt Boynton Assistant Engineer Max Cahn Violin Melvin Lastie Trumpet Mick Gochanour Transfers Mike Pacheco Conga Milt Hinton Bass Myron Sandler Violin Norman Bartold Guitar Paul Foster Vocals (Background) Peter Guralnick Liner Notes Plas Johnson Saxophone R.B. Robinson Vocals (Background) Ralph Brewster Vocals (Background) Ralph Schaeffer Violin Ray Pohlman Bass Raymond Johnson Piano Red Callender Bass Red Tyler Saxophone Rene Hall Conductor, Arranger, Producer, Guitar Richard Gibbs Vocals (Background) Rick Essig Transfers Robert Barene Violin Robert Bryant Trumpet Robert Tebow Vocals (Background) Ronald Selico Drums Russell Bridges Piano S.R. Crain Vocals (Background) S.S. Farley Vocals (Background) Sally Stevens Vocals (Background) Sam Cooke Producer Sammy Lowe Conductor Samuel Boghossian Viola Seth Adkins Art Coordinator Sidney Sharp Violin Steve Rosenthal Restoration, Archives Coordinator Stu Williamson Trumpet Sue Allen Vocals (Background) Ted Brinson Bass Teri Landi Restoration Supervision, Transfers Thomas L. Bruster Vocals (Background) Tibor Zelig Violin Tom Kenny Vocals (Background) Tommy Tedesco Guitar Ulysses Livingston Guitar Warren Myles Piano Wilbert Nuttycombe Viola William Green Saxophone William Hinshaw French Horn William Kurash Violin William Pitman Guitar