HEART AND SOUL

Charles Bradley is among the most fascinating artists on the contemporary soul scene. In his early teens, Bradley was inspired to take his own shot at the stage after witnessing James Brown in concert. Decades were spent working as a chef, sometimes drifting, sometimes homeless – yet he eventually landed on the savvy Daptone Records label and made an immediate impact. How many R&B and soul artists have been sampled by Jay-Z and also released a boss cover version of Black Sabbath’s sole ballad, “Changes”? In recent years, 67-year-old Bradley’s earned a deserved following of devotees, and he and his whip-sharp band The Extraordinaires have been rocking the flock left and right.