Arthur Prysock - Too Late Baby: Old Town Singles 1958-66 [CD]

2014 release, the first-ever CD compilation of this R&B balladeer's classic singles for New York's Old Town label. Between 1959 and 1966 Arthur Prysock had two dozen singles and more than half a dozen albums issued on Old Town. These have been largely out of print since Verve Records bought Arthur's contract and his Old Town masters in 1966. Many have never been reissued at all, in any format. Arthur's warm baritone brings to mind Lou Rawls, Roy Hamilton, Billy Paul and his own hero, Billy Eckstine, a contemporary and his friend. The tracks featured cover all facets of Arthur's artistry, from smooth balladry to rocking R&B. Apart from the title track, which made the Hot 100 and narrowly missed the R&B Top 10 in 1965, few of these became national hits but many were big sellers in the black American community and stayed in the Old Town catalogue for years. Kent issues them in digital format for the first time.