(Dunham) CD & LP
The canon of soul music is filled with stories of struggle & perseverance, but few match Charles Bradley’s tale of triumph over the everyman grind of urban America. Raised in Brooklyn, Bradley has wandered the US for much of his 64 years, falling between performing as a soul singer & peddling his wares as a trained chef. Despite a life filled with near-misses at a music career, a late-in-life relocation back to Brooklyn found Bradley on stage, occasionally performing his James Brown-inspired routine as Black Velvet.

Bradley’s raw soul & energized vocals began to draw quite the devoted following & caught the attention of Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records. After losing his brother to a horrible murder at the hands of his own nephew, Bradley reconvened & with the help of Thomas Brenneck, began weaving his tales of hardship & heartbreak into some classic soul originals. The result is No Time For Dreaming, a powerful, gritty album packed with raw emotion & the familiar sounds of life’s trials & tribulations. The music here is provided by The Menahan Street Band, who do a brilliant job of framing Bradley’s classic vocals with stone cold grooves & sincere soul balladry. Easily one of 2011’s most endearing stories, it also happens to be one of the year’s best records. It goes without saying that fans of Sharon Jones should pay full attention.

CHARLES BRADLEY PLAYS LIVE AT CLUB 9ONE9 ON SEPT. 3!!!

Tickets on sale now!