Songs From Venice Beach

Blending every form of roots music imaginable into his own singular soulful stew, the incomparable Ted Hawkins stuck mostly to R&B covers on this splendid 1985 solo outing — songs by Sam Cooke (his idol), Jerry Butler, Bobby Bland, the Temptations, and Garnet Mimms receive gorgeous readings by the acoustic guitarist. But even though he only contributed one original, the touching “Ladder of Success,” to the set, Hawkins wasn’t content to remain in one genre — his commanding revival of Webb Pierce’s hillbilly weeper “There Stands the Glass” ranks with the disc’s very best moments (of which there are many). – Bill Dahl