During the 50-odd years that R&B was a central force in pop culture, no other genre celebrated as many fine gradations of the human voice. Few acts could match Otis Redding’s volcanic ache; Smokey Robinson’s exquisite falsetto communicated unrivaled fragility; Aretha Franklin offered an inimitable combination of steely and combustible. …
Read More »R&B's Been Taking Cues From Rap for 20 Years. Now, a Few Singers Are Bringing Its Soul Back
