Press play on any of the songs from Lee Fields‘ new album, Emma Jean. It’ll take just a few moments for you to connect his sound to that of decades past — but in all fairness, he’s lived through it. Now 63 years old, Fields has been pumping out soul, funk and Southern blues since he was a teenager. With more than 15 albums and 45 years of experience under his belt, it only makes sense that Fields’ appeal hinges on a sound he first began tooling as an ardent young fan of the late, great James Brown. Add that comparison with the vocalist’s complete title — Lee Fields & the Expressions, his backing band — and it’s even easier to tie Fields to the popular Black acts of the mid-to-late 20th century, from The Stylistics to The Isley Brothers to Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.
