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Vintage soul has benefited greatly from committed crate diggers like Chicago’s exemplary Numero Group, who keep uncovering lost gems and putting them in context for us. To meet the public’s natural desire to experience the music live, rather than only on CDs or scratchy old 45s, a rash of new soul-influenced artists (Amy Winehouse, Alice Russell, Duffy) have arisen, alongside veteran singers getting a second chance at fame (Sharon Jones, Charles Walker). Herbert Wiley of Oxford, Mississippi, falls into the latter category. He led a band called the Checkmates from 1960 till 1972, working the chitlin’ circuit with little recompense and leaving behind scant recorded evidence. Then he decided to give it another stab with a backing band young enough to be his grandchildren, and last year the reborn Wiley & the Checkmates released their second album, We Call It Soul, on Chicago’s Rabbit Factory label.
But if you want to get down to some live old-school soul, you could do plenty worse. The band plays the Hideout on Saturday night, followed by a DJ set by the East of Edens Soul Express crew (which includes Rabbit Factory honcho John Ciba).
