Various Artists: Harold Bradley (spoken vocals, guitar); Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); Stanley "Stash" O'Laughlin (piano); Jimmy Lewis , Alvin Jackson (bass instrument); Oliver Jackson, John Jarette (drums).

Liner Note Author: Reavis L. Mitchell, Jr.

Hot on the heels of VOLUME 1's 2004 Grammy award for best historical recording, NIGHT TRAIN TO NASHVILLE VOLUME 2 provides even more of the delectable hits and rarities in the same stylistic vein as its acclaimed predecessor. Subtitled MUSIC CITY RHYTHM & BLUES, 1945-1970, this two-disc set is a music historian's dream, revealing that Nashville was, in fact, a hotbed for R&B artists before (and during) the city's rise as the capitol of country music.

Artists like Jimmy Scott and Arthur Alexander prove that Nashville had as much soul as Memphis and New Orleans, but what's particularly interesting here is the cross-fertilization between country and R&B, a line that, sadly, grew more rigid over time until the two genres became diametrically opposed. NIGHT TRAIN (the title is a clear reference to Nashville's pioneering R&B television program from the '60s) is full of vital and largely unknown music that testifies to the senselessness of such categories.

Entertainment Weekly (No. 384, p.74) - "...[N]ot just a historical corrective but a swell party album for any old-soul or early-rock fan." - Grade: B+

Dirty Linen (p.50/51) - "[T]he standard remains remarkably high....From early 50s boogie pianists and jump blues performers to doo-wop groups and various kinds of crossover stylists..."