John Legend & The Roots

Wake Up! GOOD Music/ Columbia ****

It's a wonder that this partnership never occured before now. You'd have thought someone, somewhere would have put John Legend (modern r'n'b's finest, classiest vocalist) together with The Roots (hip- hop's greatest live band). Wake Up!is an album of on-point soul throwbacks, as vocalist and band tackle a range of politicised, righteous songs from the late 1960s/early '70s. Naturally, Marvin Gaye is in the mix ( Wholy Holygets a new lick of paint). There are also songs associated with Nina Simone (a stirring version of I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free), Roberta Flack ( Compared to What), Bill Withers (a fine version of I Can't Write Left Handed) and Baby Huey (a raw, fierce, angry take on Hard Times). Proof that Legend and The Roots possess both grit and gumption. See myspace.com/ johnlegend.com

Download tracks: Hard Times, I Can't Write Left Handed, Wholy Holy