The oldest cliché in rock is the casualty list. There are the high-profile heroes of misadventure: Buddy Holly, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan. There are those that couldn’t handle success and took the ultimate way out: Nick Drake, Kurt Cobain. But perhaps saddest of all are those huge talents who unaccountably chose simply to fade into [...]

Shuggie Otis’ afro is reason enough to give his music a spin. A weave like that has potential, after all. And as it turns out, Otis’ music is a lot like his hair: a lush dome of soul-funk. If you were familiar with Otis prior to the 2001 reissue of Inspiration Information, then you’re probably [...]