Johnnie Taylor may be largely unknown now, but his influence is far-reaching, helping to form the sound of artists such as Otis Redding, Al Green, and Sam & Dave. For Taylor's Stax Profiles collection, former News frontman Huey Lewis has compiled some of the best selections from the singer's nearly six-decade career, covering a wide range of the genres in which Taylor experimented: R&B, blues, soul, and disco, among others.

Taylor was discovered by Sam Cooke in the early 1950s, and would later replace him in the Soul Stirrers after Cooke retired from sacred to secular music. Taylor's childhood was spent singing gospel in his West Memphis Baptist church, and he later became a preacher. His honest, soul-infused voice and amiable swagger most likely stems from his background in the church, and it is evident in such songs as "I've Been Born Again."

Much later, Taylor's sexier side was exposed on songs like "Who's Making Love" and "Disco Lady," probably his two best-known tracks (the latter was the first single to ever go platinum). Taylor's progression from gospel doo-wop ("I Dreamed That Heaven Was Like This") in his early days, soul and blues ("Part Time Love") in his prime, and eventually disco ("Disco Lady") in his last years in music is fascinating, and well-captured on the new Stax compilation.

Where Taylor's real talent shines, however, is his ability to capture a number of sounds that other artists were experimenting with and fuse them into brilliant crossover hits. "Disco Lady" in particular seems to be an assemblage of all the popular genres of the previous three decades: there is Taylor's gospel voice, a tinge of blues, R&B-esque percussion, and the wah-wah of danceable disco. "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water," with its blues-jazz piano, evokes the smoky atmosphere of a Memphis nightclub while Taylor's heavenly voice gives the song the honesty of a Sunday service. Taylor's spoken-word intro on "Time After Time" perfectly displays the charm that made him so likeable during his heyday; it pulls you into the song before strings drift in and accompany his soulful voice.

Huey Lewis has put together a fine compilation of Taylor's most essential songs, despite the daunting task that faced him (Taylor completed 25+ albums in his decades-long career), and this disc is a great buy for anyone curious about a little-known soul genius.

In celebration of the recently-released Stax Profiles series, the Modern Pea Pod is hosting Stax Records Week. In the following days, we'll cover discs by Otis Redding, Rance Allen, and the Staple Singers, all of them specially compiled by noted musical figures from Elvis Costello to Steve Cropper. Watch this page for updates!

Reviewed by Geoffrey George