Van Morrison
His father's record collection, among the largest in Northern Ireland, filled the young Van Morrison's ears with Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson, Charlie Parker and Hank Williams. By his teens he was playing saxophone in Irish showbands, and in 1964 he fronted Them at Belfast's Maritime Hotel, ad-libbing material on stage, 'Gloria' included.
Going solo, he scored a hit with 'Brown Eyed Girl'; then Astral Weeks, cut in just three sessions, offered a mystical song cycle that sold poorly at first but is now regarded as a classic. Moondance established him as a major artist.
His catalogue runs two ways: tunes built on soul and early rhythm and blues, and lengthy, spiritually inspired journeys steeped in Celtic tradition, jazz and stream-of-consciousness narrative. Since turning 70 in 2015, he has released more than an album a year on average.
If you like Van Morrison you should check out: Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jeff Buckley, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen
