Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970, Volume Two (2005)

Nashville is famous for its Man in Black, slightly less so for its music-making black men. Aiming to show that C&W wasn't the city's only ampersand genre is the second of two sets recalling the forgotten days when Music City was also known as an African-American music mecca, thanks to its R&B-friendly recording studios, far-reaching late-night radio signals, and vibrant club scene. ''Name'' visitors like Clyde McPhatter, Esther Phillips, and Arthur Alexander join obscure locals in what's not just a historical corrective but a swell party album for any old-soul or early-rock fan.