Syl Johnson News

Some record collectors have moved from accumulating vinyl to salvaging careers. The Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans, Dig Deeper in Brooklyn and the Light in the Attic label in Seattle have all tracked down fondly remembered names to perform again.

The resurrected Lincoln Theater helped its historic Near East Side neighborhood regain a little more of its mojo last night as the Eccentric Soul Revue touched down in Columbus.

Most bands travel with their own instruments and their own music, looking to gain a name and promote their latest record.

For soul singers like Syl Johnson, it's often been a choice between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore when it comes time to play the Mid-Atlantic. "I used to play the Howard Theater," the 73-year-old R&B legend says in a phone interview, recalling the Washington music landmark that is now a cinema.

The album follows the acclaimed 2007 album Code Blue, which hinted at a widening musical path.