Album of the Day

There's good reason that Carla Thomas is often called the Queen of Memphis Soul; she's the daughter of R&B royalty (hitmaker Rufus Thomas) and was instrumental in establishing one of the city's most iconic record labels, Stax. The soul imprint turns 60 years old this year, and as Rhino celebrates the anniversary with a series of STAX CLASSICS releases, it's only fitting that one is devoted to Carla. The new 12-track collection highlights Thomas' soul-pop gems like “B-A-B-Y” and “I Like What Your Doing (To Me)” along with stellar collaborations “Cause I Love You,” recorded with her father, and “Tramp,” her scorching 1966 duet with Otis Redding. With insightful new liner notes, the wallet-friendly STAX CLASSICS: CARLA THOMAS is an engaging look at the legendary label's first star.