Charles Bradley was a man with stories to tell: He left home at 14. Did a stint in jail. Lived on the street. Performed as a James Brown impersonator named Black Velvet. In fact, it wasn't until the soul singer was well into his fifties that he really began to get the shine he deserved, when Daptone Records' Gabriel Roth paired him with Menahan Street Band to release his first proper album, No Time for Dreaming. On that album's title track, Bradley's raspy, pained delivery is the embodiment of "the hustle"—a devoted work ethic that shines through on so many of these emotional tunes. He also had a thrilling way with covers, bringing all sorts of new depth and heartache to everything from Neil Young's “Heart of Gold” to Black Sabbath's “Changes."