In 1963, Sam Cooke, the true inventor and king of soul, recorded the album "Night Beat," which was more bluesy and atmospheric than anything we'd heard from Cooke before. Thanks to his outstanding voice, however, listening to this album never makes us sad. Melancholy and nostalgia may arise, but Sam Cooke's music has an uplifting quality that has never been surpassed. »Night Beat« is an album that takes a slow approach, but never seems sluggish. It is relaxed without losing its fine sensitivity. His fellow musicians surround Sam Cooke in a discreet way, so that he hardly needs any accompaniment on "Lost and Lookin'" and "Trouble Blues", while they give "Little Red Rooster" and "I Lost Everything" an honest roughness. If Sam Cooke had lived longer, we might have had more music of this rare quality. As it is, we have to be content with the treasures he has left behind.