VA - Prince’s Jukebox (2016)

An innovator and a musical genius bar none, Prince nevertheless took huge influence, both before and during his musical career, from the music, production and compositions of others. He was of course well versed in jazz, soul, R n B, funk and black music generally from an early age, but garnered a fully eclectic taste which was equally informed by Joni Mitchell and Todd Rundgren as it was by James Brown and George Clinton. This collection features 16 tracks which Prince highlighted as being influential during his career, performed cover versions of, or ranked the artists responsible as inspirational and important in his own work. Featuring numbers by the aforementioned alongside others by everyone from Miles Davis to Rick James and Little Richard to Earth Wind & Fire, this compilation hangs together beautifully and provides not merely a delightful listening experience but a valuable lesson in the roots of the sadly missed Prince Rogers Nelson. R.I.P.