While his reputation tends to be overshadowed by his contemporaries Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding, sixties soul star Solomon Burke clearly still has a celebrity fanclub that's second to none. How else to explain the cast of stars he's assembled to write songs for his new album: Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson ­ and that's just for starters. All of which makes Don't Give Up On Me a real 'event' record ­ but thankfully the quality of the music also makes it an excellent album in its own right. Even those whose best days are clearly behind them have come up with strong songs for Burke's rich, fiery vocal talents, and the veteran rises to the occasion with a series of powerful, passionate performances. As a result, a Santana-like career resurrection could well be on the cards for a man who's been out of the limelight for the best part of three decades. And who could begrudge it to him - Don't Give Up On Me is an exceptionally classy affair, which manages the all too rare feat of sounding genuinely timeless.

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