Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2011

The fabled “Soul Man” will be at Fuji Rock Friday night, but for those not headed to Naeba, Sam Moore will also perform two dates in Tokyo. At 75, the gruff-voiced singer shows no sign of slowing down. Moore is best known for his work with duo Sam & Dave, which formed in 1961 and took off with the 1965 hit single “You Don’t Know Like I Know.” Moore endured a rough period of drug addiction after the unit broke up in ‘81, but has long since been clean and lionized as one of the great soul singers, with the likes of Eric Clapton and Japan’s Kiyoshiro Imawano vying for the chance to jam with him onstage.

Cotton Club, July 26 and Blue Note Tokyo, July 27. See concert listings (popular) for details.