The Keen Records albums represent Sam Cooke’s early body of work as a secular artist after a glorious six-year run fronting the Soul Stirrers. His voice had become the dominant force in the gospel sales prior to the release of “You Send Me” and ‘Summertime.” He was destined to become a major force in pop just as he had been in gospel.

While this newly re-mastered collection includes standards and hits that had been associated with artists who came before Sam Cooke, Sam’s fresh approach made the repertoire his own and helped shape his own song-writing skills in a very tangible way.

Within this period, Sam Cooke defined himself as a voice ahead of his time. His debut album, Sam Cooke, also known as Songs by Sam Cooke, was released in 1958, Encore followed quickly. It was absent any Sam Cooke originals and the cover depicted Sam swinging with jazz musicians behind him, an honest depiction of what was in the grooves of the LP within.

Cooke’s 1959 album Tribute to the Lady is just that, a tribute to Billie Holiday, a/k/a ‘Lady Day.’ Recorded entirely in stereo, Sam Cooke masterfully reimagines Holiday’s catalog as his own. Hit Kit, also released in 1959, is a collection of his hits from this period, most of which were originals.

The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke, includes a timeless hit recording of (What A) Wonderful World from his last session for Keen.