KILL 'EM AND LEAVE Searching for James Brown and the American Soul

This is a combined biography of the influential twentieth-century black musician James Brown and an autobiography of contemporary musician/author James McBride. Dominic Hoffman’s performance is fantastic as he grooves and funks to the material. Each chapter provides a different view of Brown as told from the perspective of a friend, fellow musician, or family member, making the biography a little repetitive. A plus is that McBride’s perspective is always present in Hoffman’s smooth narration. His accents and pacing deftly capture each individual who was part of Brown’s life. The audiobook’s title reflects Brown’s belief in the necessity to simply depart after each performance, not to hang around. While the audio provides no actual music, both men’s stories are filled with passion and musical language. M.B.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2016]