Bobby Caldwell - Cat in the Hat

Bobby Caldwell's Cat in the Hat is the sound of a blue-eyed soul crooner settling into his groove, full of silky vocals and late-night polish.

Released in 1980 as the follow-up to his self-titled debut, it came out on Clouds, an imprint of TK Records, with Caldwell co-producing alongside Steve Kimball. He was something of a one-man band in the studio, credited here with vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, drums and vibraphone, backed by a tight crew of session players and a punchy horn section.

Opener "Coming Down from Love" sets the tone with smooth, gliding momentum and the blend of soul, jazz and soft-focus pop that defined his style. "Open Your Eyes", written by keyboardist Bruce Malament, is the record's quiet treasure, a hushed ballad that hip-hop heads will recognize as the backbone of Common's "The Light". "To Know What You've Got" keeps things breezy, and "Mother of Creation" stretches out past five minutes.

At eight songs and a little over half an hour, it is a tight, focused listen that never overstays its welcome, with each side ending just as you want more.

For collectors of smooth soul and anyone tracing the roots of sampled R&B, this is an essential piece of the Caldwell story.