Relativity Goes On The Books

05/01/1998 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Bruce Haring

(5/1/98) - Relativity Records is releasing a new soundtrack this week. Big deal, right? Star-studded soundtracks are a dime a dozen these days. But this soundtrack isn't the companion piece to some hot Hollywood movie, but to a new novel.

Author Andrew Vachss is known for using references to famous blues artists and blues songs in his "investigative novels," and his latest work, Safe House (out this month on Knopf/ Random House), is no exception. The link between Vachss's books and the blues will be made even more apparent by Relativity's new compilation Safe House--A Collection Of The Blues, which features music hand-picked by Vachss and/or mentioned in the Safe House book.

The Safe House album is described as a package of superb blues tracks intended to showcase the blues genre to a wider audience. Artists on the album include the Paul Butterfield's Blues Band , Buddy Guy, Irma Thomas, Son Seals, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Leadbelly and Charlie Musselwhite. The CD will also include a previously unpublished short story by Vachss.

A portion of the album's profits will go to CIVITAS Child Trauma Programs and to the Oregon-based abuse prevention/ intervention charity Community Works. Vachss, besides being the author of over a dozen books, is also a lawyer representing children exclusively.