Raw-edged soul, rollicking funk, and swooning pop form the locus of Al Green's timeless sound. His worldly wisdom bears the imprint of the everyman stylings of Otis Redding, while the sacred-meets-secular delirium of James Brown is echoed in Green's ability to rouse and elevate. And his emotive, purring gospel leanings can be traced to Mahalia Jackson's driving spirituals.