Robert Palmer

One of the great underappreciated singers of the rock era, Robert Palmer sang with such ease that it disguised both his vocal skill and his adventurous tastes. Deeply rooted in soul, he pivoted to a variety of sounds throughout his career, often operating at the vanguard of fashion or perhaps right on the edge of the mainstream. The latter designation suited the albums he made in the mid-'70s, when he played New Orleans funk with the assistance of the Meters, then dabbled with reggae. Palmer's career started to come into focus with the breezy island sounds of "Every Kinda Peop...