On the album Family by American singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin, you’ll find this wonderful cover version of Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay. The song was written in 1968 by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper and is considered one of the great soul classics. Released posthumously shortly after Redding’s tragic death in a plane crash, it reached number one on the Billboard charts and became a worldwide hit.

Kenny Rankin’s Family version keeps the emotional melody and reflective mood of the original, but with Rankin’s characteristically gentle, soft voice, his acoustic guitar playing, and subtle scat passages, it becomes much jazzier and more playful than the original. That shift gives the song a completely new and interesting vibe.

This version is a beautiful example of how a soul classic can be translated into a different, more delicate singer-songwriter context. A subtle and respectful tribute by an often underrated artist.