William Bell never achieved the level of success enjoyed by fellow Stax Records heavies like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave or Booker T. & the MG’s, but his exemplary output for the archetypal Memphis soul label in the ‘60s—Bell was one of the first to score a charting single for Stax (1961’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water”)—is rightly cherished by acolytes of the genre. Bell remained with Stax until it closed its doors in 1975, and now he’s back with the reactivated label. This Is Where I Live is the work of an artist who has never forgotten who he isor where he came from, entirely true to the spirit of those early sides, but very much of its time as well. Bell’s new music finds him rich in voice and surrounded by sympathetic playe —particularly producer John Leventhal on guitars, keys, bass, drums and more—who understand innately how to bring out the depth and honesty within. “The Three of Me,” the lead-off track, is typical, balancing the sweet and tough in equal measure, while the funky title track, packed with robust horns, is dance-floor-perfect. And the now-77 Bell’s take on “Born Under a Bad Sign,” the Albert King classic he co-wrote, is bound to have you rethinking the song from the ground up.