Ray Charles - The Spirit of Christmas

Rather than trot out my Christmas compilations yet again (if you really want to hear them you can stream them on mixcloud), I thought I'd just share a few choice holiday records.

This second record is one of at least three Ray Charles records that I've seen, but I think it is the best of the bunch. Yes, sometimes silly, sometimes schmaltzy, but it IS Christmas music and hey, it's RAY CHARLES!

The Blind Boys of Alabama - Go Tell It On The Mountain

Go Tell It On The Mountain (2003)

1. Last Month of the Year
2. I Pray on Christmas (ft. Solomon Burke)
3. Go Tell It On The Mountain (ft. Tom Waits)
4. Little Drummer Boy (ft. Michael Franti)
5. In The Bleak Midwinter (ft. Chrissie Hynde with Richard Thompson)
6. Joy To The World (ft. Aaron Neville)
7. Born in Bethlehem (ft. Mavis Staples)
8. The Christmas Song (ft. Shelby Lynne)
9. Away In A Manger (ft. George Clinton with Robert Randolph)
10. Oh Come All Ye Faithful (ft. Me’shell Ndegéocello)
11. White Christmas (ft. Les McCann)
12. Silent Night

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Texas Gospel: Be What You Are, Vol. 2: 1953-1954

The second volume of this stunning 9 disc series from the good folks at Acrobat Music. This long overdue treasure trove of legendary Gospel recordings from the Peacock vaults is an absolute 'essential' in any serious collection of golden age Gospel.


Volume Two continues with those classic Quartet recordings with minimal instrumental backing, usually a guitar and the occasional bass drum. The artists featured include: The Christland Singers, The Southern Wonders, The Southern Tones, The Mid-South Singers, The Heaven Bound Four, and The Sunset Travelers (who would soon feature O.V. Wright). These tracks give little hint of the Robey revolution that was on the horizon.

Acrobat has done a fine job of remastering without imposing modern sound standards that would have ruined the set. Highly recommended. Robert Wingfield, Allmusicguide

Marva Wright - After The Levees Broke

A repost by request:

I must admit that I am still incapable of listening to the first two tracks here without shedding tears. The whole album is a bit gut wrenching for me. Not only does it evoke powerful images of Katrina (in which both she and I lost everything), but it is also the last album before her untimely death. That said, I'd have to call this album her masterwork. It certainly helps that seemingly every musician who was in town at the time of these sessions showed up with axe in hand. Together they made a bit of magic amidst the wreckage of our collective nightmare.

Glenn Gaines, manager of Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, had a large hand in organizing this project. Glenn has done a fine job making sure that the world will always remember Big Chief Bo and I believe he has done the same here for Marva. Different participants produce different tracks, but I believe that Glenn and Peter Noble had the big vision of the project here and they have succeeded admirably. 

Those powerful first two Katrina tracks come from Benny Turner and from there the album is full of lovely surprises. Tell me that when Marva begins That's Just The Way It Is you don't get a little tingle as she transforms the song into a powerful statement. Funny Not Sunny Kind of Love is just a jaw dropping wonder, the gospel tracks with the Crawfords are brilliant, the Toussaint touch is all over the second line treatment of You Are My Sunshine, and then there is Willie Nelson's Crazy....

Musically as consistently top shelf as it gets, powerful and well delivered emotional content, great twists and turns in feels and styles -- superior performances by the main artist -- Can someone PLEASE tell me how THIS album didn't win multiple Grammys?

update: I'm listening to the album now and it still makes me cry, but it's good for the soul. I couldn't help polishing up the review a bit too.

Texas Gospel, Volume One, Come On Over Here

The first volume of a stunning 9 disc series from the good folks at Acrobat Music, in which they dig deep into the Gospel catalog of the the Don Robey imprints (primarily Peacock). This long overdue treasure trove of legendary Gospel recordings is an absolute 'essential' in any serious collection.


Volume One's focus is on classic Quartet recordings with minimal instrumental backing, usually a guitar and the occasional bass drum. The artists featured are The Christland Singers, The Southern Wonders, The Gospel Tone Singers, The Swanee Spiritual Singers, The Golden Harp Singers, The Stars of Hope, and The Gospel Travelers.The disc ends with a pair of burning tracks from The Wilson & Watson Singers: a slightly larger ensemble featuring piano and organ accompaniment.


Acrobat did a fine job of remastering without imposing modern sound standards that would have ruined the set. Highly recommended. Robert Wingfield, All Music Guide

The Best Of Excello Gospel

A repost by request:

Before he turned his Excello Records imprint more toward blues and R&B, Jay Miller recorded straight Southern gospel in the 1950s. These sides lack the distinctive echo-laden swamp sound of his later secular productions, and they tend to be sparse affairs recorded live with minimal instrumentation, usually just an organ or piano. That doesn't mean these tracks aren't explosive, though, as the joyous exclamations that are the heart and soul of black Southern gospel are everywhere here. Among the highlights on this generous collection of Excello gospel releases are the Boyer Brothers' simple and sturdy "Step by Step," the energetic "Since Jesus Came into My Heart" by the Silvertone Singers, and the zippy, doo wop-like "Didn't It Rain Children" by the Sons of the South.

Joe Tex - The Singles A's & B's, 1964 - 1976 (vols 1-4)

 

Been some requests for Joe Tex things I didn't have...maybe this will do...