Reviewed by David Cranson

This music makes you smile, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It's the sort of music "they don't make like that anymore." The style is much the same all the way the through, with the odd change to something of an easier pace. Classic "jubilee" sounds from the gospel era before it developed into harder sounds. It is smooth and full of passion and feeling, with the feeling of jazz joints and packed white picket-fenced churches in the deep south. Favourites would include "No Restricted Signs", telling us that in Heaven all are welcome. Given the era this was written and recorded in, it's powerful stuff, indeed! Others would be, "Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho", "Swing Down, Chariot" (not the one the English rugby fans have ruined!), "I Will Be Back Home Again", which is almost old country and western in style, slow and loping! "Pray For The Lights To Go Out", "Anyhow", "Moses Smote The Water", etc are all up there also. Actually I could mention the whole lot! I tell you, your face will break out in a smile all of its own accord, your leg will start bopping up and down, even before you realise it's happening, and you'll find your head shaking and nodding as your shoulders swing back and forth. Even on the slow ones, eg, "He Never Said A Mumblin' Word", you'll be swaying and be lost in the sentiments and music. Actually this album goes a long way to showing the links between, and common roots of, country, blues and jazz. A lot of it is acapella in style, with non-intrusive piano, drums, guitar and bass turning up here and there. 55 minutes of the most sublime music, which I would recommend to everyone, if you want to listen to how music used to be and some of the history of how it came to be today. Not only is this the roots of blues and jazz, but without this there would be no R&B, praise and worship and most of the styles available to us today. Absolutely wonderful!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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