THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
Higher Ground
Real World
· Gospel standards and covers of Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Prince and Stevie Wonder.
· Features Ben Harper and Leon Mobley of the Innocent Criminals.
Without the uncompromising optimism of The Blind Boys of Alabama, Higher Ground would be nothing more than a run-of-the-mill blues outing. The production is sterile, the arrangements standard and some of the renditions are lacklustre, but I’ll be damned if despite all this there isn’t some flat-out gorgeous music here. If any preacher I knew was half as convincing as these guys, I would probably still go to church.
The Blind Boys offer soulful crooning and jaw-dropping falsetto, but, as with any good sermon, it’s the man behind the keyboards who keeps you awake. John Ginty’s simple piano melodies, throbbing Hammond organ and untamed attack on the Wurlitzer adeptly anchor the album. With its gospel roots, Higher Ground is inspiring by default, but in the end it leaves you with the distinct impression that the Blind Boys would be so much better in a live setting.
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