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Since first coming together as children at the Alabama Institute for the Blind in 1939, The Blind Boys of Alabama have forged a singular musical path.  Forming professionally in 1944, the group has recorded over 60 albums, won five Grammy Awards, appeared in a Broadway musical, played on the world’s stages and spread the joyful sound of gospel everywhere. Tomorrow, May 13, Omnivore Recordings has newly-expanded editions of two of the group’s Grammy-winning albums: 2001’s Spirit of the Century and 2002’s Higher Ground. Both of these sublimely soulful and spirited albums bring a little bit of Heaven to Earth.

Both albums feature founding members Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott.  (Fountain and Carter still perform today, though Scott has since passed away.)  Though The Blind Boys have never strayed far from the path of pure gospel, they began incorporating soul and R&B textures into their music in the early 1990s, after largely resisting that route over the years.  Projects like 1992’s Grammy-nominated Deep River, produced by Booker T. Jones, proved that The Blind Boys could still be true to their message of scripture while performing contemporary music.

Spirit of the Century moved The Blind Boys’ sound forward, featuring traditional gospel songs performed in a bluesy soul stew  – plus a handful of recent compositions from somewhat unexpected sources.  Produced by John Chelew and executive-produced by Chris Goldsmith, the fresh approach paid off when it became the group’s most successful record and won the Boys a Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.   Spirit features Fountain, Carter, Scott and Joey Williams on vocals.  Musical accompaniment was provided by guitarists David Lindley and John Hammond, double bassist Danny Thompson, drummer Michael Jerome, and harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite, on such staples of the genre as “Amazing Grace” and “Motherless Child,” along with more atypical selections like Tom Waits’ “Jesus Gonna Be Here” and “Way Down in the Hole,” The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street track “Just Wanna See His Face,” and Ben Harper’s “Give a Man a Home.”  The Blind Boys’ sound – alternately stark and full-bodied, bluesy and upbeat – made all of these disparate tracks sound of a piece, culminating in the spine-tingling a cappella of “The Last Time.”

It’s no wonder that The Blind Boys reteamed with Chelew and Goldsmith for Higher Ground.  The approach was similar to its predecessor, and this time the venerable group tackled songs by Aretha Franklin (“Spirit in the Dark”), Curtis Mayfield (“People Get Ready”), Prince (“The Cross”), Jimmy Cliff (“Many Rivers to Cross”) and Stevie Wonder (a funky, powerful and rootsy version of his title track).  (“Stand by Me,” however, is not the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller song but rather a Clarence Fountain original.)  Whereas Spirit emphasized Robert Randolph and the Family Band joined the Blind Boys – Fountain, Carter, Scott, Williams, Ricky McKinnie and Bobby Butler – and Ben Harper also contributed guitar and vocals.  Whereas Spirit emphasized the link between blues and gospel, R&B/soul was the order of the day on Higher Ground.  The secular-meets-the-sacred approach was even controversial to some of the group members, according to Davin Seay’s informative liner notes – but the result proved without a doubt that The Blind Boys could spread their message in this new framework without sacrificing authenticity or the message itself.  Higher Ground netted another Grammy.  The Blind Boys’ musical renaissance continues to this very day.

Both of these albums, originally released on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label, have been expanded for their Omnivore debuts.  Spirit of the Century gains seven bonus tracks recorded at New York City’s late, great Bottom Line in 2001; Higher Ground has seven bonuses recorded for KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic in 2002.  Both titles have Davin Seay’s new liner notes.  Mastering of the bonus material has been handled by Michael Graves, and both releases are attractively housed in digipaks.  You can pick up this pair at the links below on Friday!

The Blind Boys of Alabama, Spirit of the Century (New World 50918, 2001 – reissued Omnivore OVCD-178, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Jesus Gonna Be Here
2. No More
3. Run On for a Long Time
4. Good Religion
5. Give a Man a Home
6. Amazing Grace
7. Soldier
8. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
9. Way Down in the Hole
10. Motherless Child
11. Just Wanna See His Face
12. The Last Time

Live at the Bottom Line: 2001 (previously unreleased)

13. Good Religion
14. Way Down in the Hole
15. Give a Man a Home
16. Motherless Child
17. No More
18. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
19. The Last Time

The Blind Boys of Alabama, Higher Ground (New World 12793, 2002) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. People Get Ready
2. Spirit in the Dark
3. Wade in the Water
4. Stand by Me
5. The Cross
6. Many Rivers to Cross
7. Higher Ground
8. Freedom Road
9. I May Not Can See
10. You and Your Folks/23rd Psalm
11. I Shall Not Walk Alone
12. Precious Lord

Live on Morning Becomes Eclectic, KCRW 2002 (previously unreleased)

13. Run On for a Long Time
14. Lord What a Morning
15. Freedom Road
16. Higher Ground
17. People Get Ready
18. Wade in the Water
19. Amazing Grace