Blind Boys Of Alabama: Higher Ground

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * * )

After their Grammy-grab last year for the album Spirit of the Century and their appearance on Burke's album, the spiritually uplifting Blind Boys (down to three from five) might just garner more attention for this collection of soul and gospel standards.

Here, deep and well-understood treatments of Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready, Aretha's Spirit in the Dark and Many Rivers to Cross appear alongside the traditional gospel tunes Precious Lord, Freedom Road and Wade in the Water.

There's a rocking band (Robert Randolph and the Family Band sound as at home on Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground as they do on the The 23rd Psalm) and Ben Harper sings and plays on a couple of tracks. But the attention is on the aching vocals of BB's Clarence Fountain, who mostly finds understatement the key, or can soar to the rafters as he testifies. Sanctifying your soul never seemed so enjoyable.

Label: Real World