the of mirror eye

* Irma Thomas: In Between Tears (3.5 mb)
* Voices Of East Harlem: New York Lightening (3 mb)
* Marion Williams: I Shall Be Released (7 mb)
From Soul Gospel : Soul Jazz Records : SJR CD107

How do they keep doing it? That’s the question that runs through my head whenever I see another release from the Soul Jazz Records label. They’re probably one of the most consistent reissue labels out there. Whether it’s reggae, soul, funk, jazz, disco or punk, they’ve got all the best tracks. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to obtain as many of their releases as I’ve wanted because they’re priced as imports and I can’t really afford them. After seeing an advertisement for this release though, I knew that I just had to get it.

This is an incredible release. Simple as that. There’s not really that much more to say about it. From the striking photo of Odetta gracing the front cover, to the great music that they’ve collected together, to the insightful liner notes, to the photos of the musicians, this whole thing is one class act. Soul Jazz Records has created an amazing album based on the concept of exploring the connections between soul and gospel

Like jazz, gospel is something that we recognise, but often know very little about: the point of reference may be a robed choir stirring up a congregation through complex harmonies, or it could be some old footage of Mahalia Jackson giving a heartfelt rendition of ‘Walk In Jerusalem.’ In such contexts, the music is easy to identify. But do we hear it in Little Richard’s holler, Muddy Waters’ tremulous moan, or ever Chuck D’s polemical hectoring? In the delivery, and even some of the social principles, the soul and spirit of gospel music has permeated our consciousness, often without us even realizing it.

(from the liner notes)

Irma Thomas leads off this post with my favorite track from this compilation, the bittersweet In Between Tears. Then we move on to the politically aware Voices Of East Harlem with their song New York Lightning. And last but least, we’ve got Marion Williams giving her soulful rendition of the Bob Dylan classic, I Shall Be Released.

In all honesy, Soul Jazz Records have really outdone themselves this time. This compilation is so sublime that it really begs the question raised in the title of my post, where do they go from here?

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