Chanda Rule & Sweet Emma Band: Hold On

Earth-tone vocalist Chanda Rule mixes gospel flavored tones, spiritual themes and fervent messages to a mix of originals, traditional and some Sunday Morning jazz on this satisfying album with a team of Mario Rom/tp, Osian Roberts/tb, Paul Zauner/tb on the horns and a rhythm section of Jan Korinek on the B3 and Christian Salfellner/dr along with some cameo guests. Her honey’d voice is haunting with percussion (provided by Avirbhav Verma’s tablas) on the bluesy hum of “Another Man Done Wrong” and the foreboding messages don’t let up, going through the pleading and urgent “Sinnerman” and the street preaching warnings of “Rosalie”. The horns give a gospel R&B feel as they shuffle with Salfellner on “I’ll Fly Away” and along with Billy Branch’s harmonica the group gets funky for a growling “Sun Goes Down”. A riveting take of Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday” is a bone chilling prayer with Roberts supplying the “Amen” from the pulpit. Soul music in more ways than one.

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