“Are you ready to be happy?”
Thus officially began the travelling musical revival team, also known as the multi-Grammy winning Blind Boys of Alabama.
Sure, they’ve gone through various changes over the decades, but the message of God’s love has stayed as constant as their gorgeous harmonies and fervent solos.
Opening up the evening was legendary blues artist Charlie Musselwhite, who took the packed house on a tour of the back porches of the deep south with some bonafide blues picking and slide guitar work, as his avuncularly leathered voice wove tails of trains (“Pea Vine Blues”) and tales of woe (“Blues Up The River”). Musical director Joey Williams joined Musselwhite to enable him to blow a strong wind on Lake Michigan with “Driftin’ From Town to Town” and a gospeled “Lord, Don’t Move That Mountain,” which was a portend of things to come.
If you’ve ever been to Sunday School, the team of Jimmy Carter, Ricky McKinnie, Paul Beasley , Julius Love and guitarist/director Joey Williams are going to make you feel right at home. Backed by a Spirit-filled team of Matt Hopkins/keys, Austin Moore/dr, and Stephen Raynard Lawson, the Blind Boys got music for rolling in the aisles from the get go, with a foot stomping “Do Lord” and hand clapping “Spirit In The Sky”. With Musselwhite, the team trudged like a chain gang on “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” while there was plenty of testifying to go around on “Soldier”. The harmonies were ominous on the foreboding calypso of “Down In The Hole” with Musselwhite blending perfectly to the sorghum textures of the chorus.
But it’s not just the music that makes the evening worthwhile; there’s a message that is even more poignant. McKinnie was passionate and encouraging, putting life’s problems in proper perspective on his recitative “God Knows Everything” while Carter delivered his patented wail on the classic spiritual “Oh Lord, Stand By Me”. Beasley then turned the auditorium into a Wednesday Night Holiness meeting as he musically preached through a glorious “Conference Table” before the band closed out the evening with a take of “Amazing Grace” that would have made John Newton proud.
By the time the gents encored with “I Saw The Light”, it was obvious to all that with music in the hands of the Blind Boys of Alabama, believing is seeing.
Upcoming events at the Smothers Theatre include 01/21 Laila Biali, 01/29/Yin Li, 03/05 Adam Sadberry