ALABAMA (Top40 Charts/ Time Life Records) - Celebrating Mardi Gras in America goes back over three centuries. The Blind Boys of Alabama, with their almost-seven decade lineage, seem young in comparison, having formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Blind in Talladega. As Mardi Gras approaches, the Blind Boys of Alabama are ready to celebrate with 'Down In New Orleans' (Jan. 29/Time Life) their first new album in almost three years and first ever to be recorded in the Crescent City. The album, a highlight of the Blind Boys' long and distinguished career, also features contributions from New Orleans' legendary pianist/producer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Allen Toussaint; Crescent City icons The Preservation Hall Jazz Band; and The Hot 8 Brass Band, one of the city's most vital young acts. The Blind Boys of Alabama are Jimmy Carter, Eric 'Ricky' McKinnie, Joey Williams, Caleb 'Bobby' Butler, Tracy Pierce, Billy Bowers and Ben Moore.
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