New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The
Blind Boys of
Alabama have returned with 'Echoes Of The South'- their first new album in six years - which signals a homecoming for the Gospel
Music Hall of Fame inductees, and a declaration of their tenacity over the span of 80 years. The eleven-song collection is a portrait of perseverance from a group well-versed in overcoming incredible odds - from singing for pocket change in the Jim Crow South, to performing for three different American presidents, soundtracking the Civil Rights movement and helping to define - and redefine - modern gospel music as we know it. The group has reckoned with the loss of two of their own in the lead up to 'Echoes Of The South', Paul Beasley and
Benjamin Moore, both longtime members of the
Blind Boys' tight-knit family. 'Echoes Of The South' is released in their honor, continuing their spirit of resilience and marking their pledge to keep on singing.
The
Blind Boys of
Alabama open the album with lyrics embodying a long-held core value: by singing from the heart, and surrendering to the music, the group will continue to resonate across decades and generations; "Blind Boys of Alabama, you know, we've been around a long time, but the good news is we're still here, singing and praising God." This mission statement is also at the center of "This May Be The Last Time," an uplifting short film about the group, which pays tribute to their history - through anecdotes full of wisdom from group members, and an inside look into making the new album in Muscle Shoals.
The
Blind Boys of
Alabama have previewed 'Echoes of the South' with advance tracks including their version of the Pops Staples standard "Friendship," which notably features the late
Benjamin Moore and Paul Beasley splitting lead vocal duties, "Work Until My Days Are Done" - called an "instant classic" by American Songwriter, and a reimagining of Stevie Wonder's chart-topping hit "Heaven Help Us All." Across its eleven songs, 'Echoes Of The South' transcends genre and era, "displaying the
Blind Boys of Alabama's ability to blend gospel, soul, country, and rock into transcendent songs of faith and hope" (No Depression). The
Blind Boys will continue to bring their life-affirming music and message across the globe, with a slate of North American tour dates announced into 2024 including shows coming up this month in Philadelphia (September 15),
Boston (September 16) and New York City (September 18).
Listen to the full album 'Echoes of the South' here: https://link.singlelock.com/blindboys
'Echoes Of The South' finds the
Blind Boys returning to their roots; on the group's first album fully made in their home state of Alabama, featuring a tracklist which draws on the music that's most inspired them throughout their careers: long-lost gospel classics, traditional spirituals and timeless R&B/soul cuts made famous by artists like Wonder, Pops Staples and Curtis Mayfield. Co-produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Margo Price, John Prine), Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, Jason Isbell) and Charles Driebe. The album is named for the first radio show that ever booked the
Blind Boys as guests (out of WSGN in Birmingham), and the cover art features braille for the first time — two of the many personal touches that establish 'Echoes Of The South' as a "homecoming" in so many senses of the word.
'ECHOES OF THE SOUTH' TRACKLIST:
1. Send It On Down
2. Work Until My Days Are Done
3. Friendship
4. You Can't Hurry God
5. Jesus You've Been Good To Me
6. The Last Time
7. Keep On Pushin'
8. Paul's Prayer
9. Wide River to Cross
10. Nothing But Love
11.
Heaven Help Us All
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA TOUR DATES:
September 9 - Paramount Center for the Arts - Saint Cloud, MN
September 10 - Reif Performing Arts Center - Grand Rapids, MN
September 11 -
Pablo Center at the Confluence - Eau Claire, WI
September 13 - Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium - Athens, OH
September 15 - City Winery Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
September 16 - City Winery
Boston - Boston, MA
September 17 - City Winery New York - New York, NY
October 7 - Paramount Theatre (with Robert Cray) - Cedar Rapids, IA
October 8 - Old Town School of Folk Music, Gary &
Laura Maurer Concert Hall - Chicago, IL
October 10 - Stone Mountain Arts Center - Brownfield, ME
October 12 - Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club - Portsmouth, NH
October 13 - The Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT
November 15 - Wexner Center for the Arts - Columbus, OH
November 16 - City Winery Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA
November 19 - Edwin J.
Thomas Performing Arts Hall - Akron, OH
November 26 - Lone Tree Arts Center - Lone Tree, CO
November 28 - Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ
November 29 - Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ
December 1 - Jefferson Performing Arts Center - Metairie, LA
December 16 - Central Park Performing Arts Center - Largo, FL
January 13-20 -
Sandy Beaches Cruise 2024 - Fort Lauderdale, FL
February 8 - Fred Kavli Theatre (with
Bobby Rush) - Thousand Oaks, CA
February 9 - Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (with
Bobby Rush) - Cerritos, CA
March 1 - Hoyt Sherman Place - Des Moines, IA
