Go Tell It On The Mountain (Omnivore)
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Released in 2003
Grammy Award Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lH-IvvLKyN9mlFGEuobEcEvpEddsxt3cw
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/0rn96pzg5GtImzMVfmgE6A?si=XDX_o7toRjObziFX3pXU7Q
About:
It’s hard to believe that in their multi-decade history, The Blind Boys Of Alabama hadn’t issued a Christmas album until 2003—but, when it arrived, it was greater than anyone would have imagined. Go Tell It On The Mountain featured The Blind Boys’ signature vocals, matched with a bevy of special guests including Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Chrissie Hynde, Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Les McCann, and many more.
The mix of hymns and traditional holiday favorites was greeted with adoration, and garnered the group its third Grammy® Award in as many years, and as many releases. (They won in 2001 for Spirit Of The Century, and Higher Ground in 2002.)
While the release was expanded in 2004 to include an extra track, this version of Go Tell It On The Mountain goes two better, with live tracks recorded at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Also included is an insightful new essay from Davin Seay—co-author of memoirs from Al Green, Dion, and Snoop Dogg. Just as a new generation of listeners was introduced to The Blind Boys Of Alabama at the turn of the century, it’s time for their classic Christmas album to continue the tradition today.
Track Listing:
1. Last Month of the Year (Traditional) 03:03
2. I Pray on Christmas (Harry Connick, Jr.) Guest: Solomon Burke 03:41
3. Go Tell It on the Mountain (Traditional) Guest: Tom Waits 03:57
4. The Little Drummer Boy (Katherine K. Davis / Henry Onorati / Harry Simeone) Guest: Michael Franti 03:19
5. In the Bleak Midwinter (Traditional) Guest: Chrissie Hynde, Richard Thompson 04:49
6. Joy to the World (Traditional) Guest: Aaron Neville 02:25
7. Born in Bethlehem (Traditional) Guest: Mavis Staples 06:36
8. The Christmas Song (Mel Tormé / Robert Wells) Guest:Shelby Lynne 02:34
9. Away in a Manger (Traditional) featuring John Scott Guests: George Clinton, Robert Randolph 05:22
10. Oh Come All Ye Faithful (Traditional) Guest: Me’Shell NdegéOcello 02:10
11. White Christmas (Irving Berlin) Guest: Les McCann 04:03
12. Silent Night (Traditional) feat. Clarence Fountain 03:19
Personnel:
The Blind Boys of Alabama (Jimmy Carter, Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Bobby Butler Joey Williams, Ricky McKinnie and Tracy Pierce): vocals
John Medeski: organ
Duke Robillard: guitar
Danny Thompson: double bass
Michael Jerome: drums
Special Guests
Solomon Burke: vocals
George Clinton: vocals
Michael Franti: vocals
Chrissie Hynde: vocals
Shelby Lynne: vocals
Les McCann: vocals
Me’Shell NdegéOcello: vocals
Aaron Neville: vocals
Mavis Staples: vocals
Tom Waits: vocals
Richard Thompson: electric guitar
Robert Randolph: pedal steel guitar
Recorded and
mixed at Capital Studio ‘B’, Los Angeles, California
Additional recording and mixing at The Plant, Sausalito, California and Piety
Street Recording, New Orleans, Louisiana
Produced by John Chelew
Recorded and Mixed by Jimmy Hoyson
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
Cover Photography by Steve Sherman
Graphic Design by Marc Bessant
Review:
The Blind Boys of Alabama found each other attending elementary school for the blind in 1939. The original founding members, four of whom are now deceased, include Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter, George Scott, Johnny Fields, Ollice Thomas and Vel Bozman Traylor.
This album, Go Tell It On The Mountain, originally released in 2003, is a fairly recent contribution to their illustrious career that began in the 1940s. Now in its reissue, listeners enjoy featured bonus tracks “My Lord What a Morning,” and live versions of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Amazing Grace.” “My Lord What a Morning” presents us with the purest form of a cappella, gospel, barbershop music. This minor rendition of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” reveals their blues side. The “Amazing Grace” has a harmony that’s reminiscent of “House of the Rising Sun.”
The cast of notable appearances– Tom Waits, Mavis Staples, Richard Thompson and others– only enhance the original, uplifting gospel spirituality the Blind Boys of Alabama capture in their musical sermons. “I like that. Now I didn’t say you like it, I said I like it. And if I like it, it’s got to be good.” (Clarence Fountain, live in New York) Do you like it? Love it? Find out!
Julia Egan (Elmore Magazine)
