BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA Echoes Of The South (CD)

(Single Lock Records) 11 tracks, digisleeve -

Dubbed "gospel titans" by Rolling Stone, the Blind Boys Of Alabama defied considerable adversity in the segregated South, working their way up from singing for pocket change to performing for three different U.S. presidents over the course of an 80-year career that saw them break down racial barriers, help shape the civil rights movement and redefine modern gospel music.

The five-time Grammy winners' latest album, Echoes Of The South, is named for the Birmingham radio program where the group made its first professional appearance in 1944. This collection of traditional spirituals and long-lost gospel classics with old soul and R&B songs is as moving as it is timeless, touching on something deep and fundamental about the human condition across genre and era. These are songs about love and friendship, joy and gratitude, faith and perseverance.

As encouraging as they are, the recordings sometimes feel bittersweet: The 91-year-old Jimmy Carter retired from performing after the sessions, and two longtime members, Paul Beasley and Benjamin Moore, Ir. have since passed away. Despite these losses, the Blind Boys of Alabama show no signs of slowing down. "The spirit of the Blind Boys is not about what you can't do, it's about what you can do," says singer Ricky McKinnie. "As long as we stay true to that, as long as we sing songs that touch the heart, this group will live on forever."