SPIRIT OF THE CENTURY Our Own Story

Performing this moving history from surviving members of the iconic singing group The Blind Boys of Alabama, Phil Morris captures the joys, hardships, and pathos woven into their 80-plus years of performing Black gospel music. You can hear the reverence Morris feels as he describes the pivotal periods of American history the evolving members of the group somehow survived. Their journey, skillfully organized by music journalist Lauterbach, is captivating. The Blind Boys' origins can be found in the early a cappella collaborations of several teenagers in Alabama, scrappy kids who loved harmonizing and sharing the spiritual and cultural truths of mid-twentieth-century America. From street singing to the Grammy Awards and presidential performances, these storylines and their historical context will be hard for listeners to pause. T.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2024]