Blind Boys of Alabama seeks younger audience

The Blind Boys of Alabama’s new album is its most
contemporary.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

Attempting to reach younger audience is something most recording acts with longevity have to deal with at some time.

For the cherished gospel act The Blind Boys of Alabama, which released its debut album, “I Can See Everybody’s Mother But Mine,” exactly 60 years ago, the notion of perhaps attracting young’uns to the music may seem, well, overdue. However, that’s exactly what group leader Jimmy Carter (no, not that Jimmy Carter) and company did earlier this decade by working with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Ben Harper.

“It came out to be true. Now at our concerts we see more young people there,” said Carter, calling from New York City. “And we play a lot of colleges and performing arts centers around the country, trying to convert the young folks. And I think we’re doing it.”

The Blind Boys of Alabama is touring again this winter, with a Wednesday show at The Kent Stage in Kent. Not only did Carter say he’s looking forward to returning to the Buckeye State, but he’s also making promises about the show that may surprise readers.

“The Blind Boys of Alabama are on our way, and we’ll make you feel something you’ve never felt before,” Carter said. “And when we leave Ohio, Ohio will never be the same and that’s a good thing.”

Forget for a second that Carter’s comment is based in hubris. After all, The Blind Boys of Alabama is a gospel act spreading the Word. Still, the group’s latest effort “Down in New Orleans” is more of a Saturday-night-fun, Sunday-morning-repent album. More so, it’s the act’s most contemporary sounding effort to date. 

The 12-track effort marks the first time the outfit has recorded with Big Easy musicians, with the results being magical. The Crescent City’s most distinguished R&B and jazz musicians — Allen Toussaint, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Hot 8 Brass Band, and the tight threesome of pianist David Torkanowsky, bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Shannon Powell – offer modern musical accompaniment while still keeping the material in the shadow of the Cross. 

Songs such as the reverent “I’ll Fly Away” and “You Better Mind” are buoyed by the ’50s boogie style of “You’ve Got to Move” and the brass-filled “Make a Better World.”

“We had never recorded in New Orleans before, so it was a new challenge for us,” Carter said. “And after we got down there and heard the musicians, we liked them. So we went for it.

“It didn’t hurt the gospel flavor. That’s what I like about it, that it didn’t take anything away from it and it enhanced it in my opinion. We still have the gospel flavor and style and we still have a Blind Boys sound.”

While Carter lists his age as “past 50,” you’d think the act’s annual touring schedule of 150 to 200 dates a year would take its toll. So how does he stay energized?

“It’s because I love the music,” Carter said. “I love to be out among the people and the more response I get from the people, the more motivated we become. We enjoy our work.”

He added, “That keeps you motivated and willing to go on to new heights.”