Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens
(Daptone)
Having played no small part in bringing back the sounds of vintage soul, Daptone Records has recently turned to the music which birthed it, first heading south to Mississippi for the quasi-field recordings of last year's Como Now and now sticking closer to home with a set of ferocious hard gospel from long-time New Yorker Naomi Shelton and her Gospel Queens.
With her long-time collaborator and musical director Cliff Driver's pounding piano front and center, her Gospel Queens crooning and wailing classic call and response, and further vocal and instrumental assistance from various members of the Daptone stable, Shelton unleashes a throaty, full-tilt roar that stands comparison to the likes of Dorothy Love Coates or even the mighty Mahalia to exhort, cajole, admonish, and testify through a collection that's heavy on traditional fare like "Jordan River" and "Trouble In My Way," culminating in a scintillating version of Sam Cooke's classic anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come." It's unvarnished, raw, hard-core, and fantastic.
Standout Tracks: "What Is This", "Am I Asking Too Much" STUART MUNRO
