Brooklyn All StarsLive in Richmond, Virginia
Malaco Records (2013)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
Moss doesn’t grow on a rolling stone, nor on a gospel quartet like the Brooklyn All Stars. The group has been singing for more than sixty years, recording for more than fifty of them, and shows no sign of slowing down.
On their latest album, Live in Richmond, Virginia, the quartet, including original member Thomas Spann, reprises some of its signature singles. Lead vocalist Sonny McClary does his best to evoke Hardie Clifton’s intense tenor on the group’s 1960s-era hits “No Cross No Crown” and “I Stood on the Banks of Jordan.” Spann sings his bass parts on “Jordan” nearly note for note, and reprises his rumbling lead on “I’ve Got My Ticket.”
Two songs deliver important messages with a lighter touch. “Cookie Jar” is a warning to those who like to fool around that the Second Coming can happen at any time, so “don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar.” “Get in the Way” is an ode to self-determination. “God’s got a blessing waiting for you, but you need to get in the way to get it,” the quartet sings. It is as close to Objectivist philosophy as gospel music is likely to come.
There’s quite a bit of twilight reflection on the album. Spann recollects some of the All Stars’ highs and lows over the years, and songs such as “Too Close” and “I Stood on the Banks of Jordan” suggest an acute awareness of the nearness of that awful day. Still, on “Just Look At Me Now,” Spann celebrates that fact that, at eighty-something, he still has the health and energy to travel and perform. The single, “God Has Been So Good to Me,” is a high-octane acknowledgement of He who makes such health and energy possible.
Malaco’s Darrell Luster makes an appearance on two selections, most notably the bluesy “I Can’t Forget.” Talented Ray Braswell Jr. handles the production, keeping the singing and music well-balanced.
Live in Richmond, Virginia is a sample of Brooklyn All Stars highlights with smooth, modern quartet flair.
Four of Five Stars
Pick: “God Has Been So Good To Me.”
Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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