Elliott Chavers featuring Lisa Sinkford
Gospel Jazz 4 the Soul – Live in Pasadena, CA
Hi Desert Records
www.ElliottChavers.com
A while back, TBGB reviewed the EP by old school California saxman Elliott Chavers, which featured the delightful gospel singing of Lisa Sinkford, “L.A.’s best kept secret.”
In addition to the EP, there is a DVD of Chavers and his band performing songs from the album during an outdoor festival in Pasadena, California. It’s a no-frills, amateur-produced video of the live performance, which takes place on a lazy afternoon with a handful of festivalgoers clustered near the park’s bandshell.
Chavers entertains with his ‘60s-style, hard-hitting R&B and jazz interpretations of gospels and spirituals. The combo includes Michael Bishop on keyboards, who sets his electric keyboard to “B3” and rolls off one purring chord after another like it was a Stax recording session. On “Gospel Train,” Chavers plays two saxophones at once to approximate the sound of a locomotive horn, and otherwise punches out some unbelievably high pitched squeals. The band be-bops its way through each song, all to the delight of a small but nevertheless appreciative audience.
Towards the end of the jam session, the petite Lisa Chavers arrives like an angel from Heaven, rocking a black dress and performing “My Lord” – a sacred covering of Little Walter’s “My Babe” – in her disproportionately large voice. The DVD concludes with her extended version of “Mary Don’t You Weep,” which doubles as an extended blues jam.
Three of Five Stars
Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.
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.