Shane Gilchrist presents a special Summer Times
selection of albums worth exploring.
Today: New Orleans singer Aaron Neville delves into
his bag of gospel tricks on I Know I've Been Changed.
Who: A member of longstanding (and outstanding) New
Orleans quartet the Neville Brothers, Aaron Neville has also
enjoyed enduring success as a solo artist: his first big
single, 1967's Tell It Like It Is, set the bar for a
career which has seen Grammies, gold records and festival
appearances around the globe.
About the album: On this 12-song collection of
soul-stirring gospel, producer Joe Henry shrewdly adopts a
stripped-back approach designed to keep focus on the vocal
dexterity and depth of veteran New Orleans performer Aaron
Neville as well as the interplay between him and a choir
that, despite numbering just four, somehow manages to sound
like a horde of Baptist belters.
Significant, too, is the contribution of acclaimed pianist
and songwriter Allen Toussaint, who leads an accomplished
band through material made more joyous by their playing.
Highlight: Meetin' At The Building.
For those who like: Aretha Franklin, Leon Russell.
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