I Believe to My Soul
[Featuring Ann Peebles, Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Irma Thomas, and Allen Toussaint]
(Rhino/Work Song/Hear)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2005, Volume 12, #10
Written by John Metzger
Even while his work as a singer and songwriter has veered from the Bob Dylan-influenced
folk-rock of Talk of Heaven to the country leanings of Kindness of the
World to the jazz-tinged ambience of Tiny Voices, Joe Henry has
developed a splendid secondary career as a producer. Beginning with the superb
Don’t Give Up on Me, which, in 2002, marked Solomon Burke’s return to the
limelight, Henry has taken it upon himself to revitalize the legacies of classic
soul artists. This year, he turned his attention to Bettye LeVette, who in
September issued I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise, and his most recent
project is I Believe to My Soul, which, named after a classic track by
Ray Charles, effectively serves to reestablish the credentials of Mavis Staples,
Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston, Ann Peebles, and Irma Thomas. Assembling a house
band that was anchored by Toussaint, Henry and his all-star cast spent a week in
the studio reconfiguring old chestnuts and writing new material, which resulted
in a wonderfully cohesive album that sounds fresh, vibrant, and alive. Peebles
shines on a magnificent reinterpretation of Dylan’s Tonight I’ll Be
Staying Here with You; Preston rejoices in the sweet seduction of Both
Ways; Thomas finds the perfect balance between strength and vulnerability in
her epic rendition of Tom Jans’ Loving Arms; Toussaint submerses himself
within the murky waters of River Boat and thrives within the grooving
instrumental Turvalon; and Staples not only fills You Must Have that True Religion and Keep on Pushing with a gospel fervor, but she also
duets with Preston on the joyous exaltation of That’s Enough. Indeed,
Henry avoided smothering the material on I Believe to My Soul in
arrangements that were overly glitzy, and he opted instead to support his
singers with music that was understated and subtle. Likewise, the vocal
acrobatics that mar much of today’s R&B-flavored offerings are thankfully
non-existent, and what remains is a potent and powerful suite of songs that are
warm, intimate, emotionally charged, and timeless. 
Of Further Interest...
The Blind Boys of Alabama - Down in New Orleans
Ray Charles - Ray Sings, Basie Swings
I Believe to My Soul is available
from Barnes & Noble. To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box