Soul Mission

Description

The self-titled and sole album by the gospel/soul/R&B project Soul Mission was released on Myrrh Records in 1993, a division of Word. Also manufactured and distributed by Epic, a division of Sony Music. The album was produced by Darrell Brown and David Batteau (who also wrote, or co-wrote, all the songs).

Featuring a ace session band consisting of Michael McDonald on piano, Booker T. Jones on Hammon B-3 organ, Randy Jacobs and Steve Cropper on guitars, and a rhythm section consisting of Freddie Washington on bass and James Gadson on drums, with Bobby providing percussion. As well featuring Jerry Donato on alto saxophone and Joe Sublett on tenor saxophone.

If the southern soul of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave or Etta James ever moved you, prepare to be U-hauled back to the 1960s. Recorded in four days last fall, this merry marriage of blatant gospel and unabashed soul-blues was the brainchild of veteran pop musicians David Batteau and Darrell Brown who have long fantasized of bringing the two musical camps together.

Helping usher in the soul are guest players Booker T. Jones (organ) and Steve Cropper (guitar), two of the geniuses behind Stax Records’ Memphis soul. Former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald tickles the ivories while Marvin Gaye sideman James Gadson skins the drums alive. Soul Mission is a premanent band with revolving personnel and is backed by a 10-voice choir calling itself “The Church”.

Tata Vega, primarily known for some Motown hits in the ’70s, leads three of the set’s most potent pieces. «Table in the Wilderness», (recorded first by Russ Taff), is sheer drama. Beginning as a light blues, it quickly mounts into a riveting epiphany with Tata’s staccato vocals decimating the lyrics into bits and pieces. «One Blood», a duet with Gavin Christopher, is a horn-driven funk exhibition while «He is Amazing» is a popish mid-tempo sing-a-long.

R&B legend Mavis Staples spreads her heavy contralto all over the high speed «Some Sweet Day» which finds her voice at its gritty best. Victor Cook’s distaff vocals simmer on the ballad «Cross of Stone» which like most of these tracks, leads into a big cathartic finish.

Grady Harrell cranks out the title track which evokes the long single chord passages and syncopated beats of James Brown’s ’60s recordings like «Say It Loud». Grady’s curdling voice, and elastic instrument somewhere between Michael Jackson’s low notes and Terrence Trent D’Arby’s high ones, is perfect for this groove. His other cut, «Settled in Heaven», is a poppy Motown fashioned ditty. Lynn Davis’ aching wail shears through «Tear This House Down», a juke blues punctuated with fierce vamps in which she testifies “gonna tear this roof off” before jumping into a double time Pentecostal stomp. The she slide into the easy blues guitar undercurrent of «Salvation Road».

Veteran back-up singer, Alfie Silas, finally takes her angelic soprano center stage on «Give It All to Jesus» which has a softly-swinging beach party panache. All 10 of the well-crafted songs were either written solely by Batteau & Brown or in collaboration with other soulsters such as Daryl Hall and Russ Taff. Permeating the project is the signature Memphis-styled horns, thundering bass lines and, of course, Booker T’s incomparable Hammond B3. If this ain’t heaven, it’s mighty close. [Bil Carpenter, CCM, January 1994]

> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/soul-mission/1585012277)

CD tracklist:

01. Tata Vega – Table In The Wilderness – 5:17
02. Mavis Staples – Some Sweet Day (Ain’t It Wonderful) – 5:17
03. Grady Harrell – Soul Mission – 5:02
04. Victor Cook – Cross Of Stone – 4:10
05. Lynn Davis – Tear This House Down – 5:08
06. Gavin Christopher and Tata Vega – One Blood – 4:37
07. Grady Harrell – Settled In Heaven – 4:15
08. Tata Vega – He Is Amazing – 6:02
09. Lynn Davis – Salvation Road – 7:09
10. Alfie Silas – Give It All To Jesus – 5:08

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Myrrh Records.


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