March 24-30, 2005
musicpicks
The Blind Boys of Alabama
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You can't accuse The Blind Boys of Alabama of slowing down in their old age. Their second album in six months — following last fall's Ben Harper-ized There Will Be a Light CD — Atom Bomb (Real World) finds Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott bringing old-time gospel harmonies to such unlikely songs of praise as Blind Faith's "Presence of the Lord" and Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky." Purists may sniff at the rap-inclusive "Demons," but the Fatboy Slim- and Macy Gray-penned song sits surprisingly well alongside traditional numbers like "I Know I've Been Converted" and "Old Blind Barnabas," not to mention the Soul Stirrers' title track. The Blind Boys' gift for musical integration has won them four consecutive Grammys, but their live show still has the feeling of an old-time revival meeting.
Tue., March 29, 8 p.m., $33-$55, with Charlie Musselwhite, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.
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