News
- Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Dr. John and Blind Boys of Alabama Kick Off "Spirituals to Funk" Tour
Dr. John hits the road with a four-piece band and The Blind Boys of Alabama for the Spirituals to Funk tour, starting tonight in California. Based on the legendary Carnegie Hall Spirituals to Swing concerts of the 1930s, Spirituals to Funk features an integrated show that explores the connections between jazz, blues, and gospel, all under Dr. John's musical direction. "Musical pairings don’t come much more inspired," says the San Diego Union-Tribune. The tour will visit 30 cities and towns in 14 states across the US.
- Monday, September 24, 2012
Dr. John and Blind Boys of Alabama to Launch "Spirituals to Funk" US Tour This Fall
Dr. John, who spent the spring and summer on tour following the release of his acclaimed new album, Locked Down, is set to hit the road again this fall, this time with a four-piece band and The Blind Boys of Alabama for the Spirituals to Funk tour. Based on the legendary Carnegie Hall Spirituals to Swing concerts of the 1930s, Spirituals to Funk features an integrated show that explores the connections between jazz, blues, and gospel, all under Dr. John's musical direction. The tour will visit 30 cities and towns in 14 states across the US, from October 10 to November 18.
About The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a Gospel ensemble originally formed in 1939 and active to this day. Its founding members—Clarence Fountain, Johnny Fields, George Scott, and Ollie Thomas—first met at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. The group has released well over 50 recordings since 1948, five of which have won Grammy Awards. They have also built a reputation as guest artists with a diverse array of other musicians from Bonnie Raitt and Solomon Burke to Lou Reed and Ben Kweller.
A major boost to the Blind Boys’ popularity came when the group participated in the Bob Telson musical The Gospel at Colonus in the early 1980s, the soundtrack of which is available from Nonesuch. The Blind Boys’ Nonesuch catalog also includes 1992’s Deep River, an album filled with both original songs and covers, which the Los Angeles Times likened the album to "a great gospel performance," with its "slow and medium tempo devotionals” and “roof-rattling rave-ups.”
Latest Release
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Deep River
November 6, 1992The five-time Grammy Award–winning Blind Boys of Alabama have been active since 1939, when the group met at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. The Los Angeles Times likened the album to "a great gospel performance," with its "slow and medium tempo devotionals” and “roof-rattling rave-ups.”
