Diamond Jubilation: 75th Anniversary

Diamond Jubilation: 75th Anniversary

When gospel quartets age--and hey, this is the Dixie Hummingbirdsâ€™ 75th anniversary here--theyâ€™re required to make crossover records that match them up with a wide array of pop musicians. Since the Dixie Hummingbirds already did that for their 70th anniversary on Music in the Air, this time they match themselves with a sure-footed backing band of rock and soul all-stars including Dr. John, Larry Campbell, Garth Hudson and Levon Helm. "Godâ€™s Radar" clues the listener in that something different is going on here: it starts off like a bluegrass tune, then the guitars kick in and theyâ€™re pure honky-tonk, while the bridge is a Cajun riff. The weirdest thing about the song is how well it works. The same can be said for the entire album, which mixes contemporary songs with traditional classics. "Too Many Troubles" matches swampy blues-rock to a mournful song written by Buddy and Julie Miller, with a nice, golden-age-style lead vocal by William Bright. The sole survivor of the original group is lead baritone Ira Tucker, who joined the â€˜Birds in 1938 at the age of 13, and he still delivers rich bursts of inspired shout-singing thatâ€™s absolutely goose bump-inducing. Gospel is more than the root of soul music, itâ€™s a vital, wholly American and very alive music; this expertly-produced and laidback album presents sweet proof. --Mike McGonigal
Country USA
Manufacturer Rounder / Umgd
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 116 61 2181-2
ReleaseDate 2003-10-07
UnitCount 1
UPCs 011661218123
EANs 0011661218123

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Rounder / Umgd
Binding	Audio CD
ItemPartNumber	116 61 2181-2
ReleaseDate	2003-10-07
UnitCount	1
UPCs	011661218123
EANs	0011661218123

Diamond Jubilation: 75th Anniversary

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