Asleep At the Wheel and The Blind Boys of Alabama

Asleep at the Wheel is phenomenal. The music never gets old, but they find a way to keep it sounding fresh and on fire. We loved it, as did everyone we talked to. Can't wait to see them again sometime.

If you are a fan of gospel and are looking to get you spirit lifted or if you just enjoy hearing great music then you absolutely cannot go wrong in seeing The Blind Boys of Alabama. They are phenomenal to hear live and a huge inspiration.
They have been making music since the 40s so needless to say they are beyond professional. Their harmonizations and sense of unification are impeccable. I defy anyone who is not moved by their performance. They can sing in tight unity in the snap of a finger or just as quickly fluctuate in unprompted vocal solos. Nothing seems scripted at their shows. They sing what they are feeling and express it whenever and however they want to. You would expect that over the 70 + years they have been together their sound might eventually become contrived or their vocal range might start to deteriorate. Well I challenge you to see them perform live and tell me what you think.
It is no surprise that their forte is in gospel soul music and they rarely deviate from this style, but to say that their sound is stagnant is beyond forgiving.They have continually tweaked and even defied the formula of soul music (if one even exists) managing to keep things interesting and fresh. They are group that has incredible insight in terms of anticipating each others weaknesses and strengths and resultantly are able to play off each other with complete precision. They are one of the most uniform groups I have seen and this is evident down to their matching clothing. If you see one of their live performances it is obvious they work beautifully together, but what is less known is their ability to envelope new sounds and artists into their music. They have worked with blues legends such as Dr. John and Tom Waits and have even performed alongside indie mainstays such as Bon Iver and the Tuneyards. Their shows are fervent, up lifting and delivered in such a manner you could swear it came straight out of a preachers pulpit. It is a must see performance for anyone remotely interested in gospel music and provided their spanning influence it is obvious that I am not the only one who thinks so.