Rev Sekou

You have to approach this album from a number of different angles: it is a political treatise, a gospel prayer for the souls of the Black man in America, a musical artefact or a return to the old Baptist tent assemblies of yore.
Any way you look at it, this is a pretty remarkable piece of work.

Rev Sekou is a modern polymath – an activist, an author, a theologian and a man steeped in the history of Blues and with the family to back it up – his grandfather played with Louis Jordan in New Orleans as well as stints with B.B. King and Albert King.

The album itself is a series of statements from the overtly political rant of ‘Resist’ or the gospel prayer of ‘Lord I’m Running (99 and half won’t do)’ and into delicious gospel Blues of ‘When The Spirit Say Move’ – every track adds to the overall feeling of voices raised in anger and prayer. ‘Loving You Is Killing Me’ is almost the only soft edge to the album.

The album features the Dickinson brothers (Cody & Luther) and all through the playing is of a terrific quality.

My only reservation is that after half a dozen tracks I found myself exhausted by the power of his voice and the heartfelt drive of his message. Maybe one to be sampled but a fine album nonetheless.