Under Review: V/A – Good God!: Born Again Funk – Numero

Ada Richards – I’m Drunk & I’m Real High
T.L. Barrett – Like A Ship
Gospel Storytellers – Peter & John

Numero strikes gold once again (which gets me thinking, is there a more consistently inspiring independent label out there right now than this one?). This time, as part of their “Good God” series they mine funky gospel tunes, mostly it appears (I still only have a promo copy without the full notes) from the Midwest. What might at first seem an odd place to look for funky is actually the latest in many crate-digging trends (which might have been stoked by Numero’s 2006 comp. Good God!: A Gospel Funk Hymnal). Those who study black music have often noted that musicians would play secular music on Saturday night and sacred music Sunday morning, so it shouldn’t be at all surprising that gospel music in the 60s and 70s turned funky. Numero then is right on the mark with this collection and it’s immediately clear, as soon as the drums and tambourine come in on T.L. Barrett’s “Like A Ship,” why they decided to focus again on this genre.

One of the things that is quite striking about this collection is its diversity of sound. Instead of presenting a single style or sound, the collection, sonically if not thematically, is all over the map. From the righteous, clavinet heavy, disco funk of Lucy Rodgers’ “Pray A Little Longer,” the Curtis on Curtom inspired work from Little Charles on “I Thank You Lord,” Bluesier fare on Brother Samuel Cheatam’s “Troubles Of The World,” insanely funky snare and cymbal work on the Victory Travelers “I Know I’ve Been Changed” and the track I’ve included here from the Gospel Storytellers “Peter & John,” to even a track “Share Your Love With The Master” that mimics the “Memphis Soul Stew” introduction of musicians, one by one, adding to the funky mix (Also there’s The Inspirational Gospel Singers “Same Thing It Took” which sounds a bit like Marva Whitney doing gospel with the Hi records house band, check the Melting Pot Radio Hour for that track).

Maybe the best track here comes from Ada Richards, “I’m Drunk & I’m Real High,” which should come off as a bit absurd, but the delivery is so fiery and sincere that you can’t help but feel it. I am curious if Richards cut any secular records, cause when she sings “Judge me in the morning, Judge me at night, Better be sure you judge me right,” bending her notes and shifting to a, dare I say sultry, tone, my thoughts turn away from the sacred and I start thinking of very worldly double entendres.

Those kinds of contradictory emotions are at the heart of a lot of this music. This music is meant to be sacred, but to connect to audiences the musicians must make use of a decidedly profane style. I’m curious how they dealt with those contradictions, a very different set of constraints than the usual art vs. commerce arguments. But what we do have is an exceptional collection of rare and inspirational sounds, and an early entry for the best of 2010.