“This Soul Needs Your Grace” is a lovely opener, setting the stage for a 12-song love song to Jesus Christ. The title track is next, and it is ethereal and beautiful. By the way, Joy wrote the bulk of the songs on the album, proving once again just how accomplished she is as a songwriter. The record was produced by Joy, in col-
laboration with Grammy winning producer/engineer Chris Latham and BMI Award winning gospel singer songwriter and Alan Jackson band member Monty Lane Allen. Backing Joy on vocals are the Ruppe Sisters, and two of the tracks feature Monty Lane Allen on vocals. All of the instrumental- ists are top notch, including some fine playing from Matthew Lawson. “Sometimes it Takes Silence” is simply
breathtaking in its beauty. There is a fine video for the song on You Tube. I highly rec- ommend checking it out. The upbeat “Healer in the House” al-
lows Joy to delve into her southern gospel roots, and “Even in the Wind” is another beautiful song that helps to make this collec- tion a must have. The fact of the matter is, every song here is great, including the south- ern rock flavored set closer, “Meet Me Right Where I Am.” As Long as You Breathe is quite sim-
ply, a beautiful, spirit filled collection of songs delivered by a gifted vocalist, a good ol’ Car- olina girl who deserves to be heard. This is music straight from the heart.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Blue Muse Music Maker Relief Foundation (Various Artists) (Big Legal Mess Records) The Music Maker Relief Foundation, whose mis-
sion is “to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musi- cians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time,”is issu- ing a new book and CD package called Blue Muse to celebrate their twenty-fifth year. Ac- cording to their website,
musicmaker.org, this organization, founded by Timothy and Denise Duffy, has helped with over 12,000 grants, and has supported 435 artists. Blue Muse contains twenty-one tracks of southern blues and roots music from various artists. It fea- tures recordings made from the nineties up to the present day, with tracks contributed by both Taj Mahal who beautifully performs “Spike Driver Blues” and Eric Clapton who joins with Timothy Duffy for a sweet instru- mental cover of Willie Brown’s “Mississippi Blues.”
Eddie Tigner, who played many years
with the Ink Spots and was at one time the lead of Elmore James’ house band, tears it up on piano with his performance of “Route 66”. When Alabama Slim kicks off “I Got the Blues”, it puts a big smile on my face. His hypnotic guitar stylings pull me deep into the song. The soulful deep-cutting vocals of Robert Finley marvelously sing out on “Age Don’t Mean a Thing.” With Jimbo Mathus on guitar and Al Gamble on keys, this is southern soul at its best. Former Carolina Chocolate Drop co-founder Dom Flemons breaks out his harmonica and sings “Polly Put the Kettle On”. Ben Hunter appears on fiddle and Guy Davis on guitar, making this traditional song also covered by the blues-great Sonny Boy Williamson, a delightful listen. One can feel the blues in the voice of
the late great Piedmont Blues artist Algia Mae Hinton, who passed in February of 2018, as she delivers “Snap Your Fingers”. Guitar Gabriel’s “Landlord Blues” oozes with authen- ticity. ‘The Blues Doctor’ Drink Small from Columbia, South Carolina wonderfully sings and picks “Widow Woman”, a melancholy and reflective piece paying homage to those
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