If a friend – even one whose music tastes you trust completely – told you they had a gospel group for you to check out, what would your reaction be? It’s an honest question. Maybe you’d be really excited about it. Maybe you’d think that this friend of yours was trying to steer you toward the music that your parents sang in church.
If that friend tells you that the name of the gospel group is The Legendary Ingramettes, then you should definitely be excited about the prospect of listening. This is a group that can trace its roots back 65 years – to the civil rights era. And even if you haven’t been to church in a while, on the new album Take a Look in The Book, this group has the balm to soothe your soul.
The recipe for this group is pretty simple. Take a funky bass line that you can feel moving through your spine and hips. Add some upbeat piano and a beat that is catchy, even if it remains somewhat in the background. Wrap it all up with strong lead vocals and soulful backing vocals. The result is a sound that makes you want to testify even if you haven’t been to a church in a long time.
The vocals are strong throughout the album but you really feel the power when they are a capella, like at the beginning of “Rock of Ages”. Granted, that’s only about 45 seconds, but it is amazing to hear the Ingramettes belt out the words and harmonize with no instruments behind them. And if you want a good example of belting out the vocals, give “I’ve Endured” a listen. The tempo is slower and the melody more muted than in other songs, but the shouts in the lead vocals are as good as any by Otis Redding.
One thing becomes apparent when you listen to gospel. Namely, you can hear just how many other genres have been influenced by gospel. It becomes especially apparent when you hear songs like “When Jesus Comes”. In this song in particular you can hear how gospel touched blues and funk (bass line), soul (vocals), rock and roll (piano) and doo-wop (backing vocals). Even if you’re not particularly religious, it’s reassuring in these troubled times to hear the Ingramettes singing that “Everything will be all right.”
This album is a powerful example of just how beautiful music can be. With their vocals, The Ingramettes could sing about anything and make it sound good. This album is also a testament to how music can improve your life. It is impossible to be in a bad mood when you hear this.
