Right from the opening song of the disc, "Free At Last", you can hear the differences Jimmy was talking about. Long associated with the civil rights movement thanks to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech, I've only ever heard the song performed in a slow, Bluesy style by B. B. King, but here it really swings. Everyone knows how up tempo and rocking Gospel music can be, but this was different. While Gospel usually compels you to get to your feet and clap your hands with its strong emphasis on rhythm, here it's the melody that carries the song.

It's a subtle difference, but one that's noticeable throughout the disc, as familiar songs like "Down By The Riverside" and "I'll Fly Away" are given slightly different treatments than what we are used to hearing. Perhaps it's just that it's not often you hear "I'll Fly Away" played by a brass band, as the Hot 8 Brass Band accompany The Blind Boys Of Alabama on this track, or a jazz band like Preservation Hall playing "Down By The Riverside" that makes them sound different.

Quite frankly though, I wasn't overly concerned about why the material sounded like it did, I was far too busy enjoying it. Whether it was Allen Toussaint accompanying them on "If I Could Help Somebody", or either of the other groups working with them, the music was just amazing. I don't know how long this version of The Blind Boys Of Alabama has been together, but their vocal work is as immaculate as ever. Not only do they harmonize with each other, but they also seem to manage the trick of harmonizing with the instruments playing with them. At times their voices and the instruments blend together so that the lyrics, while still discernible, become less important than the music that's being created through the combination of voice and instrument.

What they've managed to do is take the music to a place where the sound itself is inspirational and is able to carry their message of hope and faith. It's like listening to some of the great orchestral works whose very existence is a measure of the depth of feeling that inspired them. It's not something I expected to find on a CD of gospel music, although I guess it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise considering the quality of the performers on Down In New Orleans.

The Blind Boys Of Alabama have spent nearly seventy years singing messages of hope, faith and inspiration to people across the United States and around the world. When they went to New Orleans to record Down In New Orleans it was with the intent of trying to bring succor to the hearts of people who have seen their homes destroyed by storm and their hopes betrayed by politicians. While that may seem like a nearly impossible task, reserve judgment on their abilities to accomplish it until you've heard this CD. They just might make a believer out of you.