The blind were literally leading the blind as the singers took the stage in single file, hands on the shoulders before them. Resplendent in white suits, black shirts and shades, the Blind Boys of Alabama were greeted by a delirious crowd last year at the legendary Tipitina club. The concert is out now on a DVD called The BlindBoys of Alabama Live in New Orleans.
Formed in 1939, the Blind Boys of Alabama are remarkable for their longevity and undimmed musical power. They were boys who met at a school for “colored children” in Alabama. During singing lessons they discovered a talent they saw as God given and have continued on that path ever since. Music is their ministry and you’d have to be dead to not respond on some level. Even Stephen Hawkins might be tempted to nod his head to the beat.
The concert opens with a deep blues rendition of “Amazing Grace” set to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun,” entirely transforming the Anglo hymn into an African-American testimonial. A bevy of local heroes join them through the concert, including a magisterial Dr. John playing elegantly easy New Orleans boogie on piano and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band adding some brassy funk. But the focus never departs for long from the Blind Boys, still making a joyful noise after 70 years on the road.
