::ALBUM REVIEW::

If you took a good look and listen to the recent album release of Queen Shirley’s trip down memory lane - After 40 Years...Still Sweeping Through The City - it’s hard to imagine her age being anywhere over fifty years. While it may not be a nice thing to disclose the living legend’s age (69 years of age - according to reliable sources), it only verifies the kind of favor that God only admonished on a selected few of gospel artists today. Shirley Caesar is definitely alive, kicking, and throwing down on this joyous celebration of selected classics from her long list of essentials; taped at her Mount Calvary Word of Faith Church where she pastors. It’s easy to also suggest the song featured are a fair balance of hits coming from four different decades of her solo ministry, and even goes a bit further back showing a glimpse of her renowned contribution with the legendary gospel group The Caravans on the opening cut, “Sweeping Through The City.” The song was a major hit for the gospel group back in the early 1960s. On her newly-developed ShuBel label, Caesar calls on veteran producer Bubba Smith to handle the live recording session and brings on board key players from her ‘90s-era albums such as Michael Mathis (oegan), Terry Baker (drums), Derrick Lee (piano), Simeon Baker (bass) and special live horns from Steve Patrick and Sam Levine. First listen easily takes you back to the sound we’re accustomed to hearing from Caesar’s modern album releases and that’s part of the magic of this collection. The veterans are in place (including the support of Joe Neil’s live remote Sam’s Tape Truck - a mainstay for Caesar’s live recordings) and supports Caesar throughout the seventy-seven minute, twelve selection musical offering.

Queen Shirley opens up the festivities with a slowed-down bluesy version of the Caravans’ “Sweeping” and later picks up in tempo with rocking harmonies from the combined choirs of Mount Calvary and the Angelic Voices of Abundant Life Church. Mighty Clouds’ legend Joe Ligon jumps into the foray of the charismatic vamp and pulls out some killer, gut-wrenching support, even though it’s hard to imagine the energetic singer doing so since he was still recovering from triple bypass surgery. The tour-de-force performance of them all, “Hold My Mule,” is gospel-preaching galore as she recounts the best-selling sermonette about Shoutin’ John. Her creative storytelling also includes a new addition to the narrative as she raps out the numerous types of crop (beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, lambs, rams, hogs, dogs...) in his field. While the old school storytelling goes on for seven minutes, Caesar is a definite attention-keeper throughout the track. She also burns rubber with the down-home “drums-and-bass only” seven-minute medley of “Peter, Don’t Be Afraid” and “Nobody But You Lord.” This remains one of her favorite openers on her preaching itinerary and incorporates a great deal of crowd participation. The songs pick up in tempo and with added-in music towards the latter part of the song as she goes through the infectious “Teach Me Master.” Other big numbers include Darius Brooks’ “Never” (taken from the same Live In Chicago 1989 album), the moving Michael Mathis original cut “Praise Your Way Through” (featuring Patrika Worthan on lead vocals) and the beautifully reworked “He’s Got It All In Control" (also featuring a duet with special guest Joe Ligon).

Only problematic, if listeners were extremely picky, is that Caesar didn’t near touch anything that resembles contemporary material. Everything assembled is staged to support her traditional backbone of a fanbase and kind of runs like a Baptist church in the deep south. Not to say there’s no energy or soul offered, it’s just a bit different from the tone captured on her late 80s/early 90s projects. Not only that but her preachy storytelling invades the bulk of the disc - like on “Choose Ye This Day,” the 70's crossover hit “Faded Rose” and “The Old Apple Tree.” with some of the talking condensed some, there probably could have been room for one or two more throwbacks. Would have been nice to hear Caesar pull out a few more uptempo numbers like “I Can’t Stop Praising The Lord, “Yes, Lord Yes.” And just hearing her work through emotional songs like “I Remember Mama,” “He’s Working It Out For You” or “You’re Next In Line For A Miracle” would have really completed the disc and taken things to a whole ‘nother level.

Diehard fans have no need to complain though. This is a definite return to her stellar recording roots and far surpasses the effort of her last two projects (I Know The Truth, Hymns). It’s just marvelous to know that Queen Shirley still packs a punch forty years since she stepped out as a solo artist and continues to reveal countless lessons to newcomers on what a real legend sounds like.