The JCR Records Story, Vol. 2
Bible & Tire, 2021
8/10
Listen to The JCR Records Story, Vol. 2
The Bible & Tire label resurrect another batch of lost gems of ‘70s sacred soul music, as they cull 17 lost tracks from over 170 reels of tape that were recovered from a foreclosed shack in Mississippi.
“Little Wooden Church”, by The Silver Trumpets, starts the listen with many vocalists working together in a soulful and gospel influenced climate of raw singing and warm instrumentation, and “My Robe” follows with some R&B nods from The Calvary Nightingales, as spirited backing vocals complement the expressive lead vocals and rhythmic guitar.
All the tracks here are worthy of repeated listens, including the upbeat and bouncy “Stand By Me”, thanks to The Dixie Wonder, as well as the emotive and frisky “Leaning On The Lord”, where The Canton Spirituals use call and response singing with exceptional results. One of the album’s best, “I’m A Changed Man”, then displays The Dixieland Singers and their precise use of firm drumming, clever guitars and soaring pipes.
Near to the end, “He’s A Mighty God” brings southern nods to the spiritual anthem, and “Man On The Moon” has The Breckenridge Singers utilizing graceful keys and incredible singing to illuminate their timeless brand of soul sounds.
These songs were originally intended for the JCR Record label and laid down by radio DJ, Air Force veteran and Baptist Pastor Juan D. Shipp. This 2nd installment of the series brings back stars from Vol. 1 and also adds new names to the bluesy, groovy, doo-wop and R&B moments, and comes with excellent and thorough liner notes. With the massive amount of tape discovered, let’s hope there’s more to the JCR Records story to come, cause these treasures deserve to be showcased far and wide.
Travels well with: The Last Shall Be First; The JCR Records Story, Volume One; Dedicated Men Of Zion- Can’t Turn Me Around