Already Made
Bible & Tire, 2021
8/10
A Mississippi native, Elder Jack Ward relocated to Memphis when he was 18, which began his lengthy career in music. Having spent much of his time in singing groups, this debut solo album comes later in life, and brings a wealth of experience and talent to 10 songs that were whittled down from 100 originals.
“The Way Is Already Made” leads the listen with an upbeat and rhythmic display of gospel, soul and rock’n’roll flavor that’s got a contagious energy, and “He’s Got Great Things” follows with both grit and melody entering the spiritual climate where Ward’s pipes show much diversity.
Further down the line, “God’s Love” is a vocally strong and layered display of timeless gospel influences, where a tambourine provides the bulk of the instrumentation, while “God’s Got A Hold Of My Hands” shakes and rattles with a bounce that will certainly get you up and out of your pew, “Without The Lord” then burns slow and with much sincerity as Ward and company soak the listen in a rugged, southern spirit.
The final two tracks, “Rest With Jesus” and “I Feel Better Since I Prayed”, continue the strong song craft, where the former emits power and ebullience, and the latter embraces the blues with much authenticity and memorableness.
The Elder Ward Singers, i.e. Johnny Ward, Carla Ward, Francis Ward and Cecilia Garrett, are joined by The Sacred Soul Sound Section and several guest musicians, plus Bruce Watson’s exceptional producing skills on this raw yet meticulous listen. Ward already has some very well received 45s under his belt, and now a top notch full length the superbly illustrates his devotion to his craft.
Travels well with: Wilburt Lee Reliford- Seems Like A Dream; The Last Shall Be First- The JCR Records Story, Volume One