Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bobby McFerrin: spirityouall

5

Bobby McFerrin: spirityouall

By

View read count
Track review of "I Shall Be Released"

Bobby McFerrin: spirityouall
A 10-time Grammy winner, Bobby McFerrin's undeniable gifted voice has not only inspired audiences with its unique qualities but also imbued his spiritual roots as found in songs throughout his discography such as the colorful Garden of Eden expression, "The Garden" from 2010's VOCAbuLarieS (EmArcy) or the unique scriptural vocal rendition of "The 23rd Psalm" from his 1990 release Medicine Music (EMI).

Inspired by the music of his upbringing and his father Robert McFerrin Sr.—an operatic baritone and the first African-American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City—Spirityouall is Bobby McFerrin's first release dedicated to spiritual music. It comes with the singer/composer's usual distinctive touches and surprises with a talented studio band performing infectious and familiar songs that combine roots music: jazz, bluegrass and folk music, and some help from singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding on a number of tracks.

One of the many highlights is the touching cover of The Band's 1968 song "I Shall Be Released" written by the iconic singer/songwriter Bob Dylan. The connection becomes clearer why McFerrin included this well recorded jewel, one which was influenced by gospel music whose lyrics tell of a prison inmate who reflects on his sentence and the longing anticipation of his release in the following lyrics:


They say everything can be replaced
Yet every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

McFerrin takes Dylan's insightful piece and tenderly transforms it into a moving reflection of tranquility and faith in spite of the dire setting of the lyrics. His masterful voice is soothing and purposed, carried on a cloud of harmonious background voices and the elongated notes of a pedal guitar. The message is universal—regardless of the type of imprisonment, whether physical or mental, the uplifting sentiment speaks to the idea of hope and release.

Track Listing

Everytime; Swing Low; Joshua; Fix Me Jesus; Woe; I Shall Be Released; Whole World; Gracious; 25:15; Wade; Glory; Jesus Makes It Good; Rest/Yes, Indeed.

Personnel

Bobby McFerrin: vocals; Esperanza Spalding: bass, vocals (1, 2, 7, 11, 13); Larry Campbell: guitars; Gil Goldstein: keyboards; Charley Drayton: drums (1, 2, 7, 11, 13); Ali Jackson: drums (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13); Larry Grenadier: bass (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12).

Album information

Title: Spirityouall | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Sony Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.