So, in keeping with my recent obsession of looking for rare gospel-funk LP’s, here’s one of the “holy grails” (pun intended) of the genre. I must admit that I did not seek this out so much for its gospel as I did for its association with the Mizell Brothers, the storied production team behind such ‘70’s jazz-funk masterpieces as Donald Byrd’s “Places and Spaces” and Bobbi Humphrey’s “Blacks And Blues.” Rance Allen, however, has an interesting history in and of himself, from his roots as a traveling gospel singer to his early ‘70’s breakthrough on the Truth subsidiary of the Stax label. The music on this record features the trademark “Mizell Sound,” with lilting arrangements and ethereal background vocals floating just above the driving funk. When combined with Rance’s vocal acrobatics and the Allen brothers’ impeccable musicianship, a unique item in the Mizell canon is created. The best tunes play on the strengths of the multiple parties involved, with “Reason To Survive” and “Peace Of Mind” being the obvious standouts. The former rides a mid-tempo rhythm guitar at its center, while the latter is full of the airy fusion vibe present on so many of the Mizells’ most lauded work. While I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect in getting into this album—gospel is not my specialty, after all—I was quite impressed, and not just because of the Mizell factor, but because the Rance Allen Group stood on its own as a musical force to be reckoned with.
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