Truly, however, the ensemble of the legendary Dr. John, iconic Rufus Reid, John Campbell, Will Calhoun and the indomitable Odetta opening the album with the depression era Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime and closing it with the patriotic America the Beautiful which linger long after the music has stopped. Hauntingly beautiful, these two tracks seem to uniquely describe an American experience that is both poignant and relevant even today.
This is a great album with stunning vocal performances by Odetta, Dr. John and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. This is real, deeply felt blues with no just going through the motions. As usual for Justice, the recording quality is top drawer, with several cuts ranking with "audiophile" style recordings, but with good, solid music.
This CD contains the best version of America the Beautiful I've ever heard. Sung by Odetta a folk singer of the 60s who was/is very popular. You won't go wrong with this one. The other cuts are OK but Odetta's will make you cry!
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