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The Persuasions
have had a heck of a run these last two years. First, they released a genre-bending, but
brilliant, homage to the man who recorded their first album, Frankly A Capella: The
Persuasions Sing the Music of Frank Zappa. A year later, they followed that with Might
As Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead, a collection of songs that avoided the
obvious choices and revealed their knowledge of the Dead's catalog -- not to mention their
own affinity with it.
I'm an old Persuasions fan, so I think it's fantastic
they're still going strong -- despite age, the vagaries of the market and the death of
founding member Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad. They just keep performing the music that
brought them together on Bed-Stuy's street corners over thirty years ago.
But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. The Persuasions
are an a capella group -- they perform a mix of soul, R&B, and music from all
over, unaccompanied, with the tenors and baritones harmonizing around the deep, rich bass
foundation of the amazing Jimmy Hayes. Their music isn't doo-wop, although it was
undoubtedly doo-wop that they sang together when they first started harmonizing. What they
accomplish -- with five voices back in the old days and with four nowadays -- is hard to
describe. It's definitely soulful, but it truly transcends category.
While the Persuasions have recorded many fine albums over
the years, there are two that remain my special favorites: their second and third albums, We
Came to Play and Street Corner Symphony. We Came to Play is one of the
demo-quality LPs that doesn't get discussed by audiophiles much. I've always assumed that
nobody talked it up that much simply because all of us who know about it are looking for a
better pressing.
But as good a WCTP is, I've always preferred Street
Corner Symphony for the strength of its material. And, lo and behold, as I surfed
through Amazon.com the other day (doing research, I assure you), I discovered that Street
Corner Symphony has been released on CD. I guess I gave up checking -- the CD was
released in 1990! But if, like me, you don't have a copy of it, it'll be new to you, too.
The CD transfer is pretty good, too. There's small amount
of analog tape hiss, but it's not terribly obtrusive. It's low enough in the mix that you
can clearly distinguish between the natural reverberation of the recording studio
(Electric Ladyland) on the band members and the slight amount of artificial reverb used on
Jerry Lawson's leads. Imaging and soundstaging are awfully good, though.
But it's the material that's the focus here, from the
stirring paean to the black soldiers of the tenth cavalry, "Buffalo Soldiers,"
to the gospel hokum of "Christian's Automobile." Highpoints include a rocking
"Tempts Jam," a three-and-a-half-minute medley of "Don't Look Back,"
"Runaway Child Runnin' Wild," and "Cloud Nine." Jerry Lawson's hoarse
lead is impassioned and rousing -- who says you need a band to get funky?
A real surprise is their melding of "He Ain't Heavy,
He's My Brother" and "You've Got a Friend." Who knew how well these songs
went together?
But the true centerpiece of the album -- almost literally
-- is their somber "People Get Ready." How can five voices pack that much
emotion into a three-minute song?
I'm delighted that Street Corner Symphony is out on
CD. Maybe I'm about a decade late getting the news -- maybe you are, too. If so, don't
hesitate. Pick up a copy today. I've cherished my LP for thirty years. I hope the CD has
at least that much life left in it.
...Wes Phillips
wes@onhifi.com
