Jeffrey Halford & The Healers have dipped their toes in the sound of Motown for their new Soul Crusade album. The core trio enlisted outside help from noted guest players, including lap slide maestro Bruce Kaphan (REM, Jewel, The Black Crowes, Sheryl Crow), singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tom Heyman (Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet), and alt. blues pioneer Preacher Boy. Make no mistake: it is still country music, albeit in a far broader sense. The tracks swing and purr - note the organ and crunchy guitar in Kitchen Door or the Tex-Mex seasoning applied to Pescadero. Need some dirty blues? The Devil delivers, with ace female backing vocals to boot.
Soul Crusade is a celebration of all the kinds of "roots" music that has made to the airwaves: country, blues, gospel, folk, and soul. Jeffrey Halford has broken out of his niche with this one, throwing all his musical referenced to the wall to find out what sticks. Well, all of it in fact. There is no way back now, but why should he? Play loud and dance the night away.
Soul Crusade is released via Floating Records (USA) and Continental Record Services (Europe). Release date: September 23.
Tracks:- Another Skyline
- Take It Slow
- Pie Eyed Poet's Plea
- Wandering Kind
- Kitchen Door
- Sinner Man
- Walk The River
- Pescadero
- Devil
- Picture In My Mind
- Sad Sinking Feeling
- 10/13 Homburg, Germany @ Mandy’s Lounge
- 10/16 Texel, Netherlands @ Texel Blues Festival
- 10/18 Norderstedt, Germany @ MusicStar
- 10/20 Hamburg, Germany @ Club am Donnerstag
- 10/21 Norderstedt, Germany @ Kulturwerk am See (supporting Krissy Matthews)
- 10/22 Utrecht, Netherlands @ Ramblin’ Roots Festival
- 10/24 Lint, Belgium @ Groot Verzet
- 10/29 Venray, Netherlands @ Hove Blues Festival
- 10/30 Ruischerbrug, Zuidwolde en Thesinge, Netherlands @ Meziek mit Bus Festival
