Respect Yourself
Otis Clay's name fits his voice--a warm instrument that sounds as elemental as the red dirt of his native Waxhaw, Mississippi. And this live 2003 set from the Lucerne Blues Festival unearths the 63-year-old R&B; veteran's roots. The title track (made famous by theStaple Singers) and a medley of "Amen" and "This Little Light of Mine" take Clay back to the church, where he started performing at age 12. He invokes the spirit of another gospel singer who turned secular, his late heroO.V. Wright, with a raw take on "Nickel and a Nail" that's the apex of this concert. Then Clay covers his former Hi-Records-labelmate-turned-preacherAl Green's "Love and Happiness," Clay's punchy delivery and revved-up horns giving the tune a hard edge. The disposable R&B; ramble "You're the One" and the undistinguished soul-blues ballad "When Hearts Grow Cold" open the set slowly, but once Clay hits his stride his formidable energy and conviction makes his mix of the tabernacle and the roadhouse genuinely compelling.--Ted Drozdowski