Sisters & Brothers
That the trio recorded this stunning, spiritual-minded collaboration in the town of Unity, Maine, is one of life's fortuitous coincidences. Although their voices are dissimilar, Maria Muldaur, Eric Bibb, and Rory Block share roots in folk, gospel, and blues. Brought together, along with a three-piece backing band, in a barn-turned-recording-studio by producer Randy Labbe, the trio cooks up a feisty musical feast that sounds so comfortable and joyous, it seems they were lost soulmates finally joined in song. Bibb's smoothKeb' Mo'-style vocals join Muldaur's huskier, sassy approach and Block's deep blues on a combination of originals and covers that showcase each artist's strengths, both solo and in tandem with the others. From contemporary classics such asDylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" andBill Withers's sublime "Lean on Me" to a languid version ofJimmy Reed's "Little Rain" and a swampy, roof-raising "My Sisters and Brothers," this upbeat album never gets predictable, preachy, or clichéd.--Hal Horowitz