Devoted Spirits and impressive cast of guests earn praise for their fresh and inventive performances of some of EWF’s biggest hits
Paying homage to their roots, three former principal members of Earth, Wind & Fire have united as Devoted Spirits to record A Tribute To Earth, Wind & Fire, a 21-song salute to the groundbreaking R&B-pop-funk band. Released today by Thump Records Classic R&B in association with Experience Hendrix, LLC, the album features imaginative interpretations of the EWF hit songbook as performed by Sheldon Reynolds (guitar and vocals), Larry Dunn (keyboards) and Morris Pleasure (keyboards, bass and trumpet), each of whom had spent over a decade with EWF. The set contains an original composition by Reynolds, “Rhythm Of Love,” an invigorating, cinematic love song that was serviced to smooth jazz radio stations. Reynolds also produced the collection.
Devoted Spirits were joined in the studio by an impressive cast of musicians; most noteworthy was EWF founder and leader Maurice White, who gave his blessings on the project. Other devoted musicians contributing to the album include Norman Brown, Gerald Albright, Sounds of Blackness, original EWF guitarist Johnny Graham, Ronnie Laws, Bobby Watson (Rufus), and Teri Lynn Carrington. Like the originals, percussion plays a big part of the tracks as African and Latin rhythms dance amidst layers of soaring vocal harmonies. Rock guitars shred some of the upbeat cuts, funk-up the mid-tempo tracks, and riff melodically on the ballads. Hallmark horn sounds accentuate and vibrantly blast energy into some tracks or add cool class to the jazzy selections.
The early response from critics has been positive. Urban Network wrote “This 21-track CD finds them touching on all of ‘the elements’ – soul, jazz, gospel, blues and rock – in covers of several of the band’s classics in sometimes inventive, ever-reverential ways.” Soul-Patrol.com said “This album kept me smiling thru all 20-plus songs because it feels like someone decided to go back and redo EWF’s music as if it all retained ‘the high-minded jazz/soul/rock/Afro centric ideals’ of the original band…Devoted Spirits has taken great songs from the songbook of Black History and gave them the historical treatment that the songs deserve, but did so with a love and care that will insure that listeners will understand its true context.”
For Devoted Spirits, this album project is not an end. Instead, it is a beginning as they hope to record an album of new material next. Like EWF, playing the music live is a big part of the magic as well. Devoted Spirits has already performed several shows and the response has been enthusiastic. They are exploring the possibility of touring major U.S. cities this summer.
Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. is the family owned company entrusted with preserving and protecting the legacy of Jimi Hendrix. While the core of its operation concerns Jimi Hendrix's music, name, and likeness, it is also a production company that has released DVDs and CDs that represent influences on or inspiration from the life and work of Jimi Hendrix. It is responsible for the acclaimed American Folk Blues Festival series and Power of Soul: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix, the multi-artist (EWF, Eric Clapton, Prince, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Santana, Chaka Khan, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others) album that includes Musiq’s Grammy nominated version of “Are You Experienced?.”
