The new album by Jeffrey Halford and The Healers pays homage to the sounds of Stax/Volt, R&B and the Delta Blues.
The arrangements evolved naturally during the COVID lockdown, according to the band’s lead singer. I couldn’t tour or play live so I went to my basement practice room and wrote songs. I own a vintage stereo, a drum kit, a piano, a guitar, and an amplifier.
During the last few years of isolation, writing kept me afloat, and it is my spiritual practice. It was the perfect time to record. I composed all of the songs for Crusade and another album. My son plays drums, so I was able to make recordings at home and release a few singles from the album during the Pandemic.
The quality of a live performance is better than most of the record was remotely put together. Immigrants crossing the Rio Grande are the subject of a song called “Walk to the River.” The refrain is backed by a choir and then Halford sings the verse. He was supported by a simple backbeat provided by the drummer of The Healers.
People come into California every day, according to Halford. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to lift ourselves up. We are immigrants in this country. We should treat everyone fairly.
On Take It Slow, a flat-out rocker, the band lays down a loping Tex-Mex style with licks that suggest Chuck Berry. As he describes the pleasures of a youthful love affair, his vocal has a hint of nostalgia.
Donald Trump was put down by a distorted blues guitar lick called “The Devil”. It has call and response vocals, hand clapping, and a Memphis organ line. The closing song on the album is “Sad Sinking Feelings,” a song about the losses one faces with age, while praising the power of love. He sings it wistfully, accompanied by piano and organ fills.
He has been playing with different versions of The Healers for almost 40 years, but never intended to make music. My parents played music in the house. Ray Charles has Modern Sounds in Country and Western music. He erased a musical barrier between country and soul with that album. It is a source of inspiration for the SOUL Crusade.
My brother was a huge fan of Leon Russell. In high school, I started a band with my guitar and amplifier. I would sit in front of the record player and play with Lead Belly and The Stones.
During the punk/new wave explosion, playing in Bay Area clubs set Halford on his path to becoming a professional. I picked up on alt-country from Rank and file, roots rock from The Blasters, and the New Riders of the purple Sage. All of it was folded into my style of writing. Music is the best medicine in the world, and I changed the group’s name to The Healers. It heals the body and the soul.
Jeffrey Halford and The Healers will release a new song on Floating Records. The album made its debut in Europe at #2 on the EuroAmericanaChart. The Healers will tour Europe in October. There are dates at jeffreyhalford.com
