Mavis Staples - We’ll Never Turn Back

Having Ry Cooder produce this album by the gospel great is an inspired choice. Cooder brings a rootsy edge to civil rights anthems like “We Shall Not Be Moved,” featuring South African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Staples, still vibrant and ever soulful, covers Cooder’s tender “I’ll Be Rested” and delivers a stunning rendition of “Jesus is on the Mainline,” a song Cooder once recorded. And she adlibs her way through bluesman J.B. Lenoir’s “Down in Mississippi” (also featuring Ladysmith) to brilliant effect.

Apr. 24