Album Review: Elder Jack Ward – Already Made
Growing up as a suburban white kid, my preconceptions regarding gospel music were fairly well-formed. I wasn’t especially receptive to the messages conveyed in the music, and – on the rare occasions when I encountered it – I found the music stiff and lacking in passion.
Of course I wasn’t hearing music coming out of an African American tradition. At its best, that stuff is on fire! As 20th century music historians could tell you, the genre that we call soul is really a secularized version of gospel. The real gospel music has tremendous overlap with blues, soul, R&B and rock. At its best it’s full of the passion often found lacking in its based-on-European-traditions caucasian counterpart.
Speaking of “at its best,” Elder Jack Ward’s Already Made has all of the qualities that make for a successful album. Commitment to the material, inspired vocal work, tremendous ensemble musicianship: they’re all in ample supply on Already Made.
Yes, the subject material is the Big Guy, but experiencing this music is really no different than listening to your favorite soul artist sing about his or her love interest. The backing vocals have that robed-chorus feel, and songs like “Shout Trouble is Over” are hypnotic; who knew so much could be conveyed with a single chord?
The rhythm section features guitarist Will Sexton and ace drummer George Sluppick, names familiar to in-the-know fans of current-day Memphis soul. Elder Ward himself has an impressive back story, and he applies his natural gift for lyric writing in this collection of ten original compositions. Highly, highly recommended, and I wouldn’t be surprised to be hearing about this record come Grammy time.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.