In doing these album reviews, I try not to be influenced by anything other than the music at hand. The group’s backstory, their videos, or for that matter what might put them in the news, are things I try to ignore, concentrating on the sounds they create. So it seems like something of a coincidence that I have picked so many family bands for this series, from siblings, including twins, to duos who are spouses, and in many cases, became spouses because of their musical association. So I guess it’s no surprise, that coincidentally, we have another family band, whose music I was attracted to before I knew they were four people who are related to each other. It’s the excellent debut album by a Memphis based group called Southern Avenue, whose title is, appropriately, Family.

Southern Avenue consists of three sisters, and the Israeli-born husband of one of the them. Tierinii, Tikyra and Ava Jackson grew up in a musical family. They and other siblings along with their guitarist father and organist mother, were their church band, in a religious family. Growing up, the sisters were not allowed to hear anything but Gospel music. So they have been playing together and harmonizing for most of their lives. Guitarist Ori Naftali grew up in a small town in Israel, started playing guitar at age five, and was drawn to the blues especially the Memphis scene. He fulfilled an ambition when he came to Memphis to participate in the International Blues Challenge. He decided to settle there, and eventually met Tierinii Jackson, and her sisters. Their musical association, as many have, led to matrimony between Naftali and Tierinii Jackson. On the album, they are joined by Blake Rhea and Luther Dickinson alternating on bass and Jeremy Powell on keyboards. Tykira Jackson is the main drummer, with Ava Jackson also on percussion and also some violin, as that was her major in school.

Their original songs encompass the wide range of influences that have been part of the Memphis scene, ranging from down-in-the-swamp blues to bouncy Motown style arrangements. Not surprisingly, given the background of the Jackson sisters there is a fair amount of African American Gospel influence, while lyrically, the songs tend to avoid the usual blues topic of infidelity and sometimes take up the state of the world and tend to cast an optimistic or hopeful light. Interestingly, the album contains three short pieces, each under a minute that sort of explain the band.

Opening is a piece called Long is the Road, which epitomizes Southern Avenue’s blend of the blues and Gospel influence. <<>>

The influence of the Memphis soul scene of the 1960s is felt on the song called Upside. It features more of the band’s lyrics of optimism. <<>>

Found a Friend in You spotlights the band’s great blend of African American Gospel and so-called swamp blues, with Naftaly’s slide guitar work. <<>>

A different side of the band is spotlighted on the song called So Much Love which draws on the upbeat Motown sound. <<>>

[The album’s title track Family is one of those under-a-minute musical vignettes that manages to capture the band’s musical essence. <<>>]

Rum Boogie is as close as Southern Avenue get to a party song, though is still has a kind of low-down blues texture with being in a minor key and with Naftaly’s slide guitar. <<>>

Another facet of the band comes out in the song Gotta Keep the Love with a funky, almost disco-influenced sound. <<>>

Southern Avenue proclaims their musical credo on the song called Sisters, which features Naftaly on acoustic guitar. <<>>

The album closes with another proud proclamation of the band’s philosophy on the song We Are.

There has been quite a renewed interest among younger generation players in the revival 1960s soul, including the styles from Memphis, Motown, and New Orleans. Southern Avenue, with three Memphis-bred sisters and an Israeli guitarist who is married to the lead vocalist, has created an impressive debut album, called appropriately Family. They create a great blend of those regional soul styles, adding in a good helping of the Gospel music the trio played in church from their childhood on, and some swamp-style blues. Vocal harmonies were part of some of the soul records, especially the Motown Sound, but they bring their sibling harmonies to more straight-ahead blues, which is something you don’t hear much. The result is a first-rate album that shows how timeless these styles can be in the right hands.

Our grade for audio quality is an B for heavy volume compression and the vocal sound not being as clean and free from distortion as it should be.

Once again, a family band has emerged with a real winner of an album, showing that special something that playing together for most of their lives brings to the music. It’s also outstanding new music that may make those of certain generations feel nostalgic.

(c) Copyright 2025 George D. Graham. All rights reserved.
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<<>> indicates audio excerpt played in produced radio review

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