One of the numerous branches of the current retro scene has been the revival of classic soul sounds, from the 1960s music scenes like Memphis, Motown and Muscle Shoals, where each locale spawned a particular and distinctive sound. This week, we have a new album by an artist who has been on the soul revival scene for close to 15 years now. It’s Sugaray Rayford, whose new sixth album is called Human Decency.

A Texas native, Caron Nimoy Rayford got into music at an early age singing in church and doing mainly Gospel music. After his mother died of cancer while Sugarary was still young, the poverty stricken family moved in with his grandmother, in California, where conditions improved and Rayford did a lot of singing in church. He was also in a succession of bands, starting in his teens, and eventually was lead vocalist in a group called Aunt Kizzy’s Boyz, who were a runner-up in the 2006 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Rayford released his first album under his own name in 2010 called Blind Alley and the following year became a member of a group called the Mannish Boys, whose release Double Dynamite won best traditional blues album at the 2013 Blues Music Awards. His career also took him the theater, performing in the musical Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues in Portland, Oregon, and then went on to do studio vocal work including on themes for TV shows.

He continued with a succession of solo albums, and is now out with Human Decency collaborating for the third time with producer, co-writer and multi-instrumentalist Eric Carne. Rayford wrote the lyrics while Carne generally wrote the music. It’s a strong soul-blues project, with a classic sound that borrows from Memphis, Motown and Muscle Shoals styles. But rather than sing about heartbreak and unfaithfulness, those classic blues themes, Rayford’s lyrics are on larger topics, considering the state of the world, sometimes projecting the personal into the global, for example in the in the title song, Human Decency.

The gathered musicians include blues guitar luminary Rick Holmstrom, plus Drake Shining and Sasha Smith on keyboards, Matt Tecu on drums, and producer Carne on the bass, as well as guitar. There’s also a classic-style horn section, evoking the Stax Records sound from Memphis.

The album opens with Failing Upwards a with a Memphis style groove, about the conflict between career success and moral character. <<>>

The title song Human Decency is one of album’s strongest tracks. The title says it all, projecting the need for human decency from a personal relationship to the larger world. <<>>

One the funky side is another strong track, Stuck Between, which also considers the moral dilemmas of modern life. Sam Morrow joins in as a guest vocalist. <<>>

One of the relatively few love songs on the album is Strawberry Hill though as is typ ical for Rayford, the lyrics bring in complications. <<>>

Run for Cover released as the first single from the album takes on the state of the world, and considers the environment in a strong rock setting. <<>>

A bit of a stylistic departure comes on a tune called Dirty Rat another song that projects the personal to the larger world, in this case someone with an unhealthy or downright wrong viewpoint. <<>>

Turning a bit more toward familiar blues lyrical territory is Hanky Panky Time about looking for some rewards after a hard day’ work. <<>>

The album closes with a song called Aha some all-out soul blues with some autobiographical lyrics. <<>>

Human Decency the new release from Sugaray Rayford, aside from having a title expressing what many are seeking, is a great collection of original soul and blues co-written by Rayford and his producer Eric Carne. The lyrics are thoughtful and more wide-ranging than the usual blues norm. The arrangements are classic, the band is tight, and Rayford’s vocals are have just the right combination of strength and emotion to capture the mood of the music.

Our grade for sound quality is an A-minus. The mix has everything in the right place, and there are no needless studio effects, but the recording lacks dynamics. There is little of the punchiness that music like this evokes in the performance. It all sounds a bit flat.

Sugaray Rayford was born in 1969, just when the blues and soul scenes from which he draws his influence were in their ascendancy. Whether to disignate his new album retro, classic, or 21^st Century soul is, I guess up to the listener. It any case, it’s all good, whatever you may wish to call it.

(c) Copyright 2024 George D. Graham. All rights reserved.
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<<>> indicates audio excerpt played in produced radio review

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