There’s no denying that Robert Randolph & The Family Band got soul; it is the title of their newly released album, after all. The group continues to turn head with their energetic performances, and were recently featured on the NPR program World Cafe. There, the band not only plays tracks from the new album, but honors Black History month by laying down tracks from the history of the “sacred steel” genre.
Primarily a device of gospel music, sacred steel was passed down through religious traditions throughout the 1900s. It can be heard through a number of tracks that Randolph and his band performs on World Cafe, including Willie Eason with the Campbell Brothers‘ “When The Saints Go Marching In,” Calvin Cooke‘s “No Ways Tired” and Ted Beard‘s “The Train.” Though Randolph has vitalized the tradition for popular consumption, his style never wanders too far from his forefathers, and he certainly relishes the opportunity to explore his roots in the new episode.
The episode ends with a performance of “Heaven’s Calling” from the new release, a blistering expression of modern sacred steel. Listen to the full recording below, courtesy of NPR Music.