Nambour Jazz singer Robyn Brown’s new album has been a labour of love and perseverance through the pandemic. “Bound for Glory: The Gospel Project” started in March 2020 and reached completion in June 2021.   

“This has been the longest project ever,” said Robyn who also organises The Jazz Sessions, Nambour Winter Jazz Fest and the Sunshine Coast Jazz & Brews Fest.  The album was born from Robyn’s personal interest in the history of early blues and jazz. 

Exploring one of the threads in that history, Gospel, she brought together traditional tunes, negro spirituals and songs from Blind Willie Johnson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke and many others in a live show that has been extremely popular. This grew into a recording project to produce an album to complement the show.

Although “Bound for Glory” is an interesting selection of refreshing new versions of gospel classics and more obscure gems, it’s more than that.  The project also shares the stories behind the songs and the enclosed booklet is an interesting read, giving insight into how the spirituals came to be, how they were used and how they evolved.

“In the live shows, I share a bit of the history of how this music came about and the stories behind the songs. There are so many great stories to tell that the hard part is deciding which ones to include,” says Robyn.  “For example, some of the spirituals that were sung by the slaves were actually coded messages on how to escape. I won’t be able to tell all the stories, but hopefully the songs will tell the stories through the show. There are songs of pain, songs of hope and songs of joy.  I love the passion and the heart of gospel music and want to share that with the audience.  We’ve tried to convey that in the album as well.”

Some of Queensland’s finest jazz musicians, David Spicer (piano), Peter Walters (double-bass), Max Sportelli (drums) and Rob McWilliams (trumpet/flugelhorn), worked with Brown on this project, bringing a modern jazz approach to songs from the 1800s to the early 1900s. 

“It was so much fun recording with these guys” said Robyn.  “Most of them are teachers at the Conservatorium in Brisbane and their playing was absolutely brilliant.  We’re looking forward to the album launch concert which will be a blast!”

“Bound for Glory” will be released on October 1 and will be available to purchase on Bandcamp and iTunes and will be on all streaming platforms.  The Album Launch concert will be held at 3pm on Sunday 31 October at the New Life auditorium, McKenzie Road, Woombye.  CDs and download cards can be purchased at the concert. Tickets $10-$15 can be purchased through www.stickytickets.com.au/TheJazzSessions.