Johnny Ray Daniels

★★★★ Whatever You Need BIBLE & TIRE. CD/DL

Excellent solo debut from the 76-year-old North Carolina sacred soul singer. Johnny Ray Daniels was playing in rock’n’rollers The Soul Twisters when God told him to mend his ways. Soon after, he married Dorothy Vines of the Glorifying Vines Sisters and from then on became their driver and guitarist. He also joined Little Willie & The Fantastic Spiritualaires and last year recorded his debut solo album with producers Bruce Watson and Will Sexton. It’s from-the-heart gospel music, but steeped in blues feeling and soulful emotion; renditions of I Shall Not Be Moved and Something Within Me could easily have been worked up at Hi Records or the Muscle Shoals FAME studios. As could the title track, a joyous call and response featuring son Anthony Daniels of the Dedicated Men Of Zion and granddaughter KeAmber Daniels.