The Great Debaters [Original Score] (CD - 2007)

Personnel: James Newton Howard; Hugh Burns, John Parricelli (guitar); Maya Beiser (cello); Rosemary Warren Green, Gavin Greenaway.

Recording information: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England.

For the 2007 Oprah Winfrey-produced historical drama THE GREAT DEBATERS, director/actor Denzel Washington commissioned a soundtrack that keenly reflects the film's 1930s Texas setting. Featuring a top-notch selection of vintage blues and gospel tunes primarily performed by contemporary artists, the album evokes the proudly traditional vibe of the O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? collection, albeit with a Southern soul veneer. Highlights of the compilation, which prominently features vocalist Sharon Jones and singer/guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart, include the sauntering "That's What My Baby Likes" by Jones, Hart, and Teenie Hodges, and the gritty "I've Got Blood in My Eyes for You" by Hart and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. minimize