Mavis Staples Have A Little Faith Alligator Records

Mavis Staples found herself at a career crossroads in the early 2000s. Her father, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, the patriarch of the Staples Singers, had passed away in 2001 and she had stopped touring to care for her sister, Cleotha. The singer, in her own words, had “been pushed into being a solo artist, and I needed to make a record and try to get myself out there.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t have any connections in the business, despite the Staples’ track record over an extended period with multiple labels. Most of the group’s connections were no longer active in the business, so she decided to pay for her own record to get herself out there.

Producer Jim Tullio contacted Staples and asked her to sing a song he had written, “In Times Like These,” for an album he was working on. She told him that she wanted to make a record of her own and the two decided to make it happen, with Staples working with Tullio in his basement recording studio with songs that she wanted to do and songs that he had written for her.

The resulting album was picked up by Alligator Records and released in 2004 as Have a Little Faith, a remarkable work that touches on gospel, blues, folk, and soul. Alligator is now reissuing a vinyl version of the album to celebrate its 20th anniversary, as well as Mavis Staples’ 85th birthday.

The opening track, “Step Into The Light,” is a glorious beginning with Staples’ powerful vocal backed by the Dixie Hummingbirds, with keyboards from Chris Cameron, plus Delta-flavored slide guitar work from David Resnik, with Tullio and John Martyn on acoustic guitars. The funky, greasy “Pop’s Recipe” is a loving tribute to Pops Staples, with nasty bass from Bob Lizik and Cameron’s B3 is right out of Memphis. The optimistic title track, "Have A Little Faith," also has deep roots in The Bluff City as Staples offering positive encouragement to those who want to give up the fight.

Staples continues to encourage listeners to not give up with “God Is Not Sleeping,” a still, beautiful track written by Phil Roy that provides a great showcase for her vocals, and “A Dying Man’s Plea,” Pops Staples reworking of “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” is a marvelously funky, downhome interpretation of the classic featuring fiddle and dobro from John Rice. “Ain’t No Better Than You” is a soulful rocker that offers a strong message about standing up against racial adversity.

“I Wanna Thank You” finds Staples offering grateful praise for the things God does and gives her, and listeners can’t help to want her at their back when things go bad when hearing her deliver the jubilant “I Still Believe in You.”

“At the End of the Day” is a taste of gritty soul and funk that preaches a compelling message, and Pops Staples plays guitar on the haunting “There’s a Devil on the Loose,” a song that he wanted recorded and one that needs to be heard by all in these trying times.

“In Times Like These,” the song that brought Staples and Tulio together, appropriately follows, and Staples passionately exhorts us to join forces to battle the devil on the loose. The backing from the Chicago Music Community Choir adds even more weight to a song that really didn’t need it (Tullio and co-writer LeRoy Marinell wrote it in tribute to two friends who died in the World Trade Center attacks), but, WOW, I’m so glad they did. It will leave tears in your eyes and a lump in your throat, for sure.

Have a Little Faith closes with the first song that Pops Staples ever taught his children, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” This new version goes deep to the Delta with Tullio’s acoustic guitar, Jim Weider’s acoustic slide guitar, Paul Mertins’ growling bass harmonica, and Cameron’s Wurlitzer providing perfect support to Staples as she sings the song that started it all for her.

Before Have a Little Faith was released by Alligator Records, Staples had shopped the album to a dozen labels. While the album didn’t necessarily fall into the category of “Genuine Houserockin’ Music” that serves as Alligator's motto, they knew a good thing when they heard it. Thanks to their efforts, the album reached a lot of blues, soul, and gospel fans, won critical acclaim and reignited Mavis Staples’ career, which is still going strong.

--- Graham Clarke