The Reverend Shawn Amos - Soul Brother No. 1 (2024) [Hi-Res]

This is the Reverend Shawn Amos’ newest recording on Immediate Family Records. Amos is the son of Wally Amos founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand and singer Shirlee Ellis professionally known as Shirlee May. Born in New York City Amos attended film school at New York University. After reading Peter Guralnick’s book “Feel Like Going Home” Amos traveled south and fell in love with the music of Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Junior Wells.

Amos released his debut recording in 2002. He became an A & R executive at Rhino Entertainment where he specialized in audio titles for Legacy artists. While working with Quincy Jones and Solomon Burke Amos helped produce some Grammy nominated recordings.

Amos’ estranged mother was a nightclub singer who committed suicide in 2003. In 2005 Amos conceived, wrote and produced a tribute album “Thank You Shirl-ee May”. Amos became an ordained minister in The Universal Life Church and released his first album as a blues preacher in 2014. He achieved national attention the following year with “The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You”.

Amos calls his band The Brotherhood and included are Chris “Doctor” Roberts, guitar; Keyboardist Dapo Torimiro; bassist Jerry “Wyzard ” Seay; and drummer Steve Farrone. All the vocals and harmonica are from Amos. Amos has also written or co-written all of the songs except one.

The album opens with “Revelation” and the lyric “I’ve been away such a long time”. On “Stone Cold Love” Amos sings “let’s talk about love”. The centerpiece of the album however is an intense ballad called “What It Is To Be Black” complete with background singers.

The only song not co-written by Amos is a song written by Sylvester Stewart and performed by Sly & The Family Stone called “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey. Other highlights include “Back To The Beginning”; “Circles” with the lyric “why do I feel so lonely” and “Hammer”.

This new and infectious album is the latest from the soul blues minister The Reverend Shawn Amos.

Richard Ludmerer