Since departing the Imperials, Russ Taff has maintained vital connections to gospel music, while creating a catalog of truly personal statements spanning pop, country and rock.
   On his debut for Benson, Taff and long-time co-producer James Hollihan Jr. have delivered honest pop sensibilities, making room for a few old-style Pentecostal shouters and a double helping of richly orchestrated music to close the disc. Wisely, the emphasis stays on Taff's robust, spirited vocals, drawing equal parts from his Southern quartet and a funky soulfulness that suggests a debt to the African-American tradition.

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