If the title promises a party, The Reverend Shawn Amos delivers. 'Dance Party!' is a joyous, high-energy celebration of blues, soul and classic rhythm & blues, drawing on the spirit of the 1960s Chitlin’ Circuit while sounding anything but stuck in the past.
Amos kicks things off in style, putting his distinctive harmonica front and centre on spirited takes of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ ‘Going To A Go-Go’ and Sam Cooke’s ‘Twistin’ The Night Away’. Original track ‘(Do The) Shim Sham’, co-written with Dapo Torimiro, keeps the momentum high, lifted by the rich harmonies of The Sisters of Joy.
The musicianship throughout is first-rate, with a tight Nashville rhythm section, punchy horn arrangements and production that keeps the vintage feel fresh and vibrant. This is roots music played with plenty of soul — polished, but never overworked.
There’s also a deeply personal thread running through the album. Closing track ‘Little Sally Water’, a previously unreleased 1962 recording by Amos’s mother, Shirley May, adds genuine emotional weight and connects the party atmosphere to a remarkable family musical legacy.
Created alongside Amos’s forthcoming novel ‘Franklin & The Fabulous Five, Dance Party!’ is more than a nostalgia trip. It’s a lively reminder that great rhythm & blues is timeless — and that sometimes the best way to honour the past is simply to get people dancing.