Mavis Staples, “We Get By”. While Mavis is nearing 80 years old, you wouldn’t know it, slowing down isn’t her style. Hearing this record for some reason immediately made me think of summer and being outside. Her legendary soulful voice, that guitar, those drums. Ben Harper wrote her a song, she asked for another song, he said why don’t I write you 11 songs, let’s do an album... they did, he produced it... and it’s amazing. Perhaps the reason this album reminds me so much of summer is that much of this album sorta has a live sound to it. The record almost sounds like it could be from the 60’s. On the cover is the 1956 Gordon Parks photo, “Outside Looking In, Mobile, Alabama” which captures six African-American children looking into a whites-only park through a chain-link fence. Mavis chose the photo because that reminded her of her and her sisters and all the places they couldn’t go either... the beach, the park, somewhere simply with grass. They had to settle for a vacant dirt lot. Today’s times remind Mavis of the struggles of the 60’s and this album is about the strength and perseverance to overcome such times. Mavis is literally singing for change, she always has been.