I publish my songs under the 'Sweet Soul Music' imprint as it represents the music I aim to produce - music that inspires at soul level. All my songs are viewable on my youtube channel by clicking the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/@iandeal9114

Should you care to visit the channel please consider subscribing and should you listen to any of the tracks there please listen to them until the end as it helps the algorithm that promotes my songs.

The following albums are now available on CD and 12' Vinyl and can be purchased from the following link:

https://elasticstage.com/elasticstagecomsweetsoulmusic

Both feature 8 songs which are part of a project beginning with the album titled 'Higher Ground' and concluding with the title 'Hallowed Ground.

Higher Ground: The Journey from Shadows to the Light

Welcome to Higher Ground, a collection of soul and blues that mirrors the long, winding path of the human spirit. This isn't just an album of eight songs; it’s a narrative arc that moves from the heavy, stagnant air of isolation into a atmosphere of pure, unfiltered redemption. It is the sound of walking through the fire and coming out on the other side with a heart that beats once again.

The journey begins in the quiet, bruised hours of the "Midnight Morning Blues." Here, the needle finds us in a "room that’s chasing shadows" where the "atmosphere is stale" and the coffee on the bedside table has long since grown cold. It’s the grit of the blues at its most visceral—the feeling of being "a stranger who’s worn out" and chasing "a ghost I cannot hold." This sense of solitude deepens with "Lonely Words," where silent thoughts "fill the air" and the "clock is ticking like a hammer," beating out the rhythm of time we’ve lost.

But as the groove deepens, the record begins to breathe. We move from the wreckage of the past to the intentionality of the future. In "I’ll Build You A Garden," the narrative shifts from loss to legacy. We aren't just mourning; we are "building a temple to hold the soul," laying "stones to mark the miles" where the "dew of dawn can wash the heartaches from the smiles." It’s the realization that love is an active, living force—a "ladder for the spirit" that helps us find where the "shadows melt away."

The mid-point of the album finds us navigating the elemental forces of "Love Like A River." We admit when the current is "running dry," but we refuse to stay in the desert. We reach for the shoreline, seeking that "first drop of rain" to wash away the years of pain. By the time the soulful "I Need You" arrives, the desperation of the early tracks has transformed into a profound, spiritual necessity. No longer "drifting like a bottle on a lonely, restless sea," we find our "guiding light in the darkest night."

As we approach the finale, the complexity of heartache gives way to the power of simplicity. We move past "broken rhythms and twisted rhymes" to the "plain and simple" truth of "Three Little Words." We find the security of knowing that "Everything’s Alright" because, even when the sun doesn't shine, we feel the warmth of a love that is "guaranteed."

The journey reaches its peak with the title anthem, "Higher Ground." This is the moment of ultimate ascension. It’s a vow to "keep on reaching up" and to "overcome the pain." The "empty cup" we started with at the beginning of the record is finally filled "with all the good that can be found." It is a soulful, triumphant reminder that "in the darkness of the night, a new dawn will come and shine its light."

From the first blue note to the final, soaring "I will ascend," Higher Ground is an invitation to leave the lowlands behind, lay your burdens to rest, and find your way back to the light.

This image features on the 10 page CD booklet and the vinyl insert.

Hallowed Ground: The Journey from Shadows to the Light

If the first chapter of this journey, the album titled ‘Higher Ground' we explored the "bruised hours" of isolation moving toward the light. In this sequel titled 'Hallowed Ground,’ the sound of a spirit finally stands on the summit and looks back with eyes of grace.

This concluding 8-track narrative moves the focus from the internal struggle of the self to the external beauty of legacy, family, and the divine miracle of the world we call home.

The journey begins not with a solitary blues, but with a celebration of blood and bond. In "Sister – Oh Sister!" and "Father – Oh Father," the album grounds itself in the soil of heritage. These are not just songs; they are monuments to the people who "shaped the clay" of the authors life and serve as a testament to the people in our lives.

We move from the personal to the playful with "Sydney Darling – Billie Dear," a tender reminder that even on a spiritual quest, there is room for the simple, bright joys of the heart.

As the record deepens, the search for direction takes on a more spiritual tone tone. In "Find The Way" and the soaring "Walk On Water," we move past the "broken rhythms" of the past and begin to trust in the impossible. We transition from seeking a path to becoming a beacon for others.

The emotional heart of the album arrives with "Hand in Hand," a masterwork of reflection that traces the "map lines" of a lifetime spent in devotion. It is the ultimate testament to human love—a "steady rhythm in the chest" that persists even as the "shadows lengthen on the grass."

But the ascension does not stop at the human level. In "Earthchild," the narrative expands to the cosmic, questioning why we reach for the "dusty crowns" of distant stars when we already stand on "holy ground." It is a cinematic, soulful plea to recognize the "Divine view" right in front of us.

Finally, the project reaches its ultimate resolution with "One Set Of Footprints." If the first album ended with a vow to "keep on reaching up," this album ends with the peace of knowing we have been carried all along. The journey that began in the "Midnight Morning Blues" finds its final rest in a place where the "shadows melt away" for good.

Hallowed Ground is the completion of the circle—a soulful homecoming that proves that when you finally reach the light, you realize you were never walking alone.