Blind Boys of Alabama still singing after all these years

On June 10, 1944, a group of young gospel singers from the Alabama Institute for the Blind gave their first professional performance. Seven decades later, the Blind Boys of Alabama are still inspiring audiences.

The latest release from these multiple Grammy Award winners, "Talkin' Christmas!," is a collaboration with blues great Taj Mahal, and it's one of the warmest, rootsiest holiday albums you're likely to hear.

In advance of their show at the Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington on Saturday, we spoke with Jimmy Carter, 82, the one remaining group member who's been a Blind Boy since the start.

Most of the songs on "Talkin' Christmas!" are new compositions. Was that always part of the concept?

Yes, it was. We've got so many old Christmas songs, but why don't we see what some new material could do? So everybody put their writing caps on. We're trying to help bring Christmas back to the way it used to be. It's become so commercial now, and I hate that.

How did the idea for the new album arise?

It came from our producer [Chris Goldsmith]. I'm trying to think of a word to describe him -- well, he's just a good producer! He knew that we'd been on shows with Taj Mahal before. Taj loved the idea of working together, and so did we, and I think you can hear that we got along good in the studio.

Over the past 20 years or so, you've collaborated with many artists from many different genres. Any favorites?

The first collaboration with Ben Harper [on 2003's "Higher Ground"] sticks out in my mind. It was so family-like. We'd only meant to do two or three songs with him and we ended up doing a whole album [2004's "There Will Be a Light"].

You teamed up with a famous son of Long Island, the late Lou Reed, on the "Duets" album, and appeared with him five years ago on "Late Show With David Letterman." What was that experience like?

Oh, it was great to know Lou. He originally came to us and asked us about doing something together. He was a gentleman, so easy to work with -- he really let us have our way with his song ["Jesus"]-- and we became personal friends. You know, some folks don't understand that, even though we work with a lot of people who do other types of music, they all love gospel, and so we come together on common ground.

In the '60s and '70s, you went through a few lean years as gospel lost some of its popularity. What turned things around for you?

Performing in "The Gospel at Colonus" [in 1983]. That particular show went to Broadway and was broadcast on PBS, and it exposed us to every kind of person, every kind of music, every kind of culture. Yeah, that was the turning point for the Blind Boys.

You've been part of this group for 70 years. You must feel some pride in doing something so positive so well for so long.

I am proud, yes. But more than that, I'm thankful. I'm not perfect, I'm a Christian, and I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to do this work.

Is there anything left that you haven't done and would still like to do if granted the time?

There is. I'm looking for a sponsor to take us to Vegas or Branson, Missouri, or somewhere -- anywhere -- that we can set up in one place and sing a few nights a week for three or four months. Playing all these one-nighters gets to you, especially when you've done them as long as I have. I'm not saying I'm old, I've just been around a long time.

WHEN | WHERE Saturday at 8 p.m., Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington

TICKETS $47-$52

INFO 516-767-6444, nwsdy.li/landmark