“Best soul band on the planet? Best band on the planet? I need to tell the world about them. Specifically some editor ... but after that the world … (Also is the lead backing vocalist single, I may be in love).”
– David Hutcheon, MOJO
ANNIE & THE CALDWELLS are a family that plays a powerful disco soul from West Point, Mississippi, led by Annie Caldwell (who sings) and her husband of the last fifty years Willie Joe Caldwell, Sr. (who plays guitar).
Annie Caldwells says, “My family is my band”: she is backed by their daughters Deborah Caldwell Moore and Anjessica Caldwell and goddaughter Toni Rivers; their eldest son Willie Jr. Caldwell is on the bass and youngest son Abel Aquirius Caldwell is on the drums.
They generally play on weekends, so for their day jobs Willie Jr. drives a forklift, Abel Aquirius drives hospital patients, Anjessica works in customer care for an insurance company, Toni is an elementary school teacher, and Deborah does hair. Annie runs a clothing store on Main Street called Caldwell Fashions, which has been a beloved staple for women dressing for COGIC (Church Of God In Christ) convocations and anniversaries since the 1980s. Caldwell Fashions is still open five days a week, and by appointment (we suggest you stop by).
– David Hutcheon, MOJO
ANNIE & THE CALDWELLS are a family that plays a powerful disco soul from West Point, Mississippi, led by Annie Caldwell (who sings) and her husband of the last fifty years Willie Joe Caldwell, Sr. (who plays guitar).
Annie Caldwells says, “My family is my band”: she is backed by their daughters Deborah Caldwell Moore and Anjessica Caldwell and goddaughter Toni Rivers; their eldest son Willie Jr. Caldwell is on the bass and youngest son Abel Aquirius Caldwell is on the drums.
They generally play on weekends, so for their day jobs Willie Jr. drives a forklift, Abel Aquirius drives hospital patients, Anjessica works in customer care for an insurance company, Toni is an elementary school teacher, and Deborah does hair. Annie runs a clothing store on Main Street called Caldwell Fashions, which has been a beloved staple for women dressing for COGIC (Church Of God In Christ) convocations and anniversaries since the 1980s. Caldwell Fashions is still open five days a week, and by appointment (we suggest you stop by).
credits
releases March 21, 2025
Annie Brown Caldwell – vocals
Deborah Caldwell Moore – featured vocals
Anjessica Caldwell – backing vocals
Toni Rivers – backing vocals
Hikemia Moore – backing vocals on “Wrong”
Willie Caldwell, Sr. – guitar
Willie Caldwell, Jr. – bass
Abel Aquirius Caldwell – drums
Parker James - Congas
Gerald Jenkins - Hammond B3
This record was lovingly recorded as a family at The Message Center in West Point, Mississippi, October 2023.
Produced by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab
Engineered by Albert Di Fiore
Mastered and lacquer cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman
Executive Produced by Yale Evelev and Eric Welles-Nyström
Liner Notes by Danielle Amir Jackson
Eliza Grace Martin was right here (the whole time)
Designed by Chris Hopkins of Lost Art
Props to Adam Wissing and Jacques Lang, who spent every day of our recording session with cameras on their shoulders, and to Kevin Tran, Savannah Weymouth, and Paul Tyree-Francis for wading through hours and hours of footage to make beautiful videos.
Cover photo by Jomo Fray from the film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt by Raven Jackson, courtesy of A24 Films LLC.
Thanks to everyone in the Caldwell family for trusting us with this record. Thanks especially to Hikemia Moore, Deborah’s daughter, for contributing backing vocals for her mom and for making us laugh; thanks to Hikemia’s own daughters Ariel and Asia for being a joy; thanks to Deborah’s other daughter Dee Dee and Dee Dee’s daughter Trinity for smiling for the camera; and thanks to Mason Rivers, Toni’s son, for joining us during the session. Thanks to Raven Jackson for her film, which inspired our cover; thanks to Paul Diddy for his love behind the scenes; thanks to Elliot Russell and Lydia Somani for transcribing the lyrics, among many other things; thanks to Christian Georgiadis of Bacana for sending the band to Europe; and a very special thanks to Jayme Evans for overseeing all of Ms. Annie’s interviews from the History Room of the Bryan Public Library of West Point.
A most heartfelt thanks to Pastor Elder Orlando C. Pannell of The Message Center, who graciously let us record this album in his house of worship; and thanks to Willie Joe Caldwell, Sr., whose own father was once the deacon of The Message Center, and who opened the door every morning and closed it every night.
We ate at the Tin Lizzie Café, Pantry 45 and Waffle House every day. Every night, we celebrated our session at Soprano’s Cafe and Billiards with a round of pool and beers. Shout out to West Point, MS.
By the way, Albert Di Fiore constructed an engineering rig that was mobile and drove it all the way from Nashville, TN, to West Point, MS. If you need a remote rig like this to record on location, he’s your guy.
(And if your last name is Jackson, please get in touch).
Annie Brown Caldwell – vocals
Deborah Caldwell Moore – featured vocals
Anjessica Caldwell – backing vocals
Toni Rivers – backing vocals
Hikemia Moore – backing vocals on “Wrong”
Willie Caldwell, Sr. – guitar
Willie Caldwell, Jr. – bass
Abel Aquirius Caldwell – drums
Parker James - Congas
Gerald Jenkins - Hammond B3
This record was lovingly recorded as a family at The Message Center in West Point, Mississippi, October 2023.
Produced by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab
Engineered by Albert Di Fiore
Mastered and lacquer cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman
Executive Produced by Yale Evelev and Eric Welles-Nyström
Liner Notes by Danielle Amir Jackson
Eliza Grace Martin was right here (the whole time)
Designed by Chris Hopkins of Lost Art
Props to Adam Wissing and Jacques Lang, who spent every day of our recording session with cameras on their shoulders, and to Kevin Tran, Savannah Weymouth, and Paul Tyree-Francis for wading through hours and hours of footage to make beautiful videos.
Cover photo by Jomo Fray from the film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt by Raven Jackson, courtesy of A24 Films LLC.
Thanks to everyone in the Caldwell family for trusting us with this record. Thanks especially to Hikemia Moore, Deborah’s daughter, for contributing backing vocals for her mom and for making us laugh; thanks to Hikemia’s own daughters Ariel and Asia for being a joy; thanks to Deborah’s other daughter Dee Dee and Dee Dee’s daughter Trinity for smiling for the camera; and thanks to Mason Rivers, Toni’s son, for joining us during the session. Thanks to Raven Jackson for her film, which inspired our cover; thanks to Paul Diddy for his love behind the scenes; thanks to Elliot Russell and Lydia Somani for transcribing the lyrics, among many other things; thanks to Christian Georgiadis of Bacana for sending the band to Europe; and a very special thanks to Jayme Evans for overseeing all of Ms. Annie’s interviews from the History Room of the Bryan Public Library of West Point.
A most heartfelt thanks to Pastor Elder Orlando C. Pannell of The Message Center, who graciously let us record this album in his house of worship; and thanks to Willie Joe Caldwell, Sr., whose own father was once the deacon of The Message Center, and who opened the door every morning and closed it every night.
We ate at the Tin Lizzie Café, Pantry 45 and Waffle House every day. Every night, we celebrated our session at Soprano’s Cafe and Billiards with a round of pool and beers. Shout out to West Point, MS.
By the way, Albert Di Fiore constructed an engineering rig that was mobile and drove it all the way from Nashville, TN, to West Point, MS. If you need a remote rig like this to record on location, he’s your guy.
(And if your last name is Jackson, please get in touch).