The magic of Bob Hemphill and the Commanders’ “Everybody Will Be Happy” is its sheer commitment to simplicity and good cheer. The peaceful stillness of the record is reflected in its packaging: an overtly non-descript cover, invoking a calm blue sky and a soaring white dove.

A sharp departure from the black traditional gospel and soul-infused message music of Gospel Truth’s catalog, the Commanders’ 1972 release “Walk With Me” promises a very different type of “Old-Time Religion.” This quintet of white voices raised their joyful noise from the rolling hills of Birmingham, Alabama, a state mired by the imagery of fire hoses, police attack dogs and race-related unrest, as the wounds of the Civil Rights Era only recently began the process of healing.