The veteran T. Bone Burnett was tapped to generate the soundtrack to the 2004 remake of the comedic, dramatic film, The LadyKillers (starring Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall and Marlon Wayans).

And oh what a job he turns in.

Using his experience to the fullest (O Brother Where Art Thou, Cold Mountain soundtracks), Burnett assembles an intriguing mix of archival Gospel and hip hop sensibilities to create the innovative soundtrack, making it both a craftsman's piece and joy to listen to. Of course, the music also serves to set up an incomparable atmosphere for the Southern-set environment of the movie (nearly all the material was used in the film), but also makes for a fascinating combo of music that truly can stand on its own.

What makes the set so innovative is the combination of the ingenuity of pioneers such as The Soul Stirrers and Bill Landford & The Landfordaires with respected hip hop artists Nappy Roots along with the work of today's Gospel names, including Donnie McClurkin, Kristle Murden and Ricky Grundy.

The approach that Burnett takes in unifying this set is encapsulated in the album's opening two songs.

"Come, Let Us Go Back To God" is sung by The Soul Stirrers, the performance of the Thomas Dorsey song pulled directly from their early 1950's recordings (as found on Specialty Records / Fantasy reissue sets).

Then to take it up to today, Nappy Roots hip hop-icizes it, using the original song's various lyrical elements to create "Trouble Of This World (Coming Home)", featuring ad-lib chorus vocals from the trio of Rose, Freddie and Lisa Stone (siblings and niece, respectively, of Sly Stone). Devoid of sampling (in case that's what you were thinking), the song is wholly original in its musicality, but is neatly tied to the derivitive cut by way of lyrical and melodic motifs.

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The same concept is used elsewhere on the album, notably on the back-to-back combo of Blind Willie Johnson's masterful "Let Your Light Shine On Me" (from Columbia Records' archives) and "Let The Light From The Lighthouse Shine On Me" from The Venice Four with Rose Stone and The Abbot Kinney Lighthouse Choir. The choir song (choir lead by Rickey Grundy) is a soulful, uptempo rouser.

Donnie McClurkin is on this album, but only those highly tuned to his voice might detect it, as the chart-topping artist delivers an astounding quartet-drive version of "Come, Let Us Go Back To God" (yes, another take on this classic), accompanied by T-Bone Burnett on guitar, Bill Maxwell on drums and several of The McClurkin Family with supporting vocals. So Donnie McClurkin does quartet —who knew?

McClurkin also contributes "You Can't Hurry God", (but not the same version he sings with NY Restoration Choir on the Center Of His Will album). On this take, Tony Garnier's thumping bass and Billy Preston's organ finesse swirls underneath McClurkin's spirited vocals.

Other archival cuts on the disc are prominent. There's more songs from original The Soul Stirrers include "Any Day Now" and "Jesus I'll Never Forget", both featuring the incomparable Sam Cooke on lead. And then there's "Weeping Mary" from The Rosewell Sacred Harp Quartet, in the famed shape-note style, and "A Christian's Plea" from Claude Jeter and the Swan Silvertones.

Both Little Brother and Nappy Roots then proceed to sample "A Christian's Plea" on hiphop cuts "Sinners" and "Another Day, Another Dollar" respectively. Both of these songs, while derivative of the Gospel classic, do not truly belong in the genre.

The album ends with two originals from the Abbot Kenney Lighthouse Choir. "Let The Light From The Lighthouse Shine On Me" brings in Rose Stone to handle traditional lead, and "Yes" (re-arranged by Jerry Peters, Bill Maxwell and Burnett) features the voice of Kristle Murden.