Classic African American Ballads from Smithsonian Folkways

by SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS: CLASSIC A

Overview

This marvelous set from Smithsonian Folkways includes samples of the various trace sources that eventually crystallized into what became known as gospel in the 19th century, including an assortment of spirituals, choir performances, shout bands, vocal quartets, and guitar preachers, emerging as both a history lesson and as an expressive and even at times explosive listening experience. There's so much to be amazed at here, like Horace Sprott's moving version of "Jesus Going to Make My Dying Bed," the spry, infectious rendition of "You Got to Move" by the Two Gospel Keys (Emma Daniels and Mother Sally Jones), Dock Reed's dark, expressive, and unaccompanied vocal on "Low Down Death Right Easy" and Mary Pickney's perfectly poised voice on the "moaning" spiritual "Been in the Storm So Long." Somehow both varied and unified at once, this collection is essentially a sampler for the vast gospel offerings in the Smithsonian Folkways archives, and each selection leads off to another album the label offers, a clear benefit in this case. Although the term gospel is often applied to all religious music, gospel proper emerged early in the 19th century as a clear attempt to fuse spirituals and church music with the rhythms, arrangements, and approach of pop music in order to reach a larger audience while still retaining the intimacy and power of its musical roots. Gospel, of course, then begat modern soul, and by extension, the whole world of urban dance music, so the roots presented here are in part responsible for a much larger tree than just modern gospel. It's a fascinating world to explore, and this Smithsonian Folkways sampler is the perfect place to start. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	01/29/2008
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074019429
Rank:	60250

Tracks

1. Jesus Going to Make Up My Dying Bed  - Horace Sprott
2. Oh Lord, I'm So Glad I Got Good Religion  -  Starlight Gospel Singers
3. Thank You, Lord  -  Dockett  -  Blessed
4. When I Was Sinkin' Down  -  Fisk University Jubilee Singers
5. Just Got Over at Last  - Little Brother Montgomery
6. Moses Smote the Water  -  Thrasher Wonders
7. Soon, One Mornin'  -  Gresham
8. Dry Bones: Ezekiel Saw the Wheel  -  Missionary Quartet
9. Holy Ghost  -  Johnson
10. Where Could I Go  - Ernestine Washington  - Bunk Johnson
11. Oh, What a Beautiful City  - Sonny Terry
12. You've Got to Move  -  Two Gospel Keys
13. Let the Church Say Amen  - Elder Charles D. Beck
14. I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say  -  Bowen
15. If I Had My Way  - Gary Davis
16. Low Down Death Right Easy  - Dock Reed
17. He's My Rock  - John Sellers
18. Hallelujah, It Is Done  - Elizabeth Cotten
19. We Praise Your Holy Name  -  Mississippi Mass Choir
20. Don't Let His Name Go Down  -  First Independent Holy Church of God and Unity
21. Go Tell It on the Mountain  - Fannie Lou Hamer
22. Been in the Storm So Long  -  Pinckney
23. Everytime I Feel the Spirit/Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/They Hung Him on the Cross  -  Lead Belly
24. It's Time to Make a Change  -  Madison's Lively Stones

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bunk Johnson   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Blessed   Primary Artist
Alvin Dockett   Primary Artist
Convicts Of The Ramsey & Retrieve State Farms, TX   Primary Artist
Two Gospel Keys   Primary Artist
Elizabeth Cotten   Primary Artist,Banjo,Vocals
Fannie Lou Hamer   Primary Artist
Starlight Gospel Singers   Primary Artist
The Missionary Quartet   Primary Artist
First Independent Holy Church of God and Unity   Primary Artist
Rev. Willie Gresham   Primary Artist
Brother John Sellers   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Thrasher Wonders   Primary Artist
Little Brother Montgomery   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Madison's Lively Stones   Primary Artist
Lead Belly   Primary Artist,Guitar (12 String),Guitar,Vocals,Accordion
Sonny Terry   Primary Artist,Vocals,Harmonica
Ernestine Washington   Primary Artist
Juanita Johnson & The Gospel Tones   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dock Reed   Primary Artist,Vocals
Horace Sprott   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Mississippi Mass Choir   Primary Artist
Rev. Gary Davis   Primary Artist
Earl Taylor & The Stony Mountain Boys   Primary Artist
Elder Charles D. Beck   Primary Artist
Fisk University Jubilee Singers   Primary Artist
Willie Dixon   Primary Artist,Bass
Josh White, Jr.   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Big Bill Broonzy   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Snooks Eaglin   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Warner Williams   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Dave Van Ronk   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Woody Guthrie   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Josh White   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Memphis Slim   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Vocals
K.C. Douglas   Primary Artist,Vocals
Pink Anderson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
John Jackson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
The Stoney Mountain Boys   Primary Artist
John Cephas   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Brownie McGhee   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Earl Taylor   Primary Artist,Vocals,Mandolin
Bishop Bowen & the Combined Gospel Choirs   Primary Artist
Mary Pinckney   Primary Artist
Phil Wiggins   Primary Artist,Harmonica
Arbee Stidham   Primary Artist,Guitar
Jazz Gillum   Primary Artist,Vocals,Harmonica
Joseph "Slow Drag" Pauageau   String Bass
Lloyd Trotman   Bass
Jim Robinson   Trombone
George Lewis   Clarinet
Sam Porky Hutchins   Vocals,Guitar
Mother Sally Jones   Vocals,Tambourine
Annie L. Fitts   Vocals
Brother Dathan Williams   Vocals
Davina Wright   Drums
Gerhart Thrasher   Vocals
Laurence Marrero   Banjo
Gene Moore   Drums
Mark Jonathan Davis   Bass
Nathaniel Benson   Bass (Vocal)
Andrew Thrasher   Vocals
Huddie Ledbetter   Guitar,Vocals
Baby Dodds   Drums
Panama Francis   Drums
Alton Purnell   Piano
Mary Pickney   Vocals
Prof. Herman Stevens   Piano
Walter Hensley   Banjo,Vocals
Sister Jennie Jackson   Vocals
Elma Sawyer   Vocals
Emma Daniels   Guitar,Vocals
Vernon "Boatwhistle" McIntyre   Bass

Technical Credits

Russ Lee   Cover Photo
Russell Lee   Cover Photo,Photography
Jeff Place   Archivist,Editorial Assistant
Richard James Burgess   Marketing,Marketing Coordinator
Toby Dodds   Management
Mary Monseur   Production Coordination
Carla Borden   Editing,Editorial Assistant
Marion Post Wolcott   Photography
John Collier   Photography
Walter Brown McGhee   Arranger
Joe Parisi   Design
Barry Lee Pearson   Annotation,Producer
Daniel Sheehy   Production Supervisor
Mark Gustafson   Marketing,Promotions Director
Stephanie Smith   Archivist
Joe Stolarick   Restoration
Eddie Newton   Composer
John Jackson   Arranger
Amy Schriefer   Program Assistant
Helen Lindsay   Public Relations
Jack Delano   Photography
Pete Reiniger   Restoration,Sound Supervision,Mastering
Huddie Ledbetter   Arranger
Peter Chatman   Arranger
William Lee Conley Broonzy   Arranger
Ronnie Simpkins   Audio Supervisor
Gordon Parks   Photography
Dan Sheehy   Production Supervisor
D.A. Sonneborn   Production Supervisor
Kip Lornell   Annotation,Liner Notes,Introduction
Cisco Houston   Arranger
Warner Williams   Arranger
Woody Guthrie   Arranger
Brother John Sellers   Composer
Kristine King   Production Assistant
Juanita Johnson & The Gospel Tones   Instrumentation
Jacob Love   Editorial Assistant