Jesus was black: Gospel Music Mixtape

Being raised in a home where hymns were sung regularly, often with great gusto, I have always had a very large spot reserved in my heart for gospel music.  Even though my understanding of the Unseen has shifted a world in the intervening years I still find tremendous solace and delight in the devotional music of African America.

The Washerman’s Dog tonight presents an Alternative Hymnal of thirty (count them) sensational shards of holy rolling by some of the most sanctified singing and shouting, guitar wielding preachers, elders, reverends, brothers and sisters in the US of A.

Hallelujah and pass the lozenges!

            Track Listing:

01 Lord You're So Good [Rev. Charlie Jackson from Mississippi opens with a slow soul gospel meditation.]

02 King Jesus Will Roll the Clouds Away [The Harmonizing Four were big after WWII and included the father of acid-jazz Hammond hipster, Lonnie Liston Smith.]

03 My God Is A Mighty Man [The Southern Sons grasp the bull by the horns and let us know God is no wuss]

04 Will The Circle Be Unbroken [The Holmes Brothers are three black men and one white ‘brother’. Mixing the pedal steel with gospel shouting they deliver an upbeat version of this classic hillbilly hymn]

05 Blessed Quietness [Pastor T. L Barrett and his choir sang in Chicago in the 70’s but on this beautiful instrumental you’ll have to take it on faith]

06 My Robe Will Fit Me [The Original Blind Boys of Mississippi.are often mistaken for the Blind Boys of Alabama. Less shouting and more harmony make this group a personal favorite]

07 I Won't Go Back [The Wright Specials were part of Motown stable and brought a strong blues and R&B feel to this spiritual.]

08 Since I Met Jesus [The Caravans were one of the great American gospel groups featuring such singers as Shirley Caesar and Albertina Walker. This is from 1955]

09 Are You Sure [The Staple Singers, America’s favorite gospel family do their thing.]

10 When I Get Home [The Chosen Gospel Singers best remembered for their most famous member, Lou Rawls, rock out]

11 Amazing Grace [Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers were the top of the gospel class as long as the golden voice Sam Cooke was in charge. Here singing probably the best known of all hymns.]

12 Jesus [Echoes of Zion of Atlanta, Georgia give us the straight talk on the Man]

13 I Don't Have To Worry [The Spiritual Five assure us we don’t have to stress about a thing]

14 Living For My Jesus [Ollie Nightingale sang gospel and soul in and around Memphis in the late 50’s and 60’s and 70’s]

15 Farther Along [Black Ace was a Texas bluesman who here accompanies himself on the six string as he plays it straight on an old American hymn]

16 Praise Music [Aubrey Ghent is a proponent of sacred steel and here steals the show with rousing searing electric worthy of ZZ Top or Jimi Hendrix]

17 Drop Your Net [Rev. Robert Ballinger goes fishing for disciples in typical Chicago gospel style.]

18 Don't Drive Your Mama Away [Shirley Caesar ex Caravaner and Grand Diva of Gospel tells the story of how not to treat with your mother as a sanctified congregation egg her on.]

19 Lord, Help the Poor and Needy [Jesse Mae Hemphill from the hills of northern Mississippi keeps on eye on the less fortunate]

20 Precious Lord [Boyd Rivers strums his way through a classic hymn in a laid back country blues style]

21 City of Gold [The Dixie Hummingbirds have served in the vineyards of the Lord for almost longer than any other group and remind us of where they are headed]

22 Just A Closer Walk With Thee [Wynton Marsalis, Eric Clapton and Taj Mahal together on one stage each take turns lighting up this old favorite]

23 Rock In A Weary Land [The Southern Sons encore with a hard doo wop number with the emphasis on ‘rock’]

24 Who Art Thou [Echoes of Zion ask the ultimate question in beautiful harmony]

25 Out On The Rolling Sea [Fredrick McQueen, Shelton Swain and George McKenzie remind us of the peace available when the seas of life get rough]

26 There's A Light [Shirley Ann Lee hails from Toledo, Ohio and demonstrates why sweet soul music is really the younger sibling of gospel]

27 Rock and Roll Sermon, Pt. 1 & 2 [Elder Charles D. Beck, for his part, points out in his growling sermon that rock n’ roll is really the Devil’s music]

28 Eagle Stirreth Her Nest (Closing Section) [Rev. C.L. Franklin, father of Aretha, gives us some down home,  spine tingling holy roller preaching]

29 Bread of Heaven [Angelic Gospel Singers were a pioneering ladies quartet that sang around a piano. The heavenly bread, they tell us, is far superior to that baked in the oven]

30 How I Got Over [Aretha Franklin delivers a rousing closer and proves she is a huge chip off the old block]

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