Description:
We all think we know about gospel music, which is one reason why Dan Rosenberg's superb compilation should be welcomed. As his sleeve note to The Rough Guide to Gospel points out, the word itself was coined as a way of distancing this music from the "anthems", "jubilees" and "spirituals" of America's slavery era, though nothing could be more spiritual than the Staple Singers. The father of this Mississippi family was a guitarist who decided to turn his children Cleontha, Mavis, Pervis and Yvonne into church performers, and their slow, ecstatic sound took them straight to the bosom of Martin Luther K
We all think we know about gospel music, which is one reason why Dan Rosenberg's superb compilation should be welcomed. As his sleeve note to The Rough Guide to Gospel points out, the word itself was coined as a way of distancing this music from the "anthems", "jubilees" and "spirituals" of America's slavery era, though nothing could be more spiritual than the Staple Singers. The father of this Mississippi family was a guitarist who decided to turn his children Cleontha, Mavis, Pervis and Yvonne into church performers, and their slow, ecstatic sound took them straight to the bosom of Martin Luther King's civil rights movement. Indeed, it's striking how many of the groups on this CD were part of that movement, and how many of them sang together, despite being stars in their own right. The track by the Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama, so named to distinguish themselves from their friendly rivals the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, is outstanding; their freewheelingly easy beat gets infectiously under the skin. Only one of these tracks feels run-of-the-mill, while several will be real ear-openers to those who have not yet heard the magical voices of Bessie Griffin and Mahalia Jackson. The strangest and most lovely track is by a civil rights group called Sweet Honey in the Rock, whose sound is literally unique. --Michael Church
... (more)
(less)
Manufacturer: World Music Network
Release date: 30 September 2002
Number of discs: 1
EAN: 0605633109023 UPC: 605633109023
My tags:
Add tags
Login
