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"
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
offerings in the
archives, and each selection leads off to another album the label offers, a clear benefit in this case. Although the term
is often applied to all religious music,
proper emerged early in the 19th century as a clear attempt to fuse
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
. It's a fascinating world to explore, and this
sampler is the perfect place to start. ~ Steve Leggett