My prayers go out this morning to the family, and the friends of Les Muscutt, banjo and guitar master and former member of the Preservation Hall Band. Les passed away at home early Friday morning. His quick, dry wit will be sorely missed by those of us lucky enough to regularly while away our morning coffee hours with him. (this was 2 years ago now)This comes complete with full scans of the 20 page booklet from Opal Louis Nations.
21 comments:
This is great... gonna throw it on right now while I work on the comp!!! Actually KC, I am not going to post today in lieu of this great offering. I see no reason to rush and would rather give the people a chance to really absorb each weeks album. If you're really feelin the spirit, you could post Vol. 2??? Love ya Daddy!!
Wow!! This is amazing - so amazing. Exactly what i love from her. And big thanks for the scans KC. The sound quality is fantastic...
"I'm Going To Tell God"... wow. Just sublime. I wonder how many foolish soul fans will pass on this?
Every time I listen to Mahalia Jackson several things cross my mind. First, prior to the posts in this blog, I had none of her music because I am neither religious nor was I especially keen about gospel music. Through this blog, I have come to recognized the talent and power of many gospel singers and now focus on them practicing their craft rather than the overtly religious lyrics in their songs. When I read and listen to every Sunday's post, I think of my late friend's late mother who was agoraphobic and profoundly religious. She would blare her gospel music from her bedroom throughout the house whenever I visited my friend and the beat and rhythms of the music were captivating. I imagine listening took her places beyond those which she physically could not see because of her fears.
I also think of a young kid in Belfast named George Ivan Morrison listening to U. S. music on the shortwave. Years later he would sing in his song "Summertime In England," "And the gospel music The voice of Mahalia Jackson came through the ether." That image of him as a youth mesmerized by the sound of her majestic voice which seemed to appear out of the air to emanate from all around him resounds every time I listen to Mahalia Jackson's recordings. I know exactly what he means because as a young boy I would watch her sing at protests and marches on television and be awestruck by power she conveyed through every song she sang. I could see her affect on the crowds and found her riveting and awesome in the true sense of the word.
I would hope that those who are religious can understand why those of us who aren't might find gospel lyrics too didactic for our taste and choose to find enjoyment through music from other genres. Similarly, I hope that those of us who aren't religious might recognize that the faith that infuses gospel music is sincere and genuine, and inspires the music.
I know many devout Jamaicans who pass on a great deal of fine reggae because of the Rastafarian message in the lyrics of so many songs. I tend to think that those who cannot appreciate the beauty of otherwise great music because of didactic religious lyrics are denying themselves enjoyment in the same way that many of my friends deny themselves the enjoyment of music sung in other languages that they don't speak or understand. Still, I understand why they may conclude that the artistry and power of the music does not justify listening to a message they oppose or can't understand.
We all have a right to listen to what we enjoy best and I would no sooner criticize as foolish those who don't enjoy Jackson or gospel in general than I would those who don't enjoy Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Gregorian chants, or Missa Luba. We see all too frequently in the land in which three of the worlds' major faiths originated what happens when some generalize and judge as foolish or objectionable others choices, beliefs, and convictions. We also see in the lives and deaths of O. V. Wright, Marvin Gaye, Billy Preston, and too many others what happens when the alleged divide between the sacred and profane in music and life cannot be reconciled. In my relatively uninformed and biased opinion, music is a universal language and, rather than judging negatively what others enjoy or don't enjoy, I much prefer to focus on the genres and interests for which we share a common appreciation and the soul and spirit of it all that brings us together through forums such as this blog. Based on the same naive belief, I read the comments about the merits of west coast versus east coast jazz in another blog and ask myself, "Why expend so much time creating division within division when the sole criterion should be is the music good?" or, for me personally, whether the music moves me to my very soul as Morrison would sing.
Thanks for posting so much gospel and especially the music of Ms. Jackson. The posts and music have broadened my listening horizons and I am always grateful for that.
You're right Feilimid, but to be more clear I would call the act of passing on the music, for reasons you've mentioned as foolish. I don't feel anybody is foolish for their personal tastes in music. If a person has a clearcut reason to not want to listen to gospel or Mahalia then so be it. However, I suspect many people don't, and are just letting it pass them by without exploring the awesome power of her voice. Foolish? Yep.
Wonderful. Thanks KC.
Thinking about the merits of the music and how we compartmentalize it. My view on gospel isn't neutral because, although I am a card-carrying atheist, I was brought up in a born again household so the message of gospel music isn't lost on me. My personal experience was that when I lost my faith it was a long time before I could listen to gospel again because it was just too difficult. In that sense different styles do matter.
But that's by the by. I think that if you love soul music you'll tend to want to find out about its history and there'll likely be a natural draw towards gospel because it is the fountainhead. Whether it was Johnny Taylor, Mavis Staples, Marvin Gaye or Chairman Of The Board that got you into the music first, you'll go back to Redding and Wright, Burke, Charles and Cooke and then on to the great quartets...and so on. In doing that you enrich everything that you hear.
And here's something else to consider when you think about gospel music, or really any "religious" music per se, no matter where it's from. Its point of origin is in the sheer passion of its delivery, and isn't that what any good honest music is about, or at least should be? I'm not even a Christian and yet what I connect with most in much gospel music is that passion, which has translated into true, leave-everything-on-the-floor secular soul, rock 'n' roll, folk, no matter its subject. And on top of that, that mixing of strains of music give us such a rich hybrid as more voices add to it. I know I sound a bit golly-gosh today, but it doesn't make it any less true. Just listen to old 1920s gospel recordings or field recordings and then to Otis at his full-throated almost-speaking-in-tongues best, and it's all on a continuum.
I always enjoy reading Feilimid's posts.
Small pleasure I look forward to always.
Seems to me that all music is devotional.
We'll have to agree to disagree, Poppachubby. Religion is a profoundly emotional experience and like all such experiences it shapes our tastes. I would not pronounce as foolish anyone's inability to listen to even the best hip hop or rock because of the sexism and misogyny in their lyrics, or, in the case of hip-hop, the frequent use of the N word which for many of us older folks revives memories of a far uglier and more brutal time in our history.
Nor would I call foolish a religious parent's decision to oppose his or her child's watching Lady Gaga's or Madonna's videos because he or she opposed their exploitation of religious symbols for secular purposes. I would call it exercising personal discretion to not listen to music that they find disturbing or offensive even if I disagree with their interpretation or beliefs. Ceedee articulates it best and it's a question of R-E-S-P-E-C-T, to quote Otis and Aretha, for the different value systems that underlie our preferences. As a secular person, I do not understand the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane that compelled Thomas Dorsey, Candi Station, Al Green, Cat Stevens, and many other religious artists to refrain from singing the music that made them famous and that I enjoy so much. To me, all music is a profoundly devotional experience as Lazz points out. But I recognize that some artists like Mavis Staples can cross the great divide without suffering questions of conscience while the others named above couldn't at least for a short time because of their understanding of what their beliefs and faith demanded of them.
I suspect most fans of soul, blues, jazz, and other genres articulating the African American experience in the disapora intellectually understand the role of gospel and the interconnectedness between genres. I wouldn't criticize their discretionary choice to not listen to gospel or Mahalia Jackson any more than I would condemn profoundly religious folks who eschewed the blues because they sincerely believed it was the devil's music. I would hope that religious people could understand that we non-believers or agnostics also have profound and important reasons for our beliefs that may compel us to make choices on values that are as important to us as those that compel religious people to exercise their discretion in what they hear and watch.
In northern Mali today religious fanatics are attempting to suppress all music expression. In my view, they have a right to their beliefs and may exercise them to remove music from their homes. I can't denounce their belief as any more foolish than I can Candi Staton's even if I find it strange and outside of what the Quran demands of them. Where I draw the line is their effort to remove music from the lives of so many others who find great joy and celebration, and the essence of their humanity in it. The latter effort strikes me as objectionably repressive and foolish because it demonstrates an intolerance for the different beliefs of others, and at least in the country in which I live, that has been a problem throughout our history and remains a significant problem today. I even go so far as to tell all my right-wing friends that I respect their right to disagree with me and believe what they believe and reassure them that I will expend all the effort I can to try to secure them pardons from re-education camps or, worse, executions after the revolution. I'll even let them keep their Hank Williams, Jr. and Ted Nugent records and compact discs as long as they don't force me to listen.
Feilimid, your comments are great but I don't think we are on totally different pages. My point is simply if somebody has no reason to not try it out, it's foolish to pass on it simply because of religious content or from what may appear as a lack of "coolness".
I am not sure if your example about offensive rock or rap lyrics is really relevant when thinking about Gospel. Unless you have a personal issue with Christianity, I don't think the lyrics get in the way anymore than a catchy pop song on the radio.
And no, I think only a small amount of fans actually understand the musics lineage. That type of strong interest in music and it's history belongs to a small niche of people. For most, if it hasn't been convered by VH1, they will most likely never know.
As for the rest of your thoughts regarding imposed belief, it's a slippery slope my friend. Real faith and belief belies the freedom of some of your rationale. I don't mean that people should be opressing others, but if you truly believe that evil things will take people to hell, than you most likely won't stand for them. It's a topic I would rather just avoid because I see no reason to risk alienating anybody, and it's hard to properly express such detailed thoughts over this simple medium. Things get misunderstood or miscommunicated... y'know?
Thanks, Poppa. Rather than belabor the point, I will only note that there is much that is offensive about "Christianity" here because it has become inherently political. I am not talking about the beliefs of the various sects, rather the exclusive notion of "Christianity" that too many have interpreted as the exclusive right to determine what morals and ethical standards are acceptable for all of is and in the end becomes a medium to express intolerance, as when some Christians deem differing beliefs in the lessons of the Gospels as heresy or seek to restrict the rights and freedom of others based on their views. Having been raised in Massachusetts, the lessons of Salem and other and other places in New England in which devout people supported horrific things because of their beliefs are part of the history with which we grew up. All religions have had their periods of intolerance and, on the other hand, inspired great art and cultural activities, so I am not seeking to condemn religious belief. My own people suffered religious persecution in their land and here, and then expressed their own form of religious and ethnic bigotry and intolerance because we all too often forget our history. Some Christian lyrics are offensive to many and I think too few who claim to ascribe to the teachings of Christ recall when Christianity in its various forms was a persecuted sect and its believers were cruelly persecuted. There also seems less willingness among many to render unto Caesar. Then again I am old enough to remember when John Kennedy's nominal faith was a significant barrier to his electability as was Romney's for many in 2012. Romney's faith was not a consideration when I chose to vote for incumbent.
Like you, I don't want to alienate anyone although I think the debate is good because it elicits so many viewpoints and attests to the diversity of those of us who relish this blog but I would simply ask that we remember that to some overt religiosity can be oppressive and gospel music can elicit strong emotions and memories they seek to avoid. Music provokes strong emotional reactions both in our consciousness and in our deeper realms. There are songs we associate with failed relationships and can no longer hear, but I would not call that reaction foolish because music inevitably reaches us on so many levels, especially those we can't even articulate.
I have no issue with the decisions people make on their beliefs if they pose no harm to others and whether I agree with decisions they make about what violates their sense or religious propriety is irrelevant. I do think we border on exclusivity and an unwillingness to appreciate different views and reactions when we call secular soul fans foolish for wanting to take a pass. Here in the U.S., the times are racially toxic enough in an age of alleged post-racialism, that is anything but, so to me a soul fan is one who already is willing to acknowledge the huge contribution that African American music has made to this culture and that is not a given among too many in this country who seek to preserve racial privilege.
In a nutshell, I have difficulty with labeling the choice of others foolish.
I understand well Ceedee's statement, "My personal experience was that when I lost my faith it was a long time before I could listen to gospel again because it was just too difficult. In that sense different styles do matter." So it goes, I don't want to repeat myself or dominate the conversation. If nothing else, I hope that this discussion is what the King has been seeking when he expresses frustration about non-participation. Music is significant enough that it should elicit reaction on so many levels and if someone as musically illiterate as I am can risk embarrassing himself to express his reactions, I would hope that others become willing to take the same risk.
In the end this blog would be so much poorer without the musical and written contributions of you, Guitar Gus, Lazz, CeeDee and so many others. I always find valuable and instructive the comments of those of you who are musicians or much more musically knowledgeable than I am. Learning is a life-long challenge that I
hope someday to accomplish more successfully.
That's all for me on this one. I'll leave it to others to weigh in if they want.
Amen...hahaha!!
My own love of Gospel began with my first exposure at age 9 or 10. My stepfather was playing congas behind a 100+ member choir with a 7 person front group of soloists. My step-father had disappeared backstage leaving my mother and I to fend for ourselves in giant church full of black folks who didn't know us. There were a few moments of discomfort and indecision before the crowd suddenly split like the Red Sea and a flotilla of large, great smelling women in pretty dresses and incredible hats came up to claim us take us up front to sit with them. I remember thinking at the time that it was the first Christian act I'd experienced in any of the numerous churches my mother had exposed me to. (she did her best to give me a varied experience to decide for myself since she was personally agnostic) So here I am, like any little boy, enjoying the fuss and attention from the lady elders of the church and the music starts and I think "Hey real music!" as the piano drums and bass start the opening number. Nothing, not even the Symphony, prepared me for the moment when 150 throats, a mere 30 feet away, opened up and cut loose. I was literally plastered back into my seat by the wall of sound and sat with eyes and mouth wide as the coolest thing I'd ever imagined happening in a church began to wash over me. Everyone around me was singing or punctuating according to their wants, and the women with us the loudest of all. The first sermon began and the handkerchiefs came out and the testifying and Amens began "wow, these folks are WAY more into this than those white Protestant stuffy folk" blurts out the 9 year-old, eyes shinning even under Mom's withering glare and the chuckles from our hosts. Shortly after the beginning of the second hymn I was paralyzed by a blood curdling scream from somewhere behind me and the sensation of something narrowly missing my head; a purse which literally exploded against the pulpit. Turning to look for the source I saw 2 paramedics seemingly appear from nowhere, snatch the writhing woman up on a stretcher and disappear back out the side with a speed clearly born from frequent practice.The music literally penetrated your body and the spirit in the room was unmistakeable even to a little boy. My mother laughingly told folks for years after, that all I could talk about on the way home was "Are we coming back next week?"
I like KCs story a lot. Very good way to see the true power of gospel singing. For me, I don't pay much attention to words of any music as I'm far more interested in the voice as an instrument. Thus, I never have a conflict. If I really listened to the music and then thought about the hypocrisy of the people, such as catholics and child abuse, I'd become a bitter old man. Instead I'm simply cynical!!
Yes KC. If I'd gone to that church maybe I'd still be going now.
Sent from presbyterian Scotland, the capital of buttoned-down, slightly-embarrassed, self-concious singing.
Thank you Kingcake, soothing my soul.
http://www.embedupload.com/?d=7UMJBBKBZX-How I Got Over The Apollo Records Sessions 1946-1954.rar
So good of you. I can't wait to hear. Many thanks!!
There is no such thing as too much Mahalia Jackson. Thank you for these 3 jewels.
This collection really gives me a much broader view of just how good Mahalia Jackson was. Thank you.
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