Rev Emmett Dickinson - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1929-1930

Published Wednesday 14th November 2007
Rev Emmett Dickinson - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1929-1930
Rev Emmett Dickinson - Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1929-1930

STYLE: Gospel
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 21373-11976
LABEL: Document DOCD5441
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £9.99

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Reverend Dickinson is renowned amongst pre-war blues enthusiasts because he recorded a number of sermons when he alluded to blues and blues singers, most famously his first recording, made in November 1929, "Is There Harm In Singing The Blues" and "Sermon On Tight Like That". Considering the graphic sexual nature of Tampa Red & Georgia Tom's "Tight Like That" million seller, believers might have expected the good reverend to lambaste its lurid lyrics. But of course the Race Record label which released "Tight Like That" also recorded gospel music and they were hardly likely to shoot themselves in the foot by such a critique of their own output. Instead, Dickinson uses "tight like that" to express disapproval of various kinds of wrongdoing, as if the phrase were equivalent to "bad like that". All pretty fascinating for today's gospel students, particularly as "Tight Like That"'s Georgia Tom went on to become gospel music patriarch Thomas A Dorsey. There are other intriguing sermons here with "Pay Your Bills" making some salient points, "Numbers", an attack on the popular gambling game, and "Sin Is A Mess" where a member of the congregation poses the doctrinally knotty question "Is it a sin to dance without crossing your legs?" The 23 homilies collected here offer a fascinating insight into the content of African American preaching in the pre-war years.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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