Reviewed by Gavin Drake

Pure magic - the only words appropriate to describe this compilation of pre-war gospel-blues. Just listen to the history, with tracks from 1927 to 1936 (with just two 'modern' numbers from 1953!). This is the stuff from which seemingly the bulk of subsequent pop rock music derived. For instance, Elvis used to sneak to the East Tupelo black township Shakeraq to sing this music with the annexed black community. The music on 'Holy Blues' subsequently refined (I'm sure that's not the right word!) into different forms - gospel, R&B, soul, rock 'n' roll, et al, but this is the REAL thing, raw, tough and transcendent. There are many fine artists here, Blind Willie Johnson, Joshua White (yep, the same Josh White who toured Europe as a favourite of the folkies in the '50s), Elder Charlie Beck, Reverend Johnny Blakey, Sister O M Terrel, and a host of other 'jackleg' evangelists and street musicians who played and sang spine-tingling music and often lived and died in obscurity but their memory lives on. If you want to investigate the roots of gospel, get this essential CD.

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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