THE SACRED SHAKERS is the work of a Boston-based group of folk, blues, and roots-rock musicians who first started playing old-time traditional gospel tunes at a series of Sunday afternoon gospel brunches at a local club. The 14 tracks on this rollicking album are all traditional gospel tunes, both well-known and fairly obscure, delivered with the energy of early rock & roll and the down-home sentiment of traditional blues. Highlights include a spirited "I'm Gonna Do My Best" and "Titanic," a folk blues based on the sinking of the famed passenger ship.
Spirituals, guitar evangelists, "shout" bands, quartets, and choirs sing out the sacred sounds of African American gospel music. This Smithsonian Folkways "Classic" spans over a half century of select recordings to paint a broad panorama of this cherished American musical creation. Reverend Gary Davis, Sister Ernestine Washington, Sonny Terry, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and Elizabeth Cotten are among those featured on these 24 tracks of soulful song.
Authentic, occasionally obscure, but always groovy, West Coast soul. Southern blues abounds, while gospel and Motown’s influence are also present.
With its enduring message of comfort and inspiration, gospel music’s origins are rooted in the tragedy of African-American slavery. From the earthy recordings of the evangelist street performers to the polished sound of the jubilee quartets, this Rough Guide features many of the trailblazing artists who paved the way for what has become a global phenomenon.
Hailed as "gospel titans" by Rolling Stone, the Blind Boys of Alabama defied the considerable odds stacked against them in the segregated South, working their way up from singing for pocket change to performing for three different presidents over the course of an 80-year career that saw them break down racial barriers, soundtrack the Civil Rights movement, and help redefine modern gospel music forever.