The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #38686   Message #1954992
Posted By: Azizi
01-Feb-07 - 05:06 PM
Thread Name: African-American Spirituals Permathread
Subject: RE: African-American Spirituals Permathread
Online Resource:

The Black Gospel Blog [which describes itself as] "The definitive blog for black gospel, jubilee, and spiritual artists and recordings -- past and present, indie and major label".

blackgospel.blogspot.com

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If there is discussion on this blog, I haven't been able to find it, but the essays I've read by the blogger-Bob Marovich
Location: Chicago, Illinois, US seem interesting. As an example, here's an excerpt of an article on "TBGB Reviews Old Time Camp Meeting Songs - Volume III "

old-time-camp-meeting:

Old Time Camp Meeting Songs – Volume III
Rev. Timothy Flemming, Sr.
God's Strength Records 2007

Buoyed by the success of Volumes I and II, the prolific Rev. Timothy Flemming, Sr. has released yet a third volume of Old Time Camp Meeting Songs.

Recorded live at the Macon City Auditorium in Macon, Georgia, Old Time Camp Meeting Songs - Volume III reminds us that there was a soul-stirring sound in the church long before gospel music took hold. Rev. Flemming takes the listener way, way, way back, leading old fashioned, largely unaccompanied call-and-response congregational hymn and spiritual singing. Think Alan Lomax's Library of Congress field recordings, but in stereo. The recording is also reminiscent of Dr. C.J. Johnson's classic "Old Time Prayer Meeting" LPs for Savoy. Dr. Johnson's albums were recorded in the 1960s, but the content was rooted in the 1860s.

In particular, Rev. Flemming's version of "Old Ship of Zion" brings to mind Rev. C.L. Franklin's popular 1950s 2-part single of the spiritual for J-V-B and Chess. As with Rev. Franklin's recording, Rev. Flemmons preaches and leads the congregation in a tsunami wave of sound punctuated by participants losing themselves in the Spirit"...