See and hear a later blues gospel style HERE, in an online concert (aud/vid) at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage.

The Campbell Brothers (with vocalists Katie Jackson and Denise Brown) showcase sacred steel guitar as evolved in the Church of God (Holiness Pentecostal). The sound of this group is more urban-blues.... the intro remarks do not specifically label this as blues gospel, but you will think sometimes you're hearing BB King.

The two steel guitars emulate vocalizations you might have heard in the spirituals that underlie this genre. There is also spontaneous, Spirit-filled dancing where you can see what evolved from the "shouts" of the spirituals.

The Campbell Brothers create a unique, steel-guitar driven music, dubbed 'sacred steel', that's a soul-stirring blend of gospel, electric blues and rock. From the Library of Congress' series, Homegrown: The Music of America.

The Campbell Brothers, Chuck, Phil, and Darick, are an anointed group of accomplished guitarists with instruments tuned to the key of the Holy Spirit. These musicians were raised in the "sacred steel" style, a rare music tradition rooted in the African-American Holiness-Pentecostal church, commonly known as the House of God. The steel guitar was introduced to church services by Willie Eason in the late 1930s. His single string passages that imitated the African-American singing and shouting voices remain the signature sound of the Keith Dominion steel guitar style. The goal of a good steel player in the church is to use the guitar to mimic voices, to sing lines of the hymns, and to provide praise music that pushes the congregation closer to feeling the Holy Spirit.

Songs included, track times and titles approximate:

00:02 Remarks about steel guitars in church music
02:45 I Feel Good (Something about the Name of Jesus makes me feel good)
07:02 I'll Fly Away [with steel solo]
13:27 Didn't It Rain? [with scat singing]
18:23 Summertime (Miles Davis) [Instr.]
23:18 Put a Little Love in Your Heart
28:00 (Hallelujah) The Storm is Passing Over
35:15 (We'll) Understand It Better/(By & By) Going to See the King) [instr/dance ending]
41:45 Instrumental duet ending for above track [bass & treble leads on two steel guitars]
43:00 I'm Going Home on the Morning Train/Get Right Church Let's Go Home [train effects]
50:08 Pass Me Not (o Gentle Savior)[pedal intro]
58:30 Remarks, "praise music" (Spirit dancing)
59:22 Jump for Joy [instrumental]

~Susan