In another month or so, I'll be leading a workshop titled The Gospel In Black, Blue and bluegrass. I'm looking forward to sharing that time with fellow Catters from Shoregrass, and D.W. Ditty. I'm particularly interested in any thoughts you have about the connection between gospel and blues. There are all the obvious examples of musicians who were superb at both... Blind Willie Johnson, Reverend Gary Davis, Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson.. Leadbelly.

In the black community I think that was a better acceptance to the reality of the total range of human experiences, so it wasn't strange to hear a blues singer who lived a wild life also sing gospel with complete sincerity. My friend Frankie in the Gospel Messengers says that the difference between blues and gospel is all in the hips. Saturday night at a juke joint when dancers got into the jump blues, they shook their hips. Sunday morning when the Spirit moved them, they were jumping up and down.

Just watch the hips. Remember that D.W.Ditty, when you're doing a blues at the workshop...

Jerry