Gospel music informed much of the music from the early century and the blues took it’s soul and inspiration from many passages. Numerous street corner buskers promoted the scripture and many, like Blind Willie Johnson, Gary Davis, Oda Mae Terrell, and Mother McCollum were known as musical evangelists in addition to their place in the church. And the spirituals also informed the music of Blind Boy Fuller, Charley Patton, Barbecue Bob, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and so many early blues men and women. We’ll sample a few and take our Friday evening show with some reverence and grit.
No.
1
Artist
Title
Album
Buy
2
Washington Phillips
Denomination Blues – Part 1
Preachin' The Gospel – Holy Blues
3
Mississippi John Hurt
Praying On The Old Camp Ground
Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 OKeh Recordings
4
Mother McCollum
Jesus Is My Air-O-Plane
Guitar Evangelists (1928-1951)
5
Mother McCollum
Oh Lord I'm Your Child
Guitar Evangelists (1928-1951)
6
Blind Lemon Jefferson
He Arose From The Dead
The Complete Classic Sides Remastered: Atlanta & Chicago 1926 [Disc 2]
7
Blind Joe Taggart And Joshua White
Scandalous And A Shame (Pm 12780, 20942-4)
The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932)
8
Sam Collins
I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart
Complete Recorded Works 1927-31
9
Barbecue Bob
When The Saints Go Marching In
Complete Recorded Works Vol 1
10
Blind Willie Johnson
I'm Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge
Preachin' The Gospel – Holy Blues
11
Charley Patton
Lord I'm Discouraged
Blues Images Presents: 1920's Blues Classics Vol.14
12
Bukka White
I Am In the Heavenly Way
Masters Of The Delta Blues: The Friends Of Charlie Patton
13
Bo Weavil Jackson (Sam Butler)
Heaven Is My View
Backwoods Blues (1926-1935)
14
Lil McClintock
Sow Good Seeds
21 Classic Blues Songs From The 1920's Vol. 10
15
Blind Nesbit Gussie
Pure Religion
Vol. 2-(1929-34)
16
Blind Gussie Nesbit
Canaan's Land
When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel 1926 – 1936
17
Skip James
Jesus Is a Mighty Good Leader
Complete Early Recordings
18
Blind Boy Fuller
Precious Lord
Heart Ease Blues (The Blues Collection Vol.55)
19
Blind Boy Fuller
Must Have Been My Jesus
Heart Ease Blues (The Blues Collection Vol.55)
20
Josh White
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed
Preachin' The Gospel – Holy Blues
21
Josh White
Lord, I Want To Die Easy
Complete Recorded Works 1929-1940 Vol. 2
22
Blind Willie McTell
I Got Religion I'm So Glad (w/ Kate McTell)
The Classic Years: 1933 – 1935 New York " Chicago
23
Bull City Red
I Feel Like Shoutin'
Blues And Gospel From The Eastern States (1935-1944)
24
Memphis Minnie
Let Me Ride
Memphis Minnie – Queen of Country Blues, 1929 – 1937 [Disc 4]
25
Brownie McGhee
Done What My Lord Said
The Complete Brownie McGhee [Disc 2]
26
Jimpson & Group
No More My Lord
Parchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings: 19471959