Early Gospel Blues

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.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Washington Phillips Denomination Blues – Part 1 Preachin' The Gospel – Holy Blues Amazon
3Mississippi John Hurt Praying On The Old Camp Ground Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 OKeh Recordings Amazon
4Mother McCollum Jesus Is My Air-O-Plane Guitar Evangelists (1928-1951) Amazon
5Mother McCollum Oh Lord I'm Your Child Guitar Evangelists (1928-1951) Amazon
6Blind Lemon Jefferson He Arose From The Dead The Complete Classic Sides Remastered: Atlanta & Chicago 1926 [Disc 2] Amazon
7Blind Joe Taggart And Joshua White Scandalous And A Shame (Pm 12780, 20942-4) The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932) Amazon
8Sam Collins I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Heart Complete Recorded Works 1927-31 Amazon
9Barbecue Bob When The Saints Go Marching In Complete Recorded Works Vol 1 Amazon
10Blind Willie Johnson I'm Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge Preachin' The Gospel – Holy Blues Amazon
11Charley Patton Lord I'm Discouraged Blues Images Presents: 1920's Blues Classics Vol.14 Amazon
12Bukka White I Am In the Heavenly Way Masters Of The Delta Blues: The Friends Of Charlie Patton Amazon
13Bo Weavil Jackson (Sam Butler) Heaven Is My View Backwoods Blues (1926-1935) Amazon
14Lil McClintock Sow Good Seeds 21 Classic Blues Songs From The 1920's Vol. 10 Amazon
15Blind Nesbit Gussie Pure Religion Vol. 2-(1929-34) Amazon
16Blind Gussie Nesbit Canaan's Land When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel 1926 – 1936 Amazon
17Skip James Jesus Is a Mighty Good Leader Complete Early Recordings Amazon
18Blind Boy Fuller Precious Lord Heart Ease Blues (The Blues Collection Vol.55) Amazon
19Blind Boy Fuller Must Have Been My Jesus Heart Ease Blues (The Blues Collection Vol.55) Amazon
20Josh White Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed Preachin' The Gospel – Holy Blues Amazon
21Josh White Lord, I Want To Die Easy Complete Recorded Works 1929-1940 Vol. 2 Amazon
22Blind Willie McTell I Got Religion I'm So Glad (w/ Kate McTell) The Classic Years: 1933 – 1935 New York " Chicago Amazon
23Bull City Red I Feel Like Shoutin' Blues And Gospel From The Eastern States (1935-1944) Amazon
24Memphis Minnie Let Me Ride Memphis Minnie – Queen of Country Blues, 1929 – 1937 [Disc 4] Amazon
25Brownie McGhee Done What My Lord Said The Complete Brownie McGhee [Disc 2] Amazon
26Jimpson & Group No More My Lord Parchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings: 19471959 Amazon
27Sister O. M. Terrell God's Little Birds Country Gospel 1946-1953 Amazon
28Rev. Gary Davis Get Right Church Gospel, Blues, and Street Songs Amazon
29Reverend Gary Davis I Am The Light Of This World Harlem Street Singer Amazon
30Blind Willie McTell Lord Have Mercy If You Please Pig 'n Whistle Red Amazon
31Sister Rosetta Tharpe Everybody's Gonna Have A Wonderful Time Up There Vol. 3-1946-47 Complete Record Amazon
32Sister Rosetta Tharpe Saviour Don't Pass Me By Complete Recorded Works, 1938 – 1944; Volume 1 Amazon
33Big Joe Williams King Jesus Shake Your Boogie Amazon