"Texas Gospel" Vol. 9 Pay Day 1955-1960

Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, radio announcer, and author. In its seventh season, Bob's "Gospel Memories" program of vintage black gospel music and artist interviews airs live first Sundays from 3:00 to 7:30 a.m. on Chicago's WLUW 88.7 FM, and streams live at www.wluw.org. Snippets of recent broadcasts can be heard at www.gospelmemories.com. Bob is also editor of The Black Gospel Blog.With Pay Day 1955-1960, gospel scholar Opal Louis Nations continues to mine the Houston-based Duke/Peacock vaults for Golden Era goodies. This latest two-CD set focuses on the latter half of the 1950s, as the quartet revolution, which dominated the gospel scene from the late 1940s, was beginning to give way to piano-led groups and large gospel choruses. While Peacock was still considered the most significant quartet label--you were somebody if your group was on Peacock--Pay Day uses a chronological lens to show how Don Robey couldn't disregard the slow shift in listener preferences. Thus, in addition to Gospelaires and Five Blind Boys discs on Peacock, Robey released singles by Clara Ward and the enigmatic Chora'leers on his Duke subsidiary. Check out the Sister Barbara Jones selections if, for no other reason than to marvel at Jones' otherworldly shouts. Still, quartets remained Peacock's bread and butter, and Pay Day makes available such superb performances as Roscoe Robinson's lead on the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi's "Sending Up My Timber," the Sensational Nightingales' powerful "Over in Zion," and the Gospelaires' gut-wrenching workout "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again." The set also includes the first Peacock releases by the Mighty Clouds of Joy, a quartet that, like the Dixie Hummingbirds and Nightingales, would become Peacock mainstays. "Jesus Lead Me Safely" finds the Clouds leaping out of the gate with a song containing a hypnotic, frenetic vamp. A special addition is the Pilgrim Jubilee Singers' smash hit, "Stretch Out," featuring bass legend Willie Dixon. As popular as "Stretch Out" was at the time, it is difficult to find the original single today. Nations includes as many liner notes as made sense, given that he has written about many of these artists in previous editions. My understanding is that these compilations aren't pressed in large quantities, so if you are interested in securing a copy, act quickly. (Bob Marovich)

INFO

http://www.thebluegrassspecial.com/archive/2012/july2012/gospel-picks-bob-marovich-july-2012.html

trax:

1. Trouble No More - The Gospelaires 2. Going On With Jesus - Gospel Consolators 3. Deliver Me - Gospel Consolators 4. Who Is That? - Sensational Nightingales 5. Over In Zion - Sensational Nightingales 6. Doctor Jesus - The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet 7. 'Twill Be Glory - The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet 8. Move These Things - Sunset Travellers With O.V. Wright 9. Lazarus - Sunset Travellers With O.V. Wright 10. Jesus Hold My Hand - The Dixie Hummingbirds 11. Leave Your Burdens There - The Dixie Hummingbirds 12. I've Got It - The Gospelaires 13. Mother's Journey - The Gospelaires 14. Stretch Out - The Pilgrim Jubilees 15. Evening Sun - The Pilgrim Jubilees 16. Filled With That Holy Spirit - Baltimore Echoes 17. He's A Friend Of Mine - Baltimore Echoes 18. When I Arose - Rev. Cleophus Robinson And Sister Josephine James 19. By And By - Rev. Cleophus Robinson And Sister Josephine James 20. Jesus Is Using Me - Five Singing Stars With Tommy Ellison 21. You Can If You Will - Five Singing Stars With Tommy Ellison 22. Jesus Lead Us Safely - The Mighty Clouds Of Joy 23. Ain't Got Long Here - Mighty Clouds Of Joy With Joe Ligon 24. Sending Up My Timber - Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi With Roscoe Robinson 25. Lord, Lord You've Been Good To Me - Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi With Roscoe Robinson 26. I'll Be Satisfied - Rev. W.C. Trammell

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