~ “I kick ass for The Lord.” – Dead Alive (1992) ~

I’ve always liked African American gospel music.  I remember seeing The Blind Boys of Alabama perform years ago in Philadelphia. They opened with a powerful rendition of “Down By The Riverside.” As the concert progressed it turned into a borderline church service. There was an energy there, I remember the woman sitting next to me throwing her hands in the air, her face pointing upwards, her eyes shut, ready to “testify.” There was sincertiy in that music.

Some of the best art is created as an extension of one’s self. It’s spawned from deep-seated beliefs and emotions, usually by people who aren’t concerned how the general public will react to it. My favorite music is music I can feel.  Music that I don’t just listen to, but music that I experience.  Having grown up Catholic, much of the music I heard in Sunday Mass was sanitized and dull.  If only it could’ve sounded like these records.

God’s Got It (2003) is a compilation of singles from the 1970’s by Reverend Charlie Jackson.  Having never heard of Reverend Jackson, this was an impulse purchase for me.  The black and white photo on the jacket of the reverend playing an electric guitar while three members of the congregation clap and sing along gave it an authenticity that was through the roof. This is energetic, emotional and rhythmic gospel music.  Sharp guitar strumming, hands clapping, and a few female vocals provide the canvas for Jackson’s guttural delivery. This record has a real presence, impossible to listen to and be neutral about.

Reverend Gary Davis was born in 1896 in South Carolina.  He was blinded as an infant when a doctor put some type of drops in his eyes that were too strong.  He later taught himself guitar and learned to play a wide variety of musical styles.  After he became ordained a minister, he would often refuse to play blues in favor of gospel.  He was highly influential on bands like The Grateful Dead, and Bob Weir is quoted as saying “Rev. Davis taught me, by example, to completely throw out my preconceptions of what can or can’t be done on the guitar.”

I was very excited to find this particular record because the material was used as part of a Reverend Gary Davis compact disc box set I used to have.  Children of Zion (1974) is a live recording of a 1962 performance at Swarthmore College in my home state of Pennsylvania. The recording quality clearly captures the wonderful acoustic guitar work and powerful vocals. From uplifiting songs like “I’m Going To Sit Down on The Banks of the River” to the haunting “(I Heard The) Angel’s Singing,” the album overall is a great showcase of Davis’s capabilities.

Truth be told, I have mixed feelings about Record Store Day. But once in a while, the powers that be who make decisions about RSD really nail it.  Death Might Be Your Santa Claus was released on vinyl in a limited edition of 5000 pieces on Black Friday 2012.  My friend and I bought the last two copies in the store, disappointing some customers who wanted to add it to their stacks.  It’s a collection of old “race records” from various labels like Okeh and Vocalion all with a (mostly gritty) Christmas theme.  Loaded with great examples of country blues and gospel,  this isn’t your typical Christmas compilation. One outstanding track is the upbeat a cappella “When Was Jesus Born?” by The Heavenly Gospel Singers, which sounds like primitive doo-wop.  But the tracks that will stick to your ribs are the vehement, heavy-handed, fire and brimstone sermons by one Reverend J.M. Gates such as “Did You Spend Christmas Day In Jail?” Another sermon “Will The Coffin Be Your Santa Claus?” is a grim reminder of our own mortality and a plea to “get right with God.”

Here’s a little known fact: as of this writing Death Might Be Your Santa Claus is the only Christmas album in my collection.