15 Down Home Gospel Classics

For blues fans reluctant to dip themselves in the water, this gritty sampler of gospel is just what the preacher ordered. Culled from Arhoolie Records' rich catalog, these 15 tracks let one appreciate the relevance of gospel to the blues and get to know a lot of fine artists in the process. No blow-dried Christian rockers here: important blues guitarists like Mississippi Fred McDowell and Mance Lipscomb perform acoustic spirituals as raw as the Delta itself. Sacred steel guitarists Aubrey Ghent and Sonny Treadway work the congregation into a righteous fervor with their ethereal jamming. And as for singing His praises, the harmonies of the Paramount Singers and the booming voice of Katie Jackson on "I Feel Good" more than suffice. But when it comes to raising the roof, no one matches the primitive electric church gospel of Reverend Louis Overstreet. Hallelujah!