Blitzen Trapper, a band from Portland, OR, has been around since 2000. The high point was a two page feature in Rolling Stone in 2008. The band seems to be on...
Category - Gospel/Spiritual/Religious
“People Get Ready” is special for three reasons. First, simply is that it is a terrific song. The second is that it’s deeply universal...
Listening to gospel as music comes with a bit of tension. Performances actually are part of a religious service. it also is a religion of which I am not an...
There is something profound about the refrain of the song “Jesus is on the Mainline.” It is not going to church or synagogue to find god. It is...
Musicians of all stripes, when asked about their influences, put cite gospel high on the list. It is a cornerstone of American music. It feels sometimes odd to...
When it really gets going, there is nothing as great as good old fashion gospel music. It’s not just a musical thing, of course. Though the folks...
The Gothamist has the fascinating story of Lipa Schmeltzer, a member of the Skver sect of Chasidic Judaism. The singer/danger/songwriter is trying to modernize...
This post actually focuses on two people: Eva Jessye and Mari Newland, and features an interview with the latter. There are a lot of extremely important people...
This is what One This Day In Jazz Age Music says about Eva Jessye, who was born on this day in 1895: Eva Jessye, an African-American singer, composer, choral...
This Day in Music reports that today is gospel star Cissy Houston’s 81st birthday. Above, Houston sings “Peace in the Valley” in 1990. She is...
Reading Music
The stories of the great bands and musicians are fascinating. Musicians as a group are brilliant, but often troubled. The combination of creativity and drama makes for great reading.
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Here are some books to check out.
Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.
What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.
The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").
David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.