[audio:http://rocknycnew0115.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/God-Leads-Us-Along.mp3|titles=God Leads Us Along]
For years the album didn’t register on my radar. I quickly flipped past it as I periodically surveyed her collection. I didn’t know who Rosetta Tharpe was, but she was clearly a gospel singer.
Thanks, but no thanks.
That was then.
Last year, however, as I took yet another look through the slowly deteriorating stack of wax for a few more nuggets, I saw “Spirituals In Rhythm” and grabbed it with alacrity. By that time I knew who Rosetta Tharpe was, and I cared a great deal about hearing her music.
By all rights the name Sister Rosetta Tharpe should have attained household status in the public’s knowledge of American music history. Her singing, guitar playing and songwriting made her the first superstar of gospel music which, as we all know, was the seed bed of rock and roll. Her influence on those who would later raise the ensigns of gospel, R&B and pop music cannot be overstated. I won’t go into the details of her story; you’ll be seeing that tomorrow night, if you tune in. There are a few score people who really matter in the history of mid-20th century American music, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of them.
“Spirituals In Rhythm” (alternately titled “Gospels In Rhythm”) is a 1960 release, in High Fidelity on the Promenade label. Tharpe’s guitar virtuosity is not on particular display on this album, but her riffs deserve attention nonetheless. And on virtually every track her vocals are simply mesmerizing!
Frank Sinatra is rightly renowned for his distinctive vocal phrasing. Tharpe, steeped in the gospel tradition of “call and response” stands second to none in her ability to engage the listener with the merest inflections of her voice and timing of the lyrics. She can effortlessly transform a few notes of the melody or emphasize a refrain, instantly infusing a song with passion and meaning.
In the slow tempo “What Are They Doin’ In Heaven” she pronounces the interrogative in a distinctively different tone of voice with each repetition. She’s asking for real, and her voice tells us she really wants to know “what!” The joy of this album is that examples of this technique abound on every song, and it never sounds contrived.
“Seeking For Me” is a standout track along with “I Do, Don’t You” and “The Family Prayer”. But “God Leads Us Along” is the blockbuster on the album for me. Tharpe sings with élan, as always, but particularly so here. You can listen to it at the top of the page. You’re welcome.
Oh, and a word about the unidentified backing vocal group on this record. Tharpe recorded with a number of different background singers, including the Dixie Hummingbirds. The female chorus on this album is simply marvelous! Their unified, spirited response to Tharpe’s entreaties, questions and exclamations, throughout the album, add a soaring and inspirational dimension to the songs that compliment and never back away from Tharpe’s leads. In singing to each other, Tharpe and her backing choir allow us to listen in to their dialogs of hope and faith with grateful ears.
Big hat tip to PBS. American Masters is an excellent series, and they couldn’t have picked a better subject for this episode.
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