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VARIOUS ARTISTS
Angola Prison Spirituals (Arhoolie Records)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner
Looking for traditional Negro spirituals is like listening for languages with few native speakers left. It's been a cliché that African Americans cling to this style of music, because few CDs preserve this important part of America's musical culture. With Angola Prison Spirituals, Arhoolie has dusted off and cleaned up recordings made in the late 1950's at Louisiana's Angola State Prison. Angola has made a name for itself in corrections, from its annual rodeo celebration called "The Wildest Show in the South," a compassionate prison hospice program for elderly inmates, and a critically-acclaimed, prisoner-produced news magazine, The Angolite. Angola has been the subject of the Academy Award winning documentary, The Farm (1998), and Arhoolie's disc is, for me, a musical snapshot of the blues under some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. One of Angola's most notable blues players, Robert Pete Williams, served time for murder in the 1950's, and he's got several spirituals on this disc. At first, I was apprehensive about listening to these songs, but realized that they provided hope to people who had little reason to celebrate. Many of these songs have been unreleased, but I hope that they'd give hope to those currently incarcerated at Angola or those looking for solace through faith.
Track List:
I'm On My Way/Andy Mosely - vocal; Robert Pete Williams - guitar * Church On Fire With The Word Of God/Robert Pete Williams - vocal & guitar * What Shall I Do/Robert "Guitar" Welch * Brother Norah/Angola Quartet: Willy Rafus - lead vocal, with Edward James, Ollie Brown, & Burnel Jones * Little School Song/Tom Dutson, Robert Pete Williams * Dyin' Soul - Robert Pete Williams * Let My People Go/Roosevelt Charles * So Much Is Happenin' In The News/Robert Pete Williams * Dig My Grave With A Silver Spade/Tom Dutson and Robert Pete Williams * Brother Mosely Crossed The Water/Andy Mosely. Hogman" Maxey * I'm Stranded On The Banks Of Ole Jordan/Angola Quartet # 2: Willy Joe, Roosevelt Charles, Edward James, & Willie McGee * I'm Goin' Back With Him When He Comes/Robert Pete Williams * The Old Ship Of Zion/Rev. Benjamin E. Osborne with congregation * When I Lay My Burden Down/Robert Pete Williams * See How They Done My Lord/Angola Quartet (six) from Camp A * Be With Me Jesus - Angola Quartet (six) from Camp A * Rise And Fly/Angola Vocal Group * I Know I Got Religion/Andy Mosely and "Hogman" Maxey * Jesus/Andy Mosely and "Hogman" Maxey * I Take Jesus (Do Lord, Remember Me)/Angola Choir * Each Day (Life's Evening Sun)/Angola Choir * Steal Away To Jesus/Angola Vocal Group
© 2003 - Eric Steiner