Label: Decca Records / MCA Records.
Release Date: September 16, 2003.
Recording Time: 48 minutes.
Recording Date: October 31, 1938 - December 2, 1948.
Release Info: Compilation Studio Recording.
Releases: 2003 (Decca / MCA / MCA/Decca / Universal Music).
Recording information: New York, NY (10/31/1938-12/02/1948).
Styles: Black Gospel, Blues Gospel, Classic Female Blues, Gospel, Jump Blues, Acoustic Blues, Early R&B, Spirituals.
With 18 Decca tracks from 1938-1948, this CD is not only a good survey of some of Tharpe's best work, but one of the best compilations of any sort to illustrate gospel's crossover into blues, R&B, and secular music in general. Admittedly that's not the busiest cross-fertilization of popular music, but it's not one that's given much attention. And if you think you might not like this because Tharpe is sometimes described as a gospel artist, think again, for this is fine stuff on any terms, mixing the devotional exuberance of gospel with first-rate accompaniment blending blues, early R&B, and at times some swing jazz. In truth, sometimes you won't think of this as gospel at all, such is its rhythmic verve, even on the half-dozen numbers with nothing but guitar in the backup. Some other tracks find her backed by the groups of Lucky Millinder and Sammy Price, and the jubilant "Shout, Sister, Shout!" comes off as a missing link between gospel, jazz, blues, and the birth of rock & roll. "Trouble in Mind," "This Train," "Down by the Riverside," and "Up Above My Head I Hear Music in the Air" are other highlights of a set with no shortage of them.
by Richie Unterberger
MCA has finally released 18 of the many sides Sister Rosetta recorded for Decca. The updated sound by Andy McKaie is fantastic. One can only hope that Andy will follow with more of her Decca recordings when Sister Rosetta recorded with the Sammy Price Trio, Marie Knight and the 'Dependable Boys'. Sister was too great an artist to have these recordings go unreleased. - By a reviewer (Baltimore, MD).
Includes liner notes by Mary Katherine Aldin.
Arranger: Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Personnel: Sister Rosetta Tharpe (vocals, guitar); Marie Knight (vocals); Abe Bolar (bass); Trevor Bacon (guitar); Buster Bailey (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Billy Bowen, Ted Barrett, George James (alto saxophone); Stafford Simon (tenor saxophone); Ernest Purce (baritone saxophone); Freddy Webster, Archie Johnson, Nelson Bryant, William Scott (trumpet); George Stevenson , Joe Britton, Don Cole, Edward Morant, Eli Robinson, Floyd Brady (trombone); Clyde Hart, Sammy Price, Bill Doggett (piano); Herbert Cowans, Harold "Doc" West, Ed Bourne, Kenny Clarke, Panama Francis, Walter Bishop, Jr. (drums); The Sammy Price Trio.
Credits: Mary Katherine Aldin - liner notes; Trevor Bacon - guitar; Buster Bailey - clarinet, sax (tenor); Ted Barrett - sax (alto); Walter Bishop, Jr. - drums; Abe Bolar - bass; Ed Bourne - drums; Billy Bowen - sax (alto); Floyd Brady - trombone; Joe Britton - trombone; Nelson Bryant - trumpet; Kenny Clarke - drums; Don Cole - trombone; Herbert Cowans - drums; Dependable Boys - vocal group; Bill Doggett - piano; Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey - composer; George Duvivier - bass; Mike Fink - design; Pops Foster - bass; Panama Francis - drums; Bernie Hanighen - composer; Clyde Hart - piano; George James - sax (alto); Archie Johnson - trumpet; Richard M. Jones - composer; Steve Lasker - digital restoration, disc transfers; Andy McKaie - compilation producer, producer; Lucky Millinder - composer, leader, primary artist; Edward Morant - trombone; Benny Moten - bass; Ryan Null - photo research; Mark Omann - assembly; Sammy Price - piano; Sammy Price Trio - primary artist; Ernest Purce - sax (baritone); Eli Robinson - trombone; William Scott - trumpet; Stafford Simon - sax (tenor); Beth Stempel - production coordination; George Stevenson - trombone; Billy Taylor, Sr. - bass; Sister Rosetta Tharpe - arranger, composer, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Traditional - composer; Vartan - art direction; Freddy Webster - trumpet; Harold "Doc" West - drums.
Tracks: 1) My Man And I; 2) This Train; 3) Sit Down; 4) Trouble In Mind; 5) Shout, Sister, Shout!; 6) Rock Me; 7) Nobody's Fault But Mine; 8) I Want A Tall Skinny Papa; 9) God Don't Like It; 10) What Is The Soul Of A Man?; 11) Singing In My Soul; 12) Strange Things Happening Everyday; 13) Two Little Fishes And Five Loaves Of Bread; 14) Jonah; 15) Didn't It Rain; 16) The Natural Facts; 17) Down By The Riverside; 18) Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air.