Odetta's Take This Hammer

Legendary folk singer Odetta was part of the American folk revival in the 1950s before the white boys, and is accompanied on this beautiful song by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, on bass. Odetta has classical training which imbues her interpretation of American folk, blues, gospel and spirituals, as well as an interesting, self-taught approach to the acoustic guitar. Bill Lee would go on to write music for Spike Lee's early films and be active in the jazz scene. Indeed, if I remember correctly, New York Times covered some story about how the long-established tradition of Lee holding jam sessions in his home has been challenged by some neighbors claiming he is too loud! Anyway, it's quite beautiful to hear the wonderful interaction between Lee and Odetta, particularly since his bass on rhythm frees her guitar to play a secondary effect with her mesmerizing vocals. "Take This Hammer" is astounding with this treatment. Likewise, "Timber" sounds phenomenal with the soaring melismas of Odetta and a solid foundation from Lee and her guitar. "Timber, timber..."

Go, Tell It On the Mountain

One of my favorite spirituals and Christmas songs of any genre, "Go, Tell It On the Mountain" dates back to the 19th century. The lyrics of the original song celebrate the birth of Christ, but during the 1960s folk musicians changed the lyrics to refer to Exodus, thereby connecting the struggle of the Israelites to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Furthermore, according to a little research on Wikipedia, the song was only compiled in the early 20th century by an African-American folklorist who collected Negro spirituals and folk music, John Wesley Work, Jr. So the origins of the song are still unknown...it's possible that it may not date back to the slave era.

Here is an interesting version of the song performed by a singer playing guitar. His vocals aren't great, but this guy videotapes himself playing different folk songs.

Peter Tosh and the Wailers performed a reggae-tinged "Go, Tell It On the Mountain" that uses some of the Civil Rights and Exodus references of the Peter, Paul and Mary version. Interesting to hear this old song with a reggae beat, right?

Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson also recorded the song, accompanied by a small choir and organ. Her version is the most beautiful I have heard, and probably closer to the original spirit of the song. She sings the traditional lyrics, which obviously refer to the birth of Christ.

Simon and Garfunkel also recorded the song on their not-so-good first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. It's funny to hear Jewish boys singing a Negro spiritual about the birth of Christ, but unfortunately that alone doesn't make it an essential version of the song. I believe both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are singing here, and if I remember correctly, Spike Lee's father, jazz bassist Bill Lee, played bass on this record. Spike's father also played with Odetta and Bob Dylan, so he wasn't above working with folk singers. Interesting fact, right?

Here is the progressive, Civil Rights version of the song. Using lyrics from "Go Down Moses" (another Negro spiritual alluding to Exodus), Peter, Paul and Mary are connecting the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to Exodus. Of course they were not the first to make that connection, since African-Americans have identified themselves and their struggles with Biblical references since slavery days.

The Blind Boys of Alabama also recorded a good version of the song that uses more R&B and gospel influences.

Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

One of my favorite Negro Spirituals/folk songs is "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore." I believe it was first sung by African-American slaves living in an island off the coast of Georgia or the Carolinas, where a language like Gullah was able to develop (Gullah is a mixture of various African tongues and English, only spoken by black slaves and their descendants off the coast of South Carolina as a Creole or patois). The song has both religious connotations and similarities to the work song traditions of enslaved blacks and the sea shanties of sailormen. The 'Michael' in the title likely refers to a Biblical figure, or perhaps a slave. Either way, the Halleluiah chorus obviously connects the song to spirituals and the Bible. The lyrics also refer to crossing the river Jordan.

Anywho, the song was first documented during or immediately after the American Civil War. Here are the 'original' lyrics as sung by African-Americans in the 19th century (per Wikipedia):

Michael row de boat ashore, Hallelujah!

Michael boat a gospel boat, Hallelujah!

I wonder where my mudder deh (there).

See my mudder on de rock gwine home.

On de rock gwine home in Jesus' name.

Michael boat a music boat.

Gabriel blow de trumpet horn.

O you mind your boastin' talk.

Boastin' talk will sink your soul.

Brudder, lend a helpin' hand.

Sister, help for trim dat boat.

Jordan stream is wide and deep.

Jesus stand on t' oder side.

I wonder if my maussa deh.

My fader gone to unknown land.

O de Lord he plant his garden deh.

He raise de fruit for you to eat.

He dat eat shall neber die.

When de riber overflow.

O poor sinner, how you land?

Riber run and darkness comin'.

Sinner row to save your soul.

or

Michel, row the boat a-shore

Hallelujah!

Then you'll hear the trumpet blow

Hallelujah!

Then you'll hear the trumpet sound,

Hallelujah!

Trumpet sound the world around

Hallelujah!

Trumpet sound the jubilee

Hallelujah!

Trumpet sound for you and me

Hallelujah!

Here is Pete Seeger's version of the song.

The Highwaymen had a hit with Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

The Beach Boys apparently sang this as well...I don't care for them

This singer sounds a lot like Paul Robeson with his bass singing

A gospel take on the song by Marion Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73wNMHs7F18&feature=player_embedded

Dear Old Southland and Deep River

The Negro Spiritual "Deep River," has an unforgettable melody which was used for the song "Dear Old Southland." "Dear Old Southland" was covered by many 1920s jazz groups. Another example of a timeless folk song's melody being revived in another musical idiom.

African-American opera singer Marian Anderson's rendition of "Deep River"

Paul Robeson's version

Albert Ayler's Free Jazz take

"Dear Old Southland"

Duke Ellington

Louis Armstrong

All God's Chillun Got Rhythm

The old Negro Spiritual "All God's Chillun Got Wings" aka "I Got a Robe" inspired the 1930s jazz standard, "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm." The composer, a European musician living in the US, used the melody for "All God's Chillun Got Wings" while writing the song specifically for Ivie Anderson, an African-American vocalist who had worked for Duke Ellington. It's quite ironic that one of the most American of songs was composed by a European...

Here are different versions of "All God's Chillun Got Wings"
Paul Robeson

African-American opera singer Marion Anderson

"I Got Shoes" is another title for the song

Here are various jazz versions of "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm"

Bud Powell

Sonny Stitt 

Judy Garland vocal version

Ivie Anderson

Gypsy jazz interpretation

Duke Ellington version

Thelonious Monk

Art Tatum

Tony Bennett

The Origin of John Coltrane's Spiritual

Like Coltrane's "Song of the Underground Railroad," which was a jazz interpretation of "Follow the Drinking Gourd," Coltrane recorded another song directly based on Negro Spirituals. His "Spiritual," recorded multiple times at live shows in the 1960s provides the listener with a jazz interpretation of an exceedingly rare version of "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen (or Nobody Knows de Trouble I See, according to the original title). This melody is quite distinct from the commonly known version, but more beautiful in my humble opinion.
Look for the sheet music in this google book http://books.google.com/books?id=cP-vouiZ0JsC&pg=PA140&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false
On page 140 you will see the sheet music. The book itself is a collection of Negro Spirituals with arrangements by James Weldon Johnson and his relative, J. Rosamond Johnson, published in 1925. Apparently Coltrane had a copy of the book or knew of somebody who did, which inspired his "Spiritual."

Unfortunately, I couldn't locate an actual recording of this alternate "Nobody Knows" but I found another song that uses it as the basis for the song. Charles Brown, a blues pianist who was most successful in the 1940s and 1950s recorded it in the 1990s.
http://grooveshark.com/#/search?q=Charles+Brown+Nobody+Knows As a blues pianist, Brown adds his own bluesy touch, which is exactly what McCoy Tyner did when performing this song live with John Coltrane in the 1960s.

Coltrane's recordings of "Spiritual" are epic, especially the 20 minute long version performed at the Village Vanguard in New York with Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, an instrument rarely used in jazz. Indeed, the reasons I appreciate "Spiritual" so much are due to Tyner's piano playing and Dolphy's bass clarinet solo midway through the song. I believe "Spiritual" is one of Coltrane's most powerful songs, but he should've kept the original title so more people would know of this stunning alternate form of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen."

Song of the Underground Railroad

I can't believe it took me so long to figure this out, but John Coltrane's "Song of the Underground Railroad" from his Africa/Brass album is the Negro spiritual, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," which really was a song of the Underground Railroad. Coltrane's recording, utilizing a big band with arrangements by McCoy Tyner and Eric Dolphy, sounds so different from the source material due to the multi-layering of sounds. Quck basslines, Coltrane's soaring saxophone solos, the propulsive swing, and the horns really do sound like a train. Furthermore, this discovery reinforces this album as a tribute to his African heritage, since the spirituals form the core of African-American music and provide a bridge to the African religious traditions of our past under the guise of Western Christianity. The title track, "Africa," is another obvious reference to Africa as a musical, spiritual, and cultural homeland of African-Americans.

Here is a version of Follow the Drinking Gourd recorded by The Weavers, an early folk revivalist group of white musicians.

John Coltrane's jazzed up version

Coltrane later recorded another song inspired by spirituals, but I cannot determine the source. It sounds like "Wade in the Water" but I am not entirely sure. As soon as I discover which, I shall make another post.

Spirituals and Gospel

I love me some gospel and Negro spirituals. Here is a long list of some of my favorite Gospel tunes.

Marvin Sapp's Never Would've Made It is a contemporary gospel masterpiece.

The Wailers recorded a couple of spirituals and gospel tunes as well. I really like their versions of Amen, Sinner Man, and This Train.

Let the Lord Be Seen in Me is a great gospel ballad. Jamaican interpretations of American gospel, spirituals, and R&B are fascinating and essential for understanding the evolution of ska, reggae and rocksteady.

Wings of a Dove is another interesting gospel/spiritual interpretation from Bob Marley and the Wailers

Tell Them Lord is a ska tune with Christian lyrics

This gospel tune was the inspiration for Ray Charles' I've Got a Woman, which was sampled by Kanye West for his hit, Gold Digger.

I'll Fly Away is another gospel fav of mine and one of Kanye's best moments on his first album.

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? is one of the greatest spirituals. I first heard it during Easter season at Catholic mass in my youth. Robeson also has such an amazingly deep voice that captures the melancholy of this spiritual. Check out his Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child as well.

Oh Happy Day is a classic

Mahalia Jackson is a phenomenal gospel singer and her rendition of Amazing Grace is required gospel listening

Take My Hand, Precious Lord is a gospel standard composed by Thomas A. Dorsey, the 'father of gospel.' He brought blues and jazz influences into gospel. Jim Reeves was a country singer whose rendition of the song I find interesting.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was known for her guitar and singing skills. And she really knew how to play the blues and swing (some accused her of playing 'devil's music' because she always played in a bluesy or jazz-influenced manner)

Down by the Riverside is a classic

Up Above My Head

Another great Sister Rosetta Tharpe song, a duet

This Train

Classic gospel-blues

Peace in the Valley was composed by Thomas A. Dorsey, the aforementioned blues pianist who became the 'father of black gospel'

Jesus Gave me Water

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Oh, Freedom

That's Heaven to Me

Nina Simone's legendary recording of Sinnerman

First recording of Sinner Man by Les Baxter

Classic Gospel song

No More Auction Block For Me

Summertime is not a spiritual but Gershwin was trying to write a song that sounds like African American folk music so I'll include Robeson's version of summertime

Robeson's version of Amazing Grace. What a voice!

Somebody's Knockin' At Your Door. I first heard this in a Catholic church in Wisconsin. I never new it was a Negro spiritual

Freedom

Oh, Freedom

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free

No more moaning, no more moaning, no more moaning over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free

No more crying, no more crying, no more crying over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free

There'll be singin', there'll be singin', there'll be singin' over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free

There'll be glory, there'll be glory, there'll glory over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free

Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free