Given the sheer number of tribute discs flooding the market these days, it's natural to approach most with reservations. Few, it would seem, are motivated by anything other than sheer greed; aren't most, after all, tributes to artists with known selling power?
What to make, then, of a tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe? Once a household name, she began her career in 1938, becoming through the years a gospel superstar who forever pushed boundaries and courted controversy. While she often flirted with blues, injecting its earthy sensuality into the sacred (remember, at the time it was still widely regarded as 'the devil's music'), her popularity seemed to wane in proportion to her immersion in the secular. Nonetheless, she was a hugely influential figure, remembered for her courage, her flair for showmanship, and her innovative guitar work (this, too, at a time when women were seldom known for their instrumental prowess).
Yet she's hardly the stuff of the average record exec's dream. So credit MC Records President Mark Carpentieri, along with Stony Plain's Holger Petersen (this is a joint project between the two labels) for the vision behind "Shout, Sister, Shout!". And then give him a resounding 'hallelujah!' for a wonderful project that does its subject proud indeed. Also deserving kudos is Maria Muldaur, whose untiring efforts brought many of the participants on board and who produced roughly half the sessions.
Tributes, of course, can take two different forms; reverential treatments that merely revisit the originals, or reinterpretations that cast new light on the material. Most of the material here falls soundly into the latter category, the few exceptions excusable because the material is simply so strong it deserves to stand as is.
The variety is breathtaking, no surprise given the number of performers; in addition to Ms. Muldaur, we get Angela Strehli, Marcia Ball, and Tracy Nelson (all of whom contribute to a rousing rendition of the title track), Odetta, Joan Osbourne, Joanna Connor, Phoebe Snow, Janis Ian, Toshi Regan, and Michelle Shocked. Instrumental contributors include Bonnie Raitt and the Holmes Brothers. The one misstep is Victoria Williams' bizarre take on "My Lord And I." She's an acquired taste at the best of times, but here she's simply so far out it's laughable at first listen, and increasingly painful with each subsequent spin. Also included is a video clip of Ms. Tharpe herself, playable on most computers, undated but taken from the early years of 'TV Gospel Time."
In many ways, gospel music is simply the sacred side of a coin, the secular side being blues; the power and the passion may be directed elsewhere, but both originate in the heart and soul. One doesn't have to be religious to be moved by gospel, and hard indeed is the heart that wouldn't be affected by this wonderful collection.
This one's a winner all the way!
Stony Plain Records
P.O. Box 861, Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 2L8
Phone : 780-468-6423
Fax : 78o-465-8941
Web : www.stonyplainrecords.com
E-Mail : info@stonyplainrecords.com
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