Black Gospel

I've chosen to wade into the HMR Project by touching upon early black gospel for its first subject, that preceding modern Black Gospel proper in reference to its originators, Arizona Dranes and Thomas A. Dorsey. It is apt here to regard the relationship of early black gospel to early black blues. Both arose from out of the rural South as siblings of common heritage in the Southern plantation. One limb spiritual and the other secular, black gospel has been notably Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostal. As performed by early blues artists, they are interclasped, yet of two hands as different as were their venues, nor to be confused: gospel proper came with church; gospel via blues musicians came with liquor, et al. Though notably different from gospel brought to the United States from Europe via Church, classical or folk music, black gospel also borrowed from such sources. as did another of greater gospel's early secular paths that was folk music as distinguished from blues. Among hymns brought to the United States by European immigrants was such as 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God', composed by Protestant revolutionary, Martin Luther, circa 1528. As to black composing in gospel, though the words to 'Amazing Grace' were written by Anglican clergyman, John Newton, in 1779, having been a slave trader prior to that, it's suggested that he drew the melody from black slaves. Howsoever the veins of gospel in America variously filled, this recognition of black gospel is necessitated by the heavy presence of gospel in blues, classical and folk. Its absence in these histories would be conspicuous to their author.

Well to address the earlier roots of black gospel at least as far back as it was sung along the Underground Railroad also known as the Freedom Train of abolitionists involved in helping slaves escape their Southern masters to destinations in Canada, Mexico and overseas. Among conductors were such as Peg Leg Joe [b/d unknown] and Harriet Tubman [March 1822–3/19/1913], the latter perhaps age 73 in this 1895 photograph:

Harriet Tubman   1895

Source:Source: Wikipedia

Among songs sung along its routes is said to be Peg Leg Joe's 'Follow the Drinking Gourd' published in 1928, though that is disputed at Follow the Drinking Gourd. "Drinking Gourd" was code for the Big Dipper constellation, used in directing runaways to their destinations. Instructions were often coded into the hymns that black folk sang at the time. Tubman's was a 650-mile route from Maryland to Ontario, she making the first of 19 successful trips in 1850, coming to free several hundred slaves during her dangerous career. She is said to have had a bounty attached to her that rose to $40,000, equivalent to a million dollars these days. Texts by Tubman were made available in 1966 on 'The Negro Woman' (Folkways Records FH 5523), read by Dorothy Washington:

'The Negro Woman'   Dorothy Washington   1966

Also of that earlier period was 'Song of the Free' in 1860, put to the tune of the blackface minstrel song, 'Oh! Susanna' (Stephen Foster 1848). 'Steal Away' was another Underground Railroad song composed by Choctaw freedman, Wallace Willis, sometime before 1862. That was published by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1901. The hymn, 'Go Down Moses', had been published as early as 1862 by Reverend Lockwood, arranged by Thomas Baker. The Fisk Jubilee Singers published their version in 1872. Come Paul Robeson's recording about eighty years later in 1953 w pianist, Lawrence Brown:

'Go Down Moses'   Paul Robeson/Lawrence Brown   1953

'Sweet Chariot' was composed by Willis sometime after 1865. The Fisk Jubilee Singers recorded it in 1909:

'Sweet Chariot'   Fisk Jubilee Singers   1909

'Michael Row the Boat Ashore' was published in 'Slave Songs of the United States' in 1867. Harry Belafonte issued a secular version more than 90 years later in 1962:

'Michael Row the Boat Ashore'   Harry Belafonte   1962

'The Good Old Way', was also published in 1867 in 'Slave Songs of the United States'. The Fisk Jubilee Singers published another version in 1880 as 'Come, Let Us All Go Down'. That got recorded as early as 'I Went Down Into the Garden' (Okeh 40796) on March 22, 1927, by the Price Family Sacred Singers. Lead Belly recorded a version called 'Down in the Valley to Pray' in 1940 for the Library of Congress. See 'Let It Shine On Me: The Library of Congress Recordings Volume 3' ('91):

'Down in the Valley to Pray'   Lead Belly   1940

Also of the Underground Railroad period was 'Wade in the Water' of anonymous origin eventually published in 1901. The Sunset Four Jubilee Singers were the first to issue that in 1925 on Paramount 12273: