Fire In My Bones - Raw + Rare + Otherworldly African-American Gospel (1944-2007)

iTunes Review

Fire in My Bones is an expertly curated collection of postwar gospel that deliberately sets its sights outside of the mainstream. A profusion of esoteric gospel styles are represented here, from the country blues–influenced guitar work of street singers and the polished vocal harmonies of quartet singers to the primal roar of amplified guitar evangelists like the Reverend Utah Smith, whose countrified breed of rock ‘n’ roll has one foot in the church and the other in the barrelhouse. A common thread running through these eclectic selections is an impassioned sense of spiritual immediacy and an indomitable determination to celebrate life amid the most difficult of circumstances. Though some of the performers here were seasoned (if not polished) professionals like Sister O.M. Terrell, Robert Ballinger, and Isaiah Owens, the majority were devoted amateurs releasing music on homegrown labels for consumption by tight-knit spiritual communities. By bringing these formerly isolated performances together, Fire in My Bones helps trace the course of a deep and pure vein of American folk art.