Preachers an Congregarions 1926-1941
The Complete Recorded works of Rev. M Chambers, Rev. Frank Cotton and Deacon Leon Davis
This collection of sermons and song by preachers and their congregations offers some contrasting styles in a genre that exhibits more variety than a cursory listen would reveal. The fine tracks by the deep-voiced REV. W. M. CHAMBERS and Congregation generally follow a pattern thai begins with a rather subdued sermon that quickly builds to a fever pitch, and then just as rapidly dissipates its energy with Chambers, sounding drained, making a hurried closing remark.
Some titles begin with a fragment of powerful song, Chambers' favourite being "I Don't Know What Will I Do Without The Lord" which opens "Lord, Teach Us" and appears three times during "What Will l Do (Without The Lord)." An interesting combination of biblical quotation and topical reference occurs in "Let Jesus Convoy Your Soul." In late May 1941, with America desperately attempting to avoid involvement in a World War that was escalating seemingly everywhere else, Chambers' metaphor of the devil torpedoing souls and the need for Jesus as a convoy must have been particularly striking. References to North Carolina in "A Fixed Heart" and "It" - Part 2, coupled with the presence of Brownie McGhee, Jordan Webb, and Washboard Slim at the same session as Chambers (matrices C-3782 through C-3798 are by McGhee under his own name as well as in the religious guide of Brother George and his Sanctified Singers, with Webb and Slim backing throughout) suggest the possibility that the Chambers congregation was from North Carolina, and they aIl may have traveled together from that state to Chicago to record. McGhee and Webb were living in Winston-Salem in the late 1930s and Chambers mentions High Point, North Carolina (which is just south of Winston-Salem) in "It" - Part 2. Regarding possible post-war recording activity, Blues & Gospel Records 1902-1943 states: "It is not known whether this is the same Rev. Chambers who recorded thus for Chess in 1952", while Gospel Records 1943-1969 lists Chess 15511 ("It's Praying Time"/"Me And The Devil") as by the same Chambers who re corded pre-war.
Paramount Records seemed to have remarkable luck (or skill) in discovering vernacular musical product that was raw and volatile, and the recordings by KEV. FRANK COTTON were no exception. "Bom Again" begins with a powerful rendition of "When I Lay My Burden Down" before Cotton charges in with an extremely straining sermon. (Rev. Chambers' "How Shall We Escape" and "You Must Hold Out" by Deacon Leon Davis aIso touch on the "you must be born again" theme, but with a more gradual build in intensity.)
DEACON LEON DAVIS assisted by Sisters Jordan and Norman maintained a long term association with the phenomenally popular Rev. J. M. Gates from Atlanta, Georgia. Over a fifteen year period Gates was responsible for more than a quarter of aIl the sermons commercially recorded before the Second World War, and Davis and company were present on a significant proportion of these sides. Davis, Jordan, and Norman were first credited as "assisting" Gates on record labels for the material issued from his 22 February 1927 session, but since all parties recorded in Atlanta the previous November, it is reasonable assumption that they were assisting Gates at least since November 1926, and quite possibly earlier.
On the sides collected here, Davis proves to be a fine preacher in his own right, and OKeh focuses in more depth on some aspects of black religious service that were covered only marginally on record by Gates. Of particular interest are "Deacon's prayer Service" and "Experience Meeting” where a simulation of testimony of religious conversion is recorded. Davis' last session under his own name was a small share of the wealth of material gathered by OKeh on a field trip to Atlanta in December 1930. This was the label's penultimate field trip and they concentrated largely on religious items, recording Brothers Wright and Williams (probably Macon Ed and Tampa Joe with "assistance" from Sisters Jordan and Norman), the Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1, Rev. Gates, and Sister Clara Hudmon, in an attempt to slow the rapid dip in the sale of race records brought about by the Depression. OKeh was gambling that one of the "necessities" hard-pressed black families would not be able to do without were religious recordings
Ken Romanowski
December 1996
Copyright 1997: Document Records. Austria ~
This set includes "Didn't it Rain" (9843 A OK 8426, recorded in Atlant on the first of November 1926, which is probably the oldest recording of this Gospel.
Have Fun
This collection of sermons and song by preachers and their congregations offers some contrasting styles in a genre that exhibits more variety than a cursory listen would reveal. The fine tracks by the deep-voiced REV. W. M. CHAMBERS and Congregation generally follow a pattern thai begins with a rather subdued sermon that quickly builds to a fever pitch, and then just as rapidly dissipates its energy with Chambers, sounding drained, making a hurried closing remark.
Some titles begin with a fragment of powerful song, Chambers' favourite being "I Don't Know What Will I Do Without The Lord" which opens "Lord, Teach Us" and appears three times during "What Will l Do (Without The Lord)." An interesting combination of biblical quotation and topical reference occurs in "Let Jesus Convoy Your Soul." In late May 1941, with America desperately attempting to avoid involvement in a World War that was escalating seemingly everywhere else, Chambers' metaphor of the devil torpedoing souls and the need for Jesus as a convoy must have been particularly striking. References to North Carolina in "A Fixed Heart" and "It" - Part 2, coupled with the presence of Brownie McGhee, Jordan Webb, and Washboard Slim at the same session as Chambers (matrices C-3782 through C-3798 are by McGhee under his own name as well as in the religious guide of Brother George and his Sanctified Singers, with Webb and Slim backing throughout) suggest the possibility that the Chambers congregation was from North Carolina, and they aIl may have traveled together from that state to Chicago to record. McGhee and Webb were living in Winston-Salem in the late 1930s and Chambers mentions High Point, North Carolina (which is just south of Winston-Salem) in "It" - Part 2. Regarding possible post-war recording activity, Blues & Gospel Records 1902-1943 states: "It is not known whether this is the same Rev. Chambers who recorded thus for Chess in 1952", while Gospel Records 1943-1969 lists Chess 15511 ("It's Praying Time"/"Me And The Devil") as by the same Chambers who re corded pre-war.
Paramount Records seemed to have remarkable luck (or skill) in discovering vernacular musical product that was raw and volatile, and the recordings by KEV. FRANK COTTON were no exception. "Bom Again" begins with a powerful rendition of "When I Lay My Burden Down" before Cotton charges in with an extremely straining sermon. (Rev. Chambers' "How Shall We Escape" and "You Must Hold Out" by Deacon Leon Davis aIso touch on the "you must be born again" theme, but with a more gradual build in intensity.)
DEACON LEON DAVIS assisted by Sisters Jordan and Norman maintained a long term association with the phenomenally popular Rev. J. M. Gates from Atlanta, Georgia. Over a fifteen year period Gates was responsible for more than a quarter of aIl the sermons commercially recorded before the Second World War, and Davis and company were present on a significant proportion of these sides. Davis, Jordan, and Norman were first credited as "assisting" Gates on record labels for the material issued from his 22 February 1927 session, but since all parties recorded in Atlanta the previous November, it is reasonable assumption that they were assisting Gates at least since November 1926, and quite possibly earlier.
On the sides collected here, Davis proves to be a fine preacher in his own right, and OKeh focuses in more depth on some aspects of black religious service that were covered only marginally on record by Gates. Of particular interest are "Deacon's prayer Service" and "Experience Meeting” where a simulation of testimony of religious conversion is recorded. Davis' last session under his own name was a small share of the wealth of material gathered by OKeh on a field trip to Atlanta in December 1930. This was the label's penultimate field trip and they concentrated largely on religious items, recording Brothers Wright and Williams (probably Macon Ed and Tampa Joe with "assistance" from Sisters Jordan and Norman), the Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1, Rev. Gates, and Sister Clara Hudmon, in an attempt to slow the rapid dip in the sale of race records brought about by the Depression. OKeh was gambling that one of the "necessities" hard-pressed black families would not be able to do without were religious recordings
Ken Romanowski
December 1996
Copyright 1997: Document Records. Austria ~
This set includes "Didn't it Rain" (9843 A OK 8426, recorded in Atlant on the first of November 1926, which is probably the oldest recording of this Gospel.
Have Fun
