Shout, Sister, Shout: A Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe [ENHANCED]

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 2003)
• Original Release Date: August 12, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: M.C. Records
• ASIN: B0000ALFZ3
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #174,388 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Nobody's Fault But Mine - The Holmes Brothers, Joan Osborne

2. My Journey to the Sky - Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt

3. Rock Me - Toshi Reagon

4. Two Little Fishes and Five Loaves of Bread - The Holmes Brothers, Odetta

5. Strange Things Happening Every Day - Michelle Shocked

6. This Train - Janis Ian

7. Shout, Sister, Shout - Marcia Ball, Maria Muldaur, Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli

8. Beams of Heaven - The Holmes Brothers, Phoebe Snow

9. Precious Memories - Sweet Honey in the Rock

10. I Want a Tall Skinny Papa - Marcia Ball

11. My Lord and I - The Holmes Brothers, Victoria Williams

12. Stand by Me - Rory Block

13. Up Above My Head - Maria Muldaur, Tracy Nelson

14. Don't Take Everybody to Be Your Friend - Joanna Connor

15. That's All - Angela Strehli

16. I Looked Down the Line (And I Wondered) - Maria Muldaur

17. Didn't It Rain - Marie Knight

18. Down by the Riverside [Audio/Video Clip] - Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The music of the late Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of those buried treasures of Americana periodically exhumed to delight the previously unaware. Nominally a gospel singer, she was in fact a triple-threat performer: singer, guitarist, and composer. Of course, the respectful and tasteful covers by the all-female roster here reveal only Tharpe's compositional contributions. Festival staples like "This Train," sung by Janis Ian (with some snappy guitar picking of her own), and "Precious Memories," done in haunting but near tuneless fashion by Sweet Honey in the Rock, are joined by spirited renditions of lesser known Tharpe originals like "Beams of Heaven" (taken to church by Phoebe Snow) and "Up Above My Head" (Maria Muldaur). Other contributors like Victoria Williams, Rory Block, Odetta, and Michelle Shocked bring Tharpe's repertoire into their own stylistic realms. Tharpe's former singing partner Marie Knight most closely approaches the fervor of her late friend on "Didn't It Rain," with Jimmy Vivino hinting at Tharpe's guitar style. Thankfully the CD includes an MPEG of the Sister herself singing and rocking out on electric guitar with an energy unequaled elsewhere on the record. This video and her fascinating story as told by Gayle Wald in the extensive notes make Shout, Sister, Shout! a must-have. --Michael Ross

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy It!, January 22, 2004

By	Barbara Simpson "Frank & Barb" (Petaluma, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

An EXTRAORDINARY album! It is an absolute must for those interested in true "roots" music. You will find yourself filing it next to your soundtrack from "Down From The Mountain" or "O'Brother Where Art Thou?" On the other hand, you may file it with your Blues music. But it is Gospel?

The truth is...to my ear... this album is an excellent demonstration of the interrelationship of Gospel, Blues and Jazz. And the performers! Simply the best available today. For those that are not familiar with some of them, you may find some new "friends." I was especially pleased to see that Angela Strehli was included.

You will also be treated to an excellent history on Sister Rosetta Tharpe...Like Who Knew?

There is also an extra treat included for those with computers--an MPEG file of Sister Rosetta Tharpe singing "Down By The Riverside." Simply open Windows Media or Real Audio, and select the file from your drive to play it. You won't be disappointed.

Finally, a special thanks to Mark Carpentieri and Maria Muldaur for bringing this music to life.

Frank Simpson

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irresistible!, December 2, 2004

By	AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

My first introduction to Tharpe was back on an LP entitled "Sister Rosetta Tharpe" (Foremothers Volume 8, Rosetta Records.) I listened before reading the liner notes and at several points thought, "Is that Chuck Berry or somebody backing her up?"

To my surprise it wasn't Chuck Berry, it was Sister Rosetta herself. Lord, how that woman could swing a song! As a singer, guitarist and composer, she was the first real gospel superstar.

With performances by Phoebe Snow, Janis Ian, Odetta and others, this CD is a fitting and stellar tribute to Tharp's compositional skills, and it even includes an MPEG video of Tharpe's live performance of "Down By the Riverside" back in the 1960's from TV Gospel Time. The liner notes include a 4-page bio by Gayle Wald, author of a forthcoming biography.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy, Sister, Buy!, April 26, 2008

By	Aleppo Pepper (NYC) - See all my reviews

I only recently learned about Sister Rosetta Tharpe. This tribute is fabulous! If you're a fan of REAL singing, buy this and you will not be disappointed. The range is great from covers that differ only slightly from Sister Rosetta's original version to out-there takes (like Joan Osborne and Toshi Reagon). LOVE IT!!