Saints' Paradise: Trombone Shout Bands from the United House of Prayer (review)

Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez The Best of Flaco Jiménez Arhoolie, 1999 CD 478, ^IJ.OO The Grammy Award-winning Norteña accordionist FlacoJiménez has produced such a prodigious amount of material that a compilation surveying some of his better-known works from the last ten years is a welcome sight. Although The Best ofis a somewhat misleading tide for this CD since it does not include work he has done widi major recording artists like The Rolling Stones, Los Lobos, and Dwight Yoakam, this new release nevertheless captures the magic ofhis spirited accordion as he works it through the paces on the rancheras, boleros, and polkas that form the center of tejano music. Starting with a ranchera by his legendary fadier, Santiago, Jiménez covers many traditional favorites and includes a few works ofmore recent vintage as well. The liner notes by Arhoolie's founder Chris Strachwitz briefly trace Jimenez's career and provide English and Spanish versions of the lyrics. Saints' Paradise: Trombone Shout Bands from the United House of Prayer Smithsonian Folkways, 1999 cd 401 17, $14.00 The United House ofPrayer for All People, founded by Daddy Grace in the early part of the twentieth century, has never stinted on music. In die 1930s the Columbia , South Carolina, church was so raucous that it was sued as a public nuisance . Yet because die House of Prayer has traditionally frowned on public performances , much of its musical tradition has remained relatively unknown. This anthology focuses on the trombone bands used during services, baptisms, funer92 southern cultures, Spring2000 : GavinJames Campbell als, parades, and any time congregations want to "shout." Blending jazz riffs with gospel quartet harmonies, the bands feature horns, sousaphones, drums, but most especially trombones in both lively and meditative works designed to praise God. The liner notes provide an excellent overview of the denomination's history , dozens ofphotographs, and detailed notes on die featured bands. Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African American Fiddlers, 1926-1949 Old Hat, 1999 cd 1002, $16.98 The very first cut of Violin, SingtheBluesforMe featuring LonnieJohnson—not on guitar but on fiddle—reopens a forgotten world of fiddle-driven blues. The fiddle 's ability to closely mimic the human voice and its long history in African American hands made it a logical choice for an emerging blues repertoire in the early twentieth century. Yet for a number of reasons outlined in die superb liner notes, the guitar squeezed the fiddle out and left it to languish. The twenty-four tracks included here resurrect the tradition in a startling way. The selections are admirably made, reflecting a wide array of styles from jug bands to Mississippi Delta blues, and the remastering is truly remarkable. Anyone who loves the blues and anyone interested in exploring the South's overlooked musical heritage will find this important cd richly rewarding. [Ed. note: To contact OldHat, write to Old HatEnterprises, P. 0. Box io)o9, Raleigh NC2760j or call (9i9) 8j8-9ooj.J Music Recordings 93 ...