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Avg: 4.5 (18 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1995
- Genre: Blues
- Style: Inspirational
- Label: Arhoolie Records / IODA
A sublime example of raw unfettered gospel music and among the greatest live recordings ever made
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We Say...
This recording is not only a pinnacle of Sanctified fervor — a sublime example of raw unfettered gospel music — but it ranks among the greatest live recordings ever made. Pastor Overstreet is here captured by a young Chris Strachwitz in 1962, at his successful storefront Church of God in Christ church in Phoenix, AZ. The guitars are very loud, the rhythms are rocking and the vocals are — you guessed it — loud and beautiful (thanks to Louis' sons chiming in the background). Well-known hymns like "I'm A Soldier" take on new meaning here, catapulted into droney, repetitive bliss. It's no wonder that people from the pool halls and bars nearby would be drawn at all times of the day to this fiercely magnetic performer (according to his widow, the great pastor Mary Overstreet of Portland, OR).
Strachwitz's original liner notes bear quoting: "There, on the sidewalk outside a tavern, was a tall black man dressed in a black robe playing an electric guitar which was plugged into an amplifier with a chord running into a beer joint. About eight feet away from him, around a second mike, standing on the sidewalk and also plugged into the amp, were four young boys playing the role of his choir and congregation." This music is as visceral and fearless as the man in Strachwitz's wonderful description. The only problem with this recording is that it doesn't last for eight hours — or more. -
They Say...
Rev. Overstreet and his congregation deliver feverishly powerful gospel on this session recorded in 1962; Overstreet's voice is deep and dark, while his spare guitar work lends a spectral blues element to the music.
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16 Total Tracks, 75:16 Total Length
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Credits
- Rev. Louis Overstreet - Guitar // Rev. Louis Overstreet - Arranger // Rev. Louis Overstreet - Drums (Bass) // Rev. Louis Overstreet - Vocals // Rev. Louis Overstreet - Main Performer // Rev. Louis Overstreet - ? // Chris Strachwitz - Producer // Chris Strachwitz - Liner Notes // Chris Strachwitz - Editing // Chris Strachwitz - Photography // Wayne Pope - Artwork // Dix Bruce - Photo Restoration // Albert Lee Overstreet - ? // Alvin Sidney Overstreet - ? // Congregation Of St. Lukes Powerhouse Church Of God In Chri - Performer
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