Accidental Mysteries Review April 2009
Janna Rosenkranz | New York, NY | 05/31/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
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GRAMMY NOMINATED BEST HISTORICAL RELEASE 2009
Review by John Foster, Accidental Mysteries, April 2009
FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE, COLLECTOR JIM LINDERMAN has searched high and low for authentic things--unique and special objects that define the artistic culture of the American experience. From folk art to popular culture, from pulp fiction to Delta Blues-- Jim is a walking authority on so many things American they are too numerous to mention. One thing is certain-- his collecting interests are for things that have fallen through the cracks, those things lost and forgotten--the box of material under the table at the flea market booth. If it wasn't for dedicated collectors like Jim Linderman-- so many important objects about our culture would have surely been lost to time and indifference.
TAKE ME TO THE WATER: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890 - 1950 is Linderman's first book. The 96-page hardcover book (8.75 x 6 inches) has 75 sepia photograph reproductions from 1890-1950 and is accompanied by a CD of rare gospel and folk recordings from original 78-RPM records (1924-1940). It features recordings of artists like Washington Phillips, Carter Family, Tennessee Mountaineers, and lesser known and rare groups like the Belmont Silvertone Jubilee Singers, a vocal quartet in 1939. Included as well are rare vocal recordings of sermons and preaching which highlight the fervor leading up to the moment of cleansing one's soul in immersion baptism. Certainly, allowing oneself to lie backwards into deep river water for the washing away of sin would be a powerful moment in anyone's life.
TAKE ME TO THE WATER is another gem in the renowned publishing record of Dust-to-Digital, the brainchild and passion of 2009 Grammy winner Lance Ledbetter, who is an expert in music of American vernacular musical field recordings, specifically bluegrass, gospel and Delta blues. Linderman's collection of immersion baptism photographs is extensive and was recently gifted to the International Center of Photography in New York. The original 78-RPM records from which this CD was made came from the collections of Joe Bussard, Steven Lance Ledbetter, Frank Mare and Roger Misiewicz. As a bonus, the book is beautifully designed and art directed by John Hubbard and Rob Millis.
Writer Luc Sante wrote this in the introduction, which I think sums up my feelings quite well: "Whether you have ever actually experienced a baptism or not, whether you are a believer or not, these pictures and the music that accompanies them transmit all the emotional information: the excitement and the serenity, the fellowship and the warmth, the wind and the water ... You would have to have a heart of tin not to recognize this as one of the happiest collections of archival photographs ever assembled."
I firmly believe that this will be one of those rare books that, in a few years, you end up saying to yourself: "I wish I had bought that." If you are interested in vernacular photography, history, sociology, religion, great authentic gospel music or just great books, this book/CD compilation is a must for your collection. Buy it while you can.
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Beautiful and mysterious - the latest from Dust-to-Digital
Scott D. Reeves | Mason, OH | 09/03/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The folks at Dust-to-Digital are in the business of reclaiming and documenting America's musical past and they are quite good at it. Their collection of pre-war gospel music, Goodbye Babylon, is a stunning success and has become a cornerstone of any collection of American vernacular music. This latest release, Take Me to the Water - Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950, is less ambitious in scope but in many ways just as successful.
The book itself is a small (6x8.75 inches) volume comprised of 75 sepia-toned plates of baptisms from the collection of Jim Linderman. The credits state that the majority of these photos were found at flea markets, auctions and antique shows and as such are almost completely without documentation. Although a little disappointing, this lack of documentation adds to the mystery of the volume - these people standing in the water could be anyone from almost anywhere. Interspersed among the images are a brief essay by Luc Sante and selected lyrics from a few of the songs on the CD. The last few pages contain short, informative essays about each of the songs and sermons on the CD.
The CD itself is nicely tucked away inside the back cover. The selections themselves are on par with those found on Goodbye Babylon which is to say very, very good. Songs range from old chestnuts (Wade in the Water, At the River) to pieces that are simply one of a kind. Washington Phillips, for example, sings Denomination Blues - an enumeration of the various baptismal traditions of Protestant churches - like a man who knows HE is going to heaven. Sound quality is excellent for material of this vintage.
My only quibble with this release is the size of the photographic reproductions. As mentioned above the volume is quite small - so small that the impact of some of the photos is significantly
compromised. On the whole, however, Take Me to the River is a satisfying and beautiful volume that shines a sepia-toned light on a fascinating aspect of American religious and musical traditions.
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Track Listings (25) - Disc #1