In the mid-20th century, Louisville gospel music was occasionally recorded when members of the local gospel community pressed 45rpm records and LPs, and released them through grassroots record labels such as Sensational Sounds, Grace, Blessed, and D.J.S. Over the years, a substantial body of work was produced in our city, but those recordings are in danger of being lost forever.The Louisville Story Program has been working with dozens of people in the local gospel music community to locate, digitize, and preserve hundreds of these recordings and to develop a book that documents and honors the legacies of the people and communities that produced them.For decades, the passion, hard work, and support of countless people across dozens of Black church communities in Louisville have nurtured and sustained a rich gospel music ecosystem. This music has served as a central part of people's religious practice and as an expression of Black pride, joy, affirmation, love, dignity, determination, and hope. This legacy continues to this day.With support from The Owsley Brown II Family Foundation and Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation, LSP has partnered with members of the gospel community and a local advisory group of local gospel historians and luminaries:To locate, clean, and digitize gospel records of local artists released by small local labelsTo accompany the local Black gospel music community in developing a 4 CD box set that includes a 200+ page hardcover book with first-person documentation of their rich historyTo create an accompanying double LP featuring 26 of those songsTo create and maintain a public-facing digital archive of 1, 000 songs and 1, 000 photographsTo celebrate the final release with a large concert at the Brown Theatre (September 28, 2024)

Tracklist:

The Guiding Stars - Been Dipped in the Water
The Religious Five Quartet - Let Me Lean on You
The Butlerairs - He's So Good to Me
Eastern Star Chorale - Until You Try Jesus
The Sensational Bells of Joy - Lord Take My Hand
Green Street Baptist Church Youth Choir - He's All Right
The Singing Son of Zion - Steal Away
The Gospel Voices of Soul - Woke Up This Morning
The Gospel Motivators - Trust Him
Joe Thomas - I Feel Like Pressing My Way
The Indiana Wonders - Thank You Jesus
The Webster Singers - Stay By Our Side
Rev. Eddie James and Family - Jesus Will Fix It
The Solomonaires - Come Out of the Wilderness
The Antioch Majestic Voices - Peace Until My Soul
Rev. Thomas N. Pride - He Knows It All
The Ecclesiastics - He Made a Way for Me
The Gospel Descendents - Jesus Is All I Need to Get By
The Gospel Chanteurs - Lord Don't Leave Me
Newburg Radio Chorus - Calvary
Cleo K. Joiner III and the Metropolitan Community Choir - Spirit of the Living God
Jimmy Ellis and the Riverview Spiritual Singers - I've Come a Long, Long Way
Rev. Charles E. Kirby - Lord You Been Good to Me
The Golden Crowns - We Are Trying
Indiana Community Choir - Lord Don't Move That Mountain
God's Girls - My Time Ain't Long

UPC: 198168067543
Label: Louisville Story
Release Date: 11.8.24
Format: Vinyl Record

I'm Glad About It Legacy Of Gospel / Various - I'm Glad About It Legacy Of Gospel / Various [LP]