This is the first of (hopefully) many entries about my favorite music. I have thousands of recordings, and am an obsessive listener, and I figured, what would give me more pleasure than telling the world about the music I love the best.

‘What are we Doing in Heaven Today” is possibly the most beautiful tune I’ve heard in my entire life. There is something so other-worldly and powerful in his singing — I am moved to tears almost every time I listen to these recordings.

There are short samples of that song and more on Amazon.com:

Washington Phillips on Amazon

All of the songs were recorded by George Washington Phillips in Texas in the 1920s, into a simple conical record-cutter, and sold regionally to mostly religious African-Americans. He played a dulceola, phonoharp or fretless zither — whatever it was, it was a strange and haunting instrument that he both strummed and plucked. The instrument makes his seem like an angel’s, and yet, full of grit and sorrow. You have never heard singing like this before…

For Washington Phillips’ information, Gregg Miner set up a beautiful site in tribute to the master, and little known, gospel singer of Texas. Check out Gregg’s site for biographical information, and also much about the debate between musicologists and collectors about the details of Washington Phillips’ true life story.

The most beautiful recordings and remasterings of Washington Phillips, as well as well-researched liner notes can be found on the Yazoo Records release entitled: The Key to the Kingdom. Go to http://www.yazoorecords.com/2073.htm to find/purchase that record! If you buy one new record that you want to feel genuinely moved by, this is it! It is scratchy in places, but what in life really isn’t — it’s about the passion inside each note, and the glow behind each strum of his strange instrument.

I’ll be talking about my favorite tunes all the time — so keep checking back for more recommendations, eclectically pulled from every genre! Or check out my new podcast, where I give little shows about good American Roots Music… On the podcast, there are long soundclips of all the examples!