Jazz Interpretations of Gospel, Hymns and Spirituals

[relyles]

I am leading a covenant group during the 2020 Lenten season at my church titled "Food, Jazz and Disciplines". In addition to sharing meals and the neccesary study, during the group sessions I will also be curating listening sessions featuring jazz interpretations of music from the black church tradition. In about ten minutes of thought I identified several artists in my collection that have either recorded entire albums or individual tracks featuring jazz interpretations of gospel, hymns and spirituals such as Gregory Tardy, Jimmy Greene, Charlie Haden/Hank Jones, Grant Green, Larry Willis, Eric Reed and Jay Hoggard.

I would appreciate any recommendations from board members for me to consider as I prepare for my group.

Thank you.

[HutchFan]

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by HutchFan

[Pim]

Yes the Shepp Parlan duets are wonderful. Great music! Love the Grant Green album too. Never liked the Jones/Haden album 😐 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Pim

[sonnymax]

      

[Jim Duckworth]

[ghost of miles]

Here's a Night Lights show I did about this topic:

Jazz, Spiritually Speaking

... which overlaps somewhat with a post I wrote for NPR's Take Five series:

Wade In The Water: Five Jazz Takes On Spirituals

Deep waters to wade in!

Edited February 20, 2020 by ghost of miles

[jlhoots]

Shakers n' Bakers

Edited February 20, 2020 by jlhoots

[duaneiac]

Ya gotta start with Louis

[CJ Shearn]

Eric Reed has a few gospel based albums as does Marcus Roberts and Cyrus Chestnut I believe.  And, if you are willing to go outside straight ahead, Kirk Whalum's Gospel According to Jazz series.  Charles Earland's Stomp would be a good one, too.

[Milestones]

A New Perspective--Donald Byrd

"Were You There?"--Kenny Burrell

"The Water is Wide"--Charles Lloyd  

"There is a Balm in Gilead"--Lloyd

"This is My Story, This is My Song"--Monk

"When Jesus Wept"--Tom Varner 

"Lift Every Voice and Sing"--David Murray and Jon Jang 

"Amazing Grace"--Haden Liberation Orchestra

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Milestones

[jazzbo]

This is my short answer.

[duaneiac]

Complete with a sermon which seems ever more relevant than ever   . . .

 

[CJ Shearn]

Perfect choice, the Byrd.  What about "Abide with Me" on Monk's Music?

[Misterioso]

How about the Horace Tapscott versions of "Tell God All Of My Troubles" and (in particular) "Motherless Child" on this CD:

https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Dark-Tree-Jazz-And-The-Community-Arts-In-Los-Angeles/release/7414184

[Rooster_Ties]

Max Roach - Lift Every Voice and Sing (Atlantic, 1971) -- with a gospel choir, and no less than Billy Harper

1. "Motherless Child" (Traditional) - 7:21
2. "Garden of Prayer" (Patricia Curtis, Max Roach) - 2:47
3. "Troubled Waters" (Traditional) - 7:00
4. "Let Thy People Go" (Traditional) - 6:50
5. "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" (Traditional) - 5:48
6. "Joshua" (Traditional) - 7:12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_Every_Voice_and_Sing_(album)

[Tom in RI]

Jazz Mass by Joe Masters featuring Harold Land and Anthony Ortega.

[mjazzg]

David Murray's album 'Spirituals' on DIW

[danasgoodstuff]

It's original church music, not traditional hyms or spirituals, and the voices are a little strange but Stanley Turrentine shines on this.  This and New Perspective may be the most personal music Byrd ever made.  I also love GG's Feelin' the Spirit, the Shepp/Parlan duets, and both Charlie Haden/Hank Jones albums.

[JSngry]

 

[soulpope]

Btw beautiful album overall ....

[sgcim]

Milt Jackson and Ray Brown made an album with IMHO, the greatest gospel singer of all time, Marion Williams:

[JSngry]

 

[soulpope]

Randy Weston "Nobody Knows The Troubles I`ve Seen " (Jubilee) ....

[Brad]

On 2/20/2020 at 4:58 PM, jazzbo said:

This is my short answer.

Some songs on Sunday Morning, maybe?

[jazzbo]

Maybe. But when I think of jazz interpretations of spirituals, this is what leaps to my mind.