Negro Folk Music of Alabama, Vol. 5: Spirituals

This album is the fifth in a series of volumes dedicated to " American negro music," showcasing spirituals performed by Dock Reed (1878-1958) and Vera Hall Ward (1902-1964). Reed was a deeply religious man whose repertoire was stayed within spiritual music rather than secular or " sinful" songs. Ward was Reed’s cousin, and both worked in manual labor (Reed in agriculture, Ward in house work). This plays into the elements of typical aspects of the work songs within this genre, such as responsive singing and rhythmic punctuation used to mark labor tasks, such as striking a nail with a hammer. The clear, direct singing on this album serves as documentation of this music rather than focusing on the performance element of the music. Liner notes include an overview of the entire series of Negro Folk Music of Alabama , as well as notes and lyrics specific to this volume.

Track Listing

101	I'm Going Home on the Morning Train	Dock Reed	02:01
102	My God Ain't No Lying Man	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	02:13
103	Where the Sun Will Never Go Down	Dock Reed	02:06
104	Troubled Lord I'm Troubled	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	01:31
105	Look How They Done My lord	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	02:03
106	Job Job	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	02:16
107	What Month Was Jesus Born In	Vera Hall Ward	02:10
108	Somebody's Talking About Jesus	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	01:31
201	Death is Awful	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	01:46
202	I'm Climbing Up the Hills of Mt. Zion	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	01:43
203	Low Down the Chariot and Let Me Ride	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	02:09
204	The Blood Done Signed My Name	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	03:23
205	Everybody Talkin’ about Heaven Ain’t Goin’ There	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	02:51
206	Noah, Noah	Vera Hall Ward	01:25
207	Plumb the Line	Dock Reed and Vera Hall Ward	01:39
208	Travelling Shoes	Vera Hall Ward	01:43