Biography

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Bluegrass and gospel music are indivisible. While it’s true that bluegrass musicians might not always live the life they sing about, they can nevertheless evoke that old time religion with unmatched fervor. The first generation of bluegrass stars drew heavily on hymns, many of which dated back to the gospel revivals of the late 1800s or early 1900s. Some reached back even further into classic English and American hymnody. But gradually, bluegrass musicians took it upon themselves to create a new, authentically original canon of sacred songs that took full advantage of the harmonies and instrumental structure of bluegrass music. Above all, bluegrassers loved to bring forth memories of the preachin’, prayin’, and singin’ they’d heard in their childhood. Yearning for the old home was always a part of bluegrass, and gospel music was indissolvably linked with that.

The founder of Rural Rhythm Records, Uncle Jim O’Neal, had a deep love and appreciation of the old and great songs, and that love never served him better than on his gospel collections. These hymns simply cannot be surpassed. They’ve survived the test of the ages, and their message still resonates with us as strongly as it did with our ancestors. Every generation has a role to play in handing down these songs, and this collection is part of that ongoing process. Just as we look at old church pews and wonder about those who once sat there, so we listen to these songs and reconnect with our own forebears who sang them too.

Colin Escott

Rural Rhythm Records