The Place to be in North Philadelphia in the 1960s was the Christian Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. Led by the powerhouse team of Rev. R.T. Jones and his wife Mother Georgeanna, the church's Tabernacle Choir rocked those sanctified walls in the explosive COGIC tradition. Christian Tabernacle also hosted some of Philadelphia's favorite groups, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Angelic Choir, and the Davis Sisters on a regular basis.
Rev. Jones and the choir recorded a handful of LPs for Savoy's popular Gospel label in the early '60s and they're all worth seeking out. One of my absolute favorite cuts by the group is the rousing, double time rendition of Sister Rosie Wallace's 'I Feel the Spirit Moving'. Wallace wrote a host of great gospel songs but few more dynamic than this one.
'Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments' is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.
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