Soul and Inspiration: Negro Spirituals

The Mix Room presents:

Today on Soul and Inspiration, we’re going back to the OGs — negro spirituals. Before the modern gospel era, it was negro spirituals, or sorrow songs, that connected Black people living in America to God and sustained them in the midst of slavery. Today we’ll explore some of these songs and the modern artists who have been inspired by them.

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Soul artist Vahn Black

Jazz and roots artist Lizz Wright

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Fisk Jubilee Singers, “Wade in the Water”

from Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)

Curb Records - 2020

Marian Anderson, “Plenty Good Room (2021 Remastered Version)”

from Marian Anderson Sings Great Spirituals (2021 Remastered Version)

RCA Red Seal - 1948

Leontyne Price, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen”

from The Essential Leontyne Price - Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

RCA Gold Seal - 1997

Paul Robeson & Alan Booth, “Old Man River”

from Every Time I Feel the Spirit

Editions Audiovisuel Beulah - 2018

Leontyne Price, “On Ma Journey”

from The Essential Leontyne Price - Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

RCA Gold Seal - 1997

Paul Robeson, Milt Okun Orchestra & Milt Okun Chorus, “John Brown's Body”

from Every Time I Feel the Spirit

Editions Audiovisuel Beulah - 2018

Marian Anderson, “Honor, Honor (2021 Remastered Version)”

from Marian Anderson Sings Great Spirituals (2021 Remastered Version)

RCA Red Seal - 1948

Sarah Vaughan, “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”

from Precious & Rare: Sarah Vaughan

Le Chant du Monde - 2011

Fisk Jubilee Singers & CeCe Winans, “Blessed Assurance”

from Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)

Curb Records - 2020

Mahalia Jackson, “Take My Hand Precious Lord”

from Sings the Best-Loved Hymns of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Columbia/Legacy - 1956

Sweet Honey in the Rock, “Stay on the Battlefield”

from Sacred Ground

Earthbeat - 1995

Harry Belafonte, “Steal Away”

from My Lord What a Mornin'

RCA Records Label - 1959

Mahalia Jackson, “Trouble of the World”

from Gospels, Spirituals, & Hymns

Columbia/Legacy

Odetta, “Joshua”

from Tradition Masters Series

Tradition Records - 1956

Bernice Johnson Reagon, “The Grey Goose”

from Folk Songs: The South

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings/Folkways Records - 2004

Sweet Honey In the Rock, “Good News”

from Breaths

Rounder Records - 1988

Odetta, “Spiritual Trilogy Medley / Oh Freedom / Come and Go with Me / I'm on My Way”

from Tradition Masters Series

Tradition Records - 1956

Nina Simone, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”

from Silk & Soul

RCA/Legacy - 1967

Nedra Johnson, “jubilee”

from testify

big mouth girl

Toshi Reagon, “real love”

from The Righteous One

razor & Tie

stevie wonder, “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”

from The Complete Stevie Wonder

Motown - 2015

Howard Roberts Chorale, “Wade in the Water”

from Let My People Go

Sony Classical - 1968

Nat King Cole, “Every Time I Feel the Spirit (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir & Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra)”

from Every Time I Feel the Spirit (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir & Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra) [Mono Version] - EP

BNF Collection - 1960

Fannie Lou Hamer, “Woke Up This Morning”

from Songs My Mother Taught Me

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings - 2015

Rhiannon Giddens, “Mountain Banjo”

from The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack)

Lakeshore Records - 2019

Prince, “Mary Don't You Weep (Piano & a Microphone 1983 Version)”

from Piano & a Microphone 1983

Warner Records - 2018

Nedra Johnson, “hail mary”

from testify

big mouth girl

Lizz Wright, “Your Love (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello & Brandee Younger)”

from Shadow

LIGHTYEAR (LTY) - 2024

Beverly Glenn-Copeland, “Deep River (Live At Le Guess Who?)”

from Live at Le Guess Who?

Transgressive - 2020

Leyla McCalla, “Freedom Is a Constant Struggle (feat. Joy Clark, Lilli Lewis, Sabine McCalla, Sula Spirit & Cassie Watson Francillon)”

from Freedom Is a Constant Struggle (feat. Joy Clark, Lilli Lewis, Sabine McCalla, Sula Spirit & Cassie Watson Francillon) - Single

Anti/Epitaph - 2023