Rev T E Weems, Rev W A White, Deacon A Wilson, Rev B L Wrightman - Preachers And Congregations Vol 7 1925 - 1928

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Four more singing preachers from yesteryear given the re-issue treatment by our Document friends. The five recordings by Rev T E Weems contain a version of "If I Had My Way I'd Tear This Building Down", a song popular with street evangelists like Blind Willie Johnson and Blind Gary Davis while the eight tracks by Rev W A White range from very restrained first recordings to his later sides made in 1927 where he is chanting his sermons with pleasing hoarseness interspersed with religious song in a style similar to the great Rev J M Gates. There is more singing than preaching on the five tracks by Deacon A Wilson and "Certainly Lord" (for which there are two different takes here) is pretty highly charged. Finally, the six recordings by Rev B L Wrightman have long intrigued blues collectors due to the presence of Lottie Beaman and Winston Holmes. Wrightman's sermons are quite volatile as he leads his congregation of "Take A Stand" (here titled "Live The Life") and "I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole" (at the beginning and closing of the two-part "The Soul's Physician"). The latter sermon is discussed in Paul Oliver's seminal Songsters & Saints book. More intriguing history though yet again, one or two of the tracks come from very battered 78s.