In early America, to the consternation of many plantation owners, Christian faith came to the slaves in several episodes. One of the strongest was the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. Christian slaves had to meet clandestinely, in the forests and marshlands, for fear of discovery. They held their meetings in “praise houses,” cabins hung with sheets and blankets doused with water to stifle the sound. The music in those services was African in style, but with clear adaptations from Western music Spirituals, “moaning,” and other religious genres emerged. Biblical themes and imagery were used to express the sorrows and joys of persecuted believers. At the meetings, preaching was central, but the African style required a sort of call and response, with music in imitation of this style. According to the antiquated words of one transcribed testimony, they sang and they shouted, as “the Lord would come shining through [the pages of Scripture] and revive this old…heart... and they’d all take it up and keep at it, and keep adding to it and then it would be a spiritual.”

From Spirituals to Blues to Jazz
Slaves made the natural connection between the history of Israel and their own experience. Lyrics were developed from the great stories and prayers of the Bible, spanning a range of religious sentiment, from lamentation to praise. Sometimes the words doubled as signals. Such was the case of “Wade in the Water,” which described the step of faith required of Moses and Joshua, but at the same time warned the fugitive slaves that their pursuers had dogs and so better to go by the river than by the pathways. Canaan Land was heaven, but so was Canada—the final stop on the Underground Railroad.

Spirituals have their own history. But they richly intertwine with blues, and, eventually, with the early forms of jazz. Many individual musicians can testify to the extraordinary connection between biblical faith and music of many genres. One of the pioneers who noticed this connection is H.R. Rookmaaker, the art historian and jazz critic. He notes the convergence of many forms of African-American music in the same musicians and even in the same music. For example, Blind Willie Johnson’s gospel music combined the blues with elements of jazz, which in turn influenced other musicians to do the same. In terms of the musical styles, despite some important differences, there are great similarities as well. Thomas A. Dorsey, known also as Georgia Tom, the greatest gospel composer of the 1930s, started out as a blues musician. He once stated, “There are moaning blues that are used in spirituals, there are moaning spirituals that are used in blues.”

So, at the deepest level, jazz, blues, and spirituals come from the same source. To some, the blues are secular. To most blacks they are as religious as spirituals; simply the subject matter is different. As the great Alberta Hunter once said: “The blues? Why, the blues are part of me ... . To me the blues are like spirituals, almost sacred. When we sing blues, we’re singin’ out our hearts, we’re singin’ out our feelings. Maybe we’re hurt and just can’t answer back, then we sing or maybe even hum the blues. Yes, to us, the blues are sacred. When I sing, ‘I walk the floor, wring my hands and cry, Yes, I walk the floor, wring my hands and cry,’ what I’m doing is letting my soul out.”