The Golden Gate Quartet & Josh White - Freedom: The Golden Gate Quartet & Josh White at the Library of Congress (2002) FLAC

In 1930 four male students at Norfolk, Virginia's all-black Booker T. Washington High School casually harmonized on a few Negro Spirituals in Eddie Griffin's barbershop and liked what they heard and the way they felt while singing. On an impulse they decided to continue singing as a group, the Golden Gate Quartet, thus becoming participants in the "jubilee quartet" tradition, a black southern sacred singing movement that would eventually inspire a musical revolution called Rock and Roll. In 1935 the Gates were singing five days a week on a radio station in Columbia, South Carolina, and by 1936 had a regular program on the 50,000 watt station WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1940 they began a national CBS live broadcast from New York and it was at this time that they were invited to participate in this memorable concert at the Library of Congress.

Joshua Daniel White (1915-1969) was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and became famous as a blues and folk singer. At the age of eight his mother hired him out as the companion and guide to a group of blind performers; he learned the new gospel songs and gospel singing style from blind gospel and blues singer Joel "Joe" Taggart and the blues from such prominent blues men as "Blind" Lemon Jefferson and "Blind Blake" (Arthur Phelps). During World War II White appeared on radio programs sponsored by the Office of War Information. White was a principal member of the folk group, the Almanac Singers, founded by Pete Seeger, and remained active in folk and blues until a 1966 automobile accident forced him to retire.

A recording of an historic concert, released for the first time! This 1940 concert was part of a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States. Performing are the legendary Golden Gate Quartet with Josh White, singing Spirituals, Blues and Work Songs. The concert features commentary by Alan Lomax, the poet Sterling Brown, and Alain Locke, the godfather of the Harlem Renaissance. Immediately after this concert, Eleanor Roosevelt engaged White and the Golden Gate to perform at FDR’s inauguration.

The historical significance of Freedom is huge; it is an aural document of efforts (much written about) to reach out, communicate, and educate across racial boundaries via entertainment – arguably the most successful route to blur the lines. It's a remarkable document and a wonderful performance by both the Golden Gate Quartet and Josh White. Interestingly, Freedom was recorded the same year Congress passed the Alien Registration Act, the law which directly led to the McCarthyism which devoured White's successful career in 1950 because of his involvement with Paul Robeson in similar engagements such as this.

Tracklist
1 Freedom 1:14
2 The Negro Spiritual 1:14
3 Noah 2:35
4 I'm So Glad Trouble Don't Last Always 0:57
5 We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder 0:53
6 Oh Mary, Don't You Weep 1:43
7 Traveling Shoes 1:49
8 How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone? 2:27
9 What Are The Blues? 7:29
10 Poor Lazarus 4:05
11 John Henry 4:29
12 The Social Song 1:07
13 Silicosis Blues 2:41
14 Trouble 3:54
15 Introduction With Juba Recitation 2:05
16 Old Dan Tucker 1:28
17 Introduction To Mr. Rabbit 0:33
18 Mr. Rabbit, Your Ear's Mighty Long 3:40
19 The Negro Work Song 1:14
20 The Railroad Workers Camp 8:01
21 Negro Song Afterword 1:18
22 Rock My Soul In The Bosom Of Abraham 2:08
23 Run, Sinner, Run 2:26