Additional notes by Andrew L. Kaye

The clash between stark dichotomies of sin and salvation that characterized the grass-roots religious movements of the rural South engaged and inspired generations of folk artists and performers, African American and white. Both sides of the coin are represented here — from the title track by Bessie Jones and the Sea Island Singers, and “Straighten ’Em,” by the Bright Light Quartet, to Hobart Smith’s “Drunken Hiccups.” 

“A lot of music and sociology to love, study and comprehend....While much of this music is already gone from everyday life — forever — Alan Lomax ensured that it will never die. The oral tradition, even on CD, is still alive and well.”—David Fricke, Rolling Stone