Rock My Soul

Born of fevered rural tent revivals and urban clapboard churches, Gospel music was made for the concert stage. Showmanship and virtuosity would transform this music of hope into one of America’s most popular and influential musical genres as Gospel came of age to inform the creators Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, R&B and Soul revolutions. A dynamic celebration of the Gospel tradition, this performance features all-star artists alongside Gospel legends and National Heritage Fellowship honorees, The Fairfield Four. The group was featured in the Oscar-winning film, O Brother Where Art Thou, vastly expanding their audience base and reputation. Rock My Soul is particularly blessed in featuring The McCrary Sisters, four daughters of former Fairfield Four bandleader, the Rev. Sam McCrary. Performing with one of the best backing bands Nashville has to offer, guest artists include Amos Lee, Buddy Miller, Lee Ann Womack, Van Hunt and Lucinda Williams. Paying Gospel’s musical birthright forward, concise glimpses into the Gospel story introduce the songs and singers and explore the ties that bind this music to the heart of the American songbook. Interviewees include Robert Plant, Taj Majal, Patty Griffin, Jackson Browne, Van Hunt, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller, Dom Flemson, author historian Peter Guralnick, NPR’s Ann Powers, and experts from Fisk University and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Erected in 1816, the program’s unique venue is Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church, an inspiring edifice and one of the nation’s best-preserved examples of Egyptian Revival architecture. A contemporary history, Rock My Soul is the music of people, of community, of vitally talented individuals who come together with little but their incredibly gifted voices to create something deeply moving and powerful-something exceeding the sum of its parts. Here is music with a prominent role in the development of American culture-music sprung from adversity, celebrated through diversity.