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DEACON GEORGE’S FIRST CD "WILLING SPIRIT WEAK FLESH" NOW AVAILABLE! Contact Gerrie at g2fexbrp@sympatico.ca to purchase a copy. Price is $15.00 if you come pick it up here in Montreal. Or we can mail it out for an additional $3.00 in Canada or $4.00 to the U.S.
As for payment, we can invoice you through our PayPal account. Or if you prefer you can pay by cheque. That’s fine, too.
Thanks for your support over the years. There’s lots more music to come!
LINER NOTES ON “WILLING SPIRIT, WEAK FLESH”
The blues and Spirituals reflect life: love, sorrow, joy, pain, anger, despair, hope and death. This collection of songs represents the music that means the most to me: “WILLING SPIRIT, WEAK FLESH” is comprised of four blues, four original songs and four spirituals and is a kind of introduction to a planned four CD collection I’m working on that encompasses classic Blues (“the Fundamentalist”) classic spirituals and gospel songs (“Got Religion, Ain’t Ashamed” and “Afterlife”) and Original songs (“Pros Diakonos”) that will be recorded over the next year.
I have loved, studied and played the blues for over thirty five years and although it’s old, it never gets old. There is an honesty and clarity to the blues that strikes deep. The Spirituals are very much a part of the history of the blues and almost every prewar bluesman recorded many Spirituals and Gospel songs. In a humble and respectful way, I will try to maintain that tradition.
THE SONGS: (deacon George-vocals, six and twelve string acoustic, resonator and electric guitars and harmonicas)
1. IF I HAD MY WAY (Traditional)..... Shock and awe; That was my reaction the first time I heard Rev. Gary Davis
play this old gospel song. I opted for a different approach to the music but
the story of the mighty Samson stays the same.
2. NOTHIN’ BUT (deacon George ©2008 deaconGeorgemusic)..... The blues describe a man’s emotions so well. This original song builds on the phrase
“the blues ain’t nothin’ but…”
3. CHAIRS IN HEAVEN (deacon George ©2008 deaconGeorgemusic)..... There’s lots of talk in the good book about standing, walking and running so I’m
hoping there’s somewhere to sit in the afterlife.
4. FORTY FOUR (Roosevelt Sykes)..... This song was made famous by the amazing Howling Wolf, but was
originally recorded by barrelhouse piano man Roosevelt Sykes. Great stuff.
5. SPECIAL RIDER (Skip James)..... The only song Skip James recorded in open G (spanish) tuning. Haunting.
6. MERMAYDES (Mississippi John Hurt)..... I love a good lyric. This one caught me by surprise the first time I heard it and
it’s still a favorite of mine.
7. I WANT TO DIE EASY (Traditional)..... I fell in love with this Spiritual the first time I heard Josh White’s early 30’s version.
8. BROKE DOWN ENGINE (Blind Willie McTell)..... This song captures desperation really well. One of Blind Willie’s best.
9. BOOGIWUGGI (deacon George ©2008 deaconGeorgemusic)..... Tampa Red’s “Boogie Woogie Dance”inspired this instrumental. I used to call it
"Master Wong’s Inscrutable Boogie Woogie Dance", but decided it could use a shorter title.
10. UP TO ME (deacon George ©2008 deaconGeorgemusic)..... Making a decision is usually a choice between doing what you want and what’s right. This is my personal view on the subject.
11. SWEET CHARIOT (Traditional).....
One of my favourite spirituals and a staple of my live shows. Also a good excuse to play my telecaster.
12. ONE KIND FAVOR (Blind Lemmon Jefferson).....
This old standard spooked me the first time I heard it at age seventeen and
the effect has not diminished over the decades. All this talk about graves and death. ouch!
..........REVIEWS..........
"Deacon George plays and sings the blues with pure passion and
devotion. Easy listening, heart warming back to the roots album."
.......ALDO DRUDA, President, CFID radio 103,7 FM
"How does one inject life into a traditional musical art form? How about passion, creativity and authentic love for the craft… deacon George brings that and a whole lot more to Willing Spirit, Weak Flesh. Don’t sleep on this 12-track gem that makes the blues relevant one more time." .......STAN NORTH, Managing Editor, GOSPELflava.com
"This guy not only plays amazing blues, spiritual and ragtime tunes that you rarely (if ever) get to hear, he does it with such tasty chops and generous spirit that you can’t help being converted!" .......ROB LUTES
"Digging deep into the blues and gospel traditions, Deacon George will grab your attention immediately. With a big voice, superb guitar chops and a charismatic stage presence to match, he’s the real deal." .......KEVIN MARK
"It’s always a pleasure to listen to Deacon George play and sing the music he truly loves. He’s a spellbinding storyteller who has so much to share with his audience - and a great person to know! 100% Satisfaction guaranteed!" .......KENNY DUPREE
"Deacon George’s sound evokes the passion of the past, preserving tradition with the zeal of the original musicians, all the while interpreting it in a way that ignites contemporary audiences." .......REV. THOMAS H. PAUL, B.S., ThM...
Senior Pastor,
Madison Baptist Church;
Chaplain, Montreal Alouettes Football Club.
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