01.	Lift Him Up That's All	
02.	Paul And Silas In Jail	
03.	Mother's Last Word To Her Son	
04.	The Church Needs Good Deacons	 
05.	Jesus Is My Friend					play
06.	A Mother's Last Word To Her Daughter
07.	I Had A Good Father And Mother	 
08.	I Am Born To Preach The Gospel	 
09.	Take Your Burden To The Lord And Leave It There
10.	Denomination Blues - Part 1	 
11.	Denomination Blues - Part 2	 
12.	What Are They Doing In Heaven Today	
13.	I've Got The Key To The Kingdom	 
14.	Train Your Child
15.	You Can't Stop A Tattler - Part 1	
16.	You Can't Stop A Tattler - Part 2	              play	 
17.	Wouldn't Mind Dying If Dying Was All	 
18.	I'm So Glad Today, Today	
19.	Honey In The Rock
20.	Mother's Prayer

Personnel: 
George Washington Phillips (vocals, zither); Blind Mamie Forehand, A.C. Forehand.

THE KEY TO THE KINGDOM contains the 16 surviving recordings by the mysterious gospel singer Washington Phillips, originally released by Columbia Records between 1927 and 1929, as well as four tracks from the even more obscure gospel duo of Blind Mamie and A.C. Forehand that were originally released on the compilation STOREFRONT AND STREETCORNER GOSPEL 1927-1929. This Yazoo release features far superior remastered sound and crucial new liner notes that cast new light on Phillips's life and work. Most interestingly, the notes deduce that rather than playing the obscure dolceola, he is in fact playing two modified zithers simultaneously. ---cduniverse.com

East Texas street evangelist Washington Phillips recorded 18 tracks in Dallas for Columbia Records between 1927 and 1929, 16 of which were issued on 78s and have survived into the 21st century. As a body of work, those 16 recordings are as singular as any from the pre-Depression era, featuring Phillips' personalized hymns and sermons accompanied by his modified zithers, which give the songs an eerie and delicate brightness. For years it was thought that Phillips played a dulceola (a zither-like instrument with a small keyboard attached that was invented by piano tuner David P. Boyd in the 1890s) at these sessions, but it now appears that he actually played two self-modified table zithers (one a phonoharp and the other a celestaphon) simultaneously to get his unique, celestial sound. But Phillips was more than a zither player with an eccentric playing approach; he was also a fine -- if unassuming -- singer, and his carefully composed musical sermons move like gentle, airy hymns, not exactly blues, but not exactly gospel, either, and all shot through with Phillips' distinct personality. In this regard he has a definite modern compositional sense, one that is built around his personal view of the world, but accompanied as it is by archaic-sounding instruments, the end result is like nothing before or since.

All of his surviving recordings are of a piece, so it is difficult to pick out one or two as key tracks, but "Paul and Silas in Jail," "What Are They Doing in Heaven Today," and the two-part "Denomination Blues" are particularly striking. The Key to the Kingdom essentially replaces Yazoo's earlier Phillips release, I Am Born to Preach the Gospel, with updated (and corrected) liner notes, and four bonus tracks by fellow street musicians Mamie and A.C. Forehand that were recorded by Ralph Peer in Memphis in 1927. These bonus tracks are more than added-on filler, as A.C. (Asa C.) is a fine slide guitarist and Mamie has an engaging, delicate and haunting singing style, particularly on "Wouldn't Mind Dying if Dying Was All" and "Honey in the Rock." Mamie supposedly played finger cymbals at these sessions, but the bell-like touches on these songs are mono-tonal and not really percussive, sounding suspiciously like a desk service bell from a hotel. Needless to say, these odd tracks are every bit as unusual as the ones by Phillips, adding in a more bluesy touch. Document's Storefront & Streetcorner Gospel release includes all of the Phillips tracks found here, plus all four of the cuts from Mamie and A.C. Forehand (as well as alternate takes of three of their songs), and two delightful recordings by street preacher and harmonium player Luther Magby to make what is probably a better buy, although The Key to the Kingdom might be easier to find. Either way, this is utterly original music. ---Steve Leggett, Rovi

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01. I Am Born To Preach The Gospel
02. The Church Needs Good Deacons
03. I Had A Good Father And Mother
04. Take Your Burden To The Lord And Leave It There		play
05. A Mother's Last Word To Her Daughter
06. Paul And Silas In Jail
07. Denomination Blues (Part 1)
08. Denomination Blues (Part 2)
09. Lift Him Up That's All
10. Jesus My Friend
11. Mother's Last Word To Her Son
12. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today
13. I've Got The Key To The Kingdom
14. Train Your Child							play
15. You Can't Stop A Tattler (Part 1)
16. You Can't Stop A Tattler (Part 2)
17. That's All (Part 1)
18. That's All (Part 2)

Personnel: George Washington Phillips (vocals, dulcimer).

Texas-born singer Washington Phillips did a limited amount of recording between his first sessions in 1927 and his last, which were completed in 1939. What little recording the unique solo gospel performer did can be found on this wondrous 16-track collection. Accompanying himself and singing with gentle resolve, Phillips created serene music that really did feel touched by grace. (Until recently, it was thought that Phillips played a rare autoharplike instrument called a dolceola. But Austin American-Statesman writer Michael Corcoran's research points to a zither as the probable source of the celestial sound on these recordings. Corcoran also found that Phillips didn't die in 1938, as was generally believed, but lived until 1954.) Early in his career, Ry Cooder revived a couple of Phillips's best numbers ("Denomination Blues" and "Tattler"), but the singer is largely a forgotten figure these days. I Am Born to Preach the Gospel makes that seem like an unpardonable sin. ---Steven Stolder

Washington Phillips is a figure of considerable mystery: gospel and blues historians can't even agree on when he died (at last, 1954 seems to be the confirmed date), nor what instrument he played: though for years he was credited with playing an obscure keyboard instrument called the dolceola, new research (including the first known photograph of the performer) suggests that he was in fact playing a type of zither, possibly homemade and possibly two of them at the same time. What is inarguable is the otherworldly beauty of Phillips's music and the simple, graceful wisdom of his lyrics, which range from the musical retelling of key Bible scenes to sharp commentary on the divisions between various black congregations. Released in 1991, I AM BORN TO PREACH THE GOSPEL: COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS 1927-1929 contains all 16 surviving recordings by Washington Phillips. (One 1929 single is now lost.) It is an essential document for all fans of gospel blues. ---cduniverse.com

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