Judge Jackson and the Colored Sacred Harp | Joe Dan Boyd | Book & CD

This definitive volume chronicles the life and work of Judge Jackson of Ozark, Alabama, who, in 1934, compiled The Colored Sacred Harp—a collection of shape-note hymns created by and for African American singers. The narrative follows the emergence of the Wiregrass Sacred Harp Singers, led by Dewey Williams and Japheth Jackson, Judge Jackson’s son, and their lasting influence on shape-note traditions. Historian John Bealle provides an insightful introduction, and the book features fifty black-and-white photographs. The included CD showcases performances from The Colored Sacred Harp and the Cooper revision of The Sacred Harp, featuring recordings from folklorist John Work (1938), a family-made disc from a Dothan recording booth (1950), and selections from Joe Dan Boyd’s 1969 sessions, as well as two recordings from Doris Dyen’s 1972 dissertation research.