As we prepare to celebrate 34 years of independence in The Bahamas I thought it appropriate to post a song by a Bahamian artist. I first heard of Mr. Joseph Spence while living in Toronto, Canada when I bought Ry Cooder's 1978 album titled, Jazz. The liner notes say that:
The Bahamian guitarist, Joseph Spence, today plays old hymns and sacred songs so transformed and syncopated that even his wife Louise, has trouble singing along with him. His style suggests a link between early brass and string band jazz; he plays a strong parade beat, using tuba-like bass lines, two part melody and crazily punctuated blues lines for effect.
...If Louise complains that his sacred numbers are too wild and radical, Spence will tell you that "Some fellows don't know anything about music"; (shades of Jelly Roll) and that his is "more goodish."
So the next time we came home on holiday I went in search of Mr. Spence. Both he and Mrs. Spence were very welcoming and I enjoyed being with them for about an hour or so listening to him strum and sing and tell stories on his porch. So what a more fitting tribute to Bahamian independence than to listen to Mr. Joseph Spence sing The Crow, taken from the album, Joseph Spence & The Pinder Family: The Spring of Sixty-Five. Enjoy.
