Sheet Music

Great God A'Mighty! The Dixie Hummingbirds: Celebrating the Rise of Soul Gospel Music

Oxford University Press, 304 pp., $30

The story of the Dixie Hummingbirds parallels the rise of the music business in the 20th century. From humble beginnings in the Twenties, when James Davis and his high school friends began singing in a Greenville, S.C., church, the famed gospel group went on to record with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon and even won a Grammy in the Seventies. In between, the Birds, as they're referred to here, cross paths with an incredible range of musicians including Duke Ellington, Willie Dixon, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson, and Harry Chapin. Great God A'Mighty! is filled with facts and interviews with the major players involved in this tale, but the style is so dry that instead of being an uplifting read, it's a chore. Presented chronologically, each chapter represents a specific time period; Jerry Zolten nevertheless wanders around from year to year in a way that's often confusing. At times, he offers a string of facts or song lyrics that beg for some enthusiasm in their portrayal, but the author is seemingly not up to the task. That said, there are some amazing moments in the Birds' story that almost make the digressions and the lack of embellishment a minor complaint. For instance, in 1942, they were backed by jazz immortal Lester Young and his band, when they regularly performed at Cafe Society, the first integrated nightclub in New York City. It was at this time that they also worked with legendary A&R man John Hammond. There's also a Texas connection in that the Birds were a major part of the success of Don Robey's Houston-based Duke-Peacock Records label in the Fifties. While it may hold the interest of those looking for a history of the entertainment business, it's unfortunate Zolten never really gets the Hummingbirds to sing.