Old Testament bluegrass from Mare Winningham

Mare Winningham - Refuge Rock SublimeHere’s something I had been expecting to see for some time – hoping, even. Bluegrass has long been intertwined with its Gospel music tradition, though that aspect is far less universal than it once was. As the appeal of the music has grown beyond its roots in the rural southeastern United States, the topical themes of newly-written material has grown as well.

It seemed certain that adherents of religious faiths other than the Christian Church would be drawn to mimic the sort of Gospel traditional that exists in bluegrass music, and apply it to the beliefs they hold as true. Given the numbert of Jewish people who have been drawn to perform in bluegrass and acoustic music, I had expected to see this coming from that camp.

And so it has.

Mare Winningham may be known to readers as an actress, having appeared in dozens of movies and television programs over the past 30 years, but not many may realize that she has also been pursuing a career as a singer and songwriter, with three albums to her credit. Though raised in the Catholic Church, Mare converted to Judaism in 2003, and that change is the focus of her newest CD, Refuge Rock Sublime.

Released this spring on the Craig & Co label, Winningham’s CD mixes folk, bluegrass and Gospel music influences with Jewish musical idioms and themes, It is not a bluegrass record in any understandable sense of the term, but Jewish fans of acoustic and folk styles might want to give it a listen – as might folks interested in such cross-cultural musical ventures.

Audio samples can be found online at Fonogenic.com and in the iTunes Music Store.

The Jewish press has noticed this project as well, with articles/reviews appearing in The Jewish Week, on the Hillel web site, and on YoYenta.com.

Perhaps we will eventually see a more thoroughly bluegrass recording that mixes Jewish faith principles with the sonic themes of bluegrass Gospel – or even Christian themes other than the predominant rural southern staples. My own private joke has been that someday my own Catholic faith might inform a bluegrass song about The Miracle at Fatima or The Feast of the Assumption.

Now that would clear a festival site in a hurry.

2 Comments
Leave a comment
Comments are open and unmoderated for our registered users, only your first comment will require approval before publication. Comments do not necessarily reflect the views of The Bluegrass Blog. Obscene, abusive, silly, or annoying remarks may be deleted, but the fact that particular comments remain on the site in no way constitutes an endorsement of their content by The Bluegrass Blog.

comment #30064 By bchesney on 06.21.07 10:16 am

While I’m not Jewish by any means, I do love bluegrass and southern gospel music. I really enjoyed the music from the samples on the Fonogenic site. She even covers one of my favorite songs of all time, Wall of Prayer, a McKameys hit from a few years ago.

Thanks for introducing this CD!

-Byron

comment #30134 By Cori on 06.22.07 6:36 pm

After seeing Mare perform at Joe’s Pub in NYC, I can now say that Jewish Bluegrass has the potential to bridge all musical tastes! She had Tim Crouch backing her up, and it doesn’t get much better than that. Her album, Refuge Rock Sublime, is a true “testament” to the universality of her gorgeous voice, melody and lyrics.

TrackBack URI

You must

  • Register
  • and Log in in to leave comments.

    Mare Winningham sings at AR bluegrass fest

    Here's a follow-up to a post from this past June, about movie and television actress Mare Winningham having released a spiritual CD of folk and bluegrass tinged music, but framed by her perspective as a recent convert to Judaism. The CD is entitled Refuge Rock Sublime, and has attracted some attention...

    Larry Sparks to Rural Rhythm Christian

    Rural Rhythm Records will launch their Gospel imprint (Rural Rhythm Christian) with a newly remastered reissue of a Larry Sparks Gospel album released in 2001 to limited distribution. I Just Want To Thank You Lord features Larry with his band at the time: Scott Napier on mandolin, Josh McMurray on...

    Bluegrass on Comcast

    Finding bluegrass music content on television is always a challenge, but that challenge just got a whole lot easier. BlueHighways TV announced today that it has signed a multi-year distribution agreement with Comcast Cable. This will make BlueHighways' linear and Video On Demand services available to...

    Tim Hensley: Long Monday

    Here's a new CD release from Rural Rhythm that we missed recently. Tim Hensley is a seasoned veteran of both the bluegrass and country music genres. Hensley has toured as a side man for Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, and Kenny Chesney. Now he's stepping into the spotlight with his first ever solo recording,...

    Runaway Freight to do a Gospel CD

    Runaway Freight recorded two new gospel songs at the end of March. They will return to the studio in May to record the remainder of an all Gospel CD The CD should be released later this year. Justin Ford, the dobro player from the group, says they are very excited about the new CD. "Friends and fans...

    Jewgrass at Smithsonian.com

    We have posted a few times previously about bluegrass bands composed of Jewish musicians, or Jewish bluegrass artists who seek to explore their faith through music. What they produce can be a fascinating counterpoint to the rich tradition of Gospel music within our music, as well as a new avenue for...

    Kate Lee – Less Is More!

    We have written in the past about Kate Lee, a talented young singer, fiddler and songwriter from New York. Kate has just now turned 16 and continues to impress audiences throughout the northeastern US and beyond with her poise and ability. The Bluegrass Blog is especially interested in the development...

    Del McCoury Gospel project due in June

    The next release from The Del McCoury Band, The Promised Land, is set for release on June 13, 2006. This will be the first all-Gospel project in Del's long bluegrass career, and his third for his own label, McCoury Music. In a recent interview, Del told of how he very nearly recorded a sacred project...

    New CD releases

    Here's a weekend post featuring several new CD releases. My Rememberance Of You - Diana Jones Offering her listeners a rare gift of original songs with uncommon depth and beauty infused with time-honored values of traditional American Music, Diana Jones has been called the new Emily Dickinson. Like...

    Jay Armsworthy and Eastern Tradition in the North East

    After a long cold ride it felt good to get inside the Congregational Church of South Hadley Falls, Mass., home of the CountryCornerCoffeehouse I saw a lot of familiar faces as I entered and bought a ticket. I was greeted by Dave and Rose Helman and made to feel welcome. Dave was hoping for a good...

    Bluegrass Gospel Music History

    This seemed like an appropriate post for a Sunday morning. I found this website recently while surfing the net. It's a Canadian site run by a promoter who is dedicated to Bluegrass Gospel music. You can find all the info about the concerts he's promoting and things like that, but what I found particularly...

    New Bluegrass Gospel Songbook released

    Native Ground Music has released The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook, with words, music and chords for more than 100 gospel favorites. In addition to the lyrics and melodies, this new volume includes histories on many of the songs, an overview of how the style developed and tips on singing these songs in...