Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi are among the artists who’ll appear on a tribute album to Blind Willie Johnson.
The iconic slide guitarist is the subject of God Don’t Never Change, featuring modern interpretations of 11 of the songs he originally recorded between 1927 and 1930.
Johnson died in 1945, leaving a legacy of gospel-themed music that inspired Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, among others. His original recording of Dark Was The NIght, Cold Was The Ground is preserved on the gold disc attached to the Voyager space probes in 1977.
Trucks says: “I never heard a slide player, even to this day, play with that much emotion. I’ve only heard a few things that have hit me quite that strongly.
“There’s something so honest about his recordings. Johnson’s songs, lyrics and the ability to pair the slide with the voice were amazing. It feels like it came out of a different world.”
*God Don’t Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson *will be released in early 2016 via Alligator Records.
God Don’t Never Change Tracklist
- Soul Of A Man – Tom Waits
- It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine – Lucinda Williams
- Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning – Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi
- Jesus Is Coming Soon – Cowboy Junkies
- Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time – The Blind Boys of Alabama
- Trouble Will Soon Be Over – Sinéad O’Connor
- Bye And Bye I’m Going To See The King – Luther Dickinson
- God Don’t Never Change – Lucinda Williams
- John The Revelator – Tom Waits
- Let Your Light Shine On Me – Maria McKee
- Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground – Rickie Lee Jones
