Joseph Spence Encore: Unheard Recordings Of Bahamian Guitar And Singing
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Encore is a new album produced from previously unheard archival recordings by the legendary Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence made in 1965 at the height of his career.
Spence’s radically innovative guitar style transformed elements of Bahamian traditional music into adventurous, joyful improvisations and influenced players worldwide. His powerful singing stemmed directly from the rhyming tradition created by Bahamian sponge fishermen early in the 20th century. The music is punctuated by Spence’s unique, sometimes otherworldly vocalizations including humming, short bursts of lyrics, and near-scat singing. Producer Peter K. Siegel captured these performances at Spence’s only New York concert, in Nassau, Bahamas, and in Manhattan.