Biography
Phillips recorded eighteen songs, all between 1927 and 1929, though only sixteen survived. Some of his songs amount to highly specific and detailed gospel sermons, featuring Phillips' voice self-accompanied by an instrument that sounds like a fretless zither. This instrument, which has been variously identified as a Dolceola, a Celestaphone, two Celestaphones tuned in octaves attached side-by-side, or a Phonoharp (and also is considered by some to be an instrument entirely home-made by Phillips) creates a unique sound on these recordings that makes them immediately recognizable.
Phillips was covered by the Dixie Hummingbirds, an A Capella rendition featured in Vol. 6 of the Mississippi Records "Tape Series", released in January, 2009.
Read more about this topic: Washington Phillips
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