Various – Train Don’t Leave Me – Recorded at the 1st Annual Sacred Steel Convention

For the first time in the nearly 100-year history of the House of God Holiness Pentecostal Church, steel guitarists, musicians and singers gathered for two days of workshops, showcases and concerts. Free from the constraints of a church service, where they normally function to help the minster fill the congregation with the Holy Spirit, the stell guitarists played with unbridled passion as emerging young artists shared their music with venerated masters of this vibrant musical tradition.

Track Listing:
1. Something's Got a Hold of Me - Dante Harmon - 3:50    2. God Is a Good God - Bryan "Josh" Taylor / Bryan Josh Taylor / Jerry Taylor - 3:37    3. Precious Lord Take My Hand - Bryan "Josh" Taylor - 3:10    4. Have You Tried Jesus? - Calvin Cooke / Grace Cooke - 7:07    5. Since I Laid My Burden Down - Calvin Cooke - 3:54    6. Train Don't Leave Me - Aubrey Ghent - 12:11     7. I Feel Like Praising Him - Glenn Lee & Roosevelt Collier / Glenn Lee / Keith Lee - 3:55    8. Will the Circle Be Unbroken - Lonnie "Big Ben" Bennett - 4:02     9. See What the End Gonna Be - Lonnie "Big Ben" Bennett - 3:55    10. I Want to Go Where Jesus Is - Freddie Dixon / Maurice "Ted" Beard, Jr. - 4:29    11. All God's Children - Elton Noble / Jerry Taylor - 8:58     12. I Feel Like Pressing My Way - Robert Randolph - 3:52    13. Just a Closer Walk With Thee - Aubrey Ghent - 4:31    14. What's His Name? ... Jesus! - The Campbell Brothers / Chuck Campbell / Darick Campbell / Katie Jackson - 8:54

Reviews:

1. Bluesrag - Dennis Rozanski 
“On the weekend of March 31, 2000, the Holy Spirit descended upon Winter Park, Florida in the form of an electrified steel-guitar. Enlightenment came for both the sacred and secular in the searing exclamations and subterranean rumblings from hot-handed lap-steel and pedal-steel "preachers." It was there that the First Annual "Sacred Steel" Convention convened to allow these masters to play outside of supporting Sunday services at their Holiness Pentecostal churches. Recorded undeniably "live" before spirited audiences at afternoon showcases and evening concerts, Train Don't Leave Me captures 12 steelers (from venerated elders to emerging yong turks) supported by sidemen and frequent vocalists. Each has his own way of taming their beast: from Dante Harmon who powers his flight with wah to Robert Randolph who uniquely tumbles rapid-fire somersaults down his custom 13-stringer with liquid fluidity out to Aubrey Ghent who can just as easily surf on the pulse-quickening tension that he builds and sustains as he can serenely coax out steely vocalizations. "Ted" Beard percolates in a slow mantra-layered shuffle for the sublime "I Want To Go Where Jesus Is." Glenn Lee and his 17-year old protégé Roosevelt Collier double flank "I Feel Like Praising Him" with pedal-steels. The Campbell Brothers (with belter Katie Jackson) turn "What's His Name?... Jesus!" into an outright frenzy. A thick booklet serves well as guide, being stuffed with guru Robert Stone's notes and photos galore. Just as vital as its five predecessor albums within Arhoolie's "Sacred Steel" series.”

2. AllMusic Review - John Vallier 
Most church services don't feature the wailing sounds of lap steel guitars. The electrified instrument's unctuous and weighty sound, which can be similar to that of a theremin, is more often associated with Hawaiian slack key recordings and blues bar bands than with sermons or homilies. However, among a handful of African-American Pentecostal churches in Florida, the instrument does play a powerful role in worship services. First introduced by brothers Willie Eason and Troman Eason in the 1930s, the art of playing lap steel and pedal steel guitars in a sacred context has since blossomed into a vibrant tradition. On The First Annual Sacred Steel Convention, sixth in the Sacred Steel series from Arhoolie, you can hear a bevy of these pedal and lap steel believers -- both young and old -- showcasing their talents. "Something's Got a Hold of Me," a shuffling blues tune stitched with the slippery and wah-wah affected sounds of Dante Harmon's pedal steel, opens the CD's 14 tracks. From Harmon's tune to the frenetic double-time "What's His Name?...Jesus!," the many steel players, backup bands, and singers presented here give impassioned recitals. As the primary goal of these musicians is to infuse their congregations with spirit, heavy religious sentiments are part of the package and go hand in hand with the incendiary steel performances. But even if you are not a devout churchgoer, don't worry. The First Annual Sacred Steel Convention is an interesting CD that should please secular blues fans, steel guitar buffs, and curious music seekers as well.