Washington Phillips - Washington Phillips And His Manzarene Dreams (2016/2017) [HDtracks]

George Washington "Wash" Phillips was an American gospel and gospel blues singer and instrumentalist. The exact nature of the instrument or instruments he played is uncertain, being identified only as "novelty accompaniment" on the labels of the 78rpm records released during his lifetime. This collection features the recordings made by Phillips between 1927 and 1929. To ensure a superior listening experience, the label tracked down the most pristine original copies of Phillips's 78-RPM records, created high-resolution transfers, and had the audio expertly remastered for the best-sounding Phillips reissue to date. Hear the sublime, hypnotic, ethereal music of Washington Phillips in clarity like never before.
Dust-to-Digital's inaugural release, 2003's Goodbye, Babylon (DTD 001CD), included two recordings by a mysterious gospel musician from Texas named Washington Phillips, who died in 1954. After fielding inquiries about the hauntingly beautiful songs from listeners around the world, in 2013, Dust-to-Digital checked in with Michael Corcoran, the leading researcher on Phillips, to see if any new information had been uncovered. Indeed, Michael had some leads, but he would need a working budget to track them down. Three years later, in 2016, after combing through various archives and talking with the last surviving people from the Simsboro-area who remembered Phillips, the name of Phillips's homemade instrument (the Manzarene) has been revealed, in addition to the time, place, and manner of his death and many anecdotes about his life.