I only heard about Sister Rosetta Tharpe a few months ago and now I feel like I’m seeing her referenced pretty regularly. Listening to this album, it’s easy to see why she’s so influential. In addition to being a fantastic and innovative guitarist, her energy and passion permeate her performances. She’s also considered one of the first guitarists to use distortion, which paved the way for the majority of electric guitarists who came after. In addition to inspiring a great deal of rock and roll, she is probably the most entertaining gospel performer I’m aware of. I usually don’t go for religious music, but I really enjoyed this and I think fans of guitar music owe her a debt of gratitude.
