LIVE IN FRANCE: THE 1966 CONCERT IN LIMOGES is a previously unissued live solo recording of the Godmother of Rock n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, captured at the auditorium of the Grand Theatre in Limoges, France on November 11th, 1966.

This is an official release on producer Zev Feldman’s new Deep Digs record label. It is released in partnership with Elemental Music, and cooperation with the Sister Rosetta Tharpe Estate and INA France.

Transferred from the original tape reels, this recording was restored and mastered by multi-GRAMMY award-winning engineer Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, with lacquers cut by the legendary Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios.

1. This Train
2. When My Life Work Is Ended
3. Didn’t It Rain
4. Mother’s Prayer
5. Up Above My Head, I Hear Music In The Air
6. Moonshine
7. Sit Down
8. Down By The Riverside
9. When The Saints Go Marching In
10. Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho
11. Jesus Met The Woman At The Well
12. Two Little Fishes, Five Loaves Of Bread
13. Traveling Shoes
14. Beams Of Heaven
15. That’s All / Denomination Blues
16. Going Home
17. Go Ahead
18. Bring Back Those Happy Days
19. Give Me That Old Time Religion
20. If Anybody Above Me
21. Nobody’s Fault By Mine

This magnificent flashback to a time of musical richness, opens on her world famous gospel song This Train, the beautiful hymn When My Life Work Is Ended and then the Godmother of Rock and Roll delivers Didn’t It Rain, and along next are such wondrous tracks as the embodied Mother’s Prayer, the the guitar shredding (and I am not joking) spiritual gift Up Above My Head, I Hear Music In The Air, the all-embracing Moonshine, the strident Sit Down, and then come the rocking-gospel-blues of Down By The Riverside, the spirited, uplifting When The Saints Go Marching In, and the wholesome Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho.

Along next is the Biblical storytelling of Jesus Met The Woman At The Well, the earthy Two Little Fishes, Five Loaves Of Bread, the fast-paced hand-clapper Traveling Shoes, and then we get the laid back, inspiring Beams Of Heaven, the opulent soulful blues of That’s All / Denomination Blues, the free flowing Going Home, the live set rounding out on the delicately beautiful Go Ahead, the rousing Bring Back Those Happy Days, the quietly rambunctious Give Me That Old Time Religion, closing on the upright If Anybody Above Me and the self-absorbing Nobody’s Fault By Mine.

Includes extensive booklet with rare photos from Jan Persson, Hans Harzheim, Don Schlitten and Burt Goldblatt; essays by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, biographers Gayle Wald and Jean Buzelin; plus statements from Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland, Bonnie Raitt, Henry Rollins, Billy Gibbons and Brian Ray.

Official Purchase Link