Take Me to the Water Immersion Baptism Grammy?

This weekend, Lance Ledbetter, Co-Producer and I find out if we win a Grammy for our Book/CD release Take Me to the Water Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography in the Best Historical Release category. The competition is stiff, the other nominees deserving... but we are proud of the contribution we've made and can hope for the best! Copies of the book are avaliable from the publisher Dust-to-Digital and Amazon.

In the meantime, one the last photographs I have of a water immersion baptism. A mass-baptizing of Jehovah Witnesses on Long Island taken in 1946. It is not in the book, but maybe I'll be able to get it into the show! The Original photographs I collected were donated to the International Center of Photography in New York City and they will be exhibited there this year. Stay Tuned for updates. WISH US LUCK.

Anonymous Press Photograph, 1946 "Group Baptism of Jehovah Witnesses" Collection Jim Linderman

Take Me to the Water received Grammy Nomination for Best Historical Album

Take Me to the Water receives Grammy nomination for Best Historical Album
"Best Historical Album is a Grammy category that never attracts much attention, but the nominees are usually excellent. This year is no exception: Among them are the Little Walter Chess recordings and a Sophie Tucker collection from the folks at Champaign-Urbana’s great Archeophone label. The excellent Dust-to-Digital label is a regular presence among the nominees, and this year it’s up for a fascinating package called Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950.

The 8.75" x 6" hardbound book includes a gorgeous collection of rare photos of riverside baptisms by both white and black congregations, taken from the collection of Jim Linderman; there’s also a terrific essay by Luc Sante. Accompanying the images is a wonderful CD featuring black gospel, blues, and old-timey country songs that touch on baptism—including tracks by ubiquitous preacher Reverend J.M. Gates, quirky gospel singer Washington Phillips (who also played a fretless zither he built himself and called a Dolceola), the Carter Family, and J.E. Mainer’s Mountaineers. I don’t really think that baptism songs comprise a truly important genre, but the practice itself is obviously a huge part of religious life, and immersion baptism is still practiced today in the U.S. So while this may seem like a rather esoteric subject for a Grammy bid, that doesn’t make the music (or the photos) any less compelling." — Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

http://www.dust-digital.com/

GRAMMY NOMINATED Jim Linderman, Lance Ledbetter

December 3, 2009, Take Me To The Water: Immersion Baptism In Vintage Music And Photography 1890–1950 
Steven Lance Ledbetter & Jim Linderman, compilation producers; Robert Vosgien, mastering engineer (Various Artists) 
[Dust-To-Digital] was nominated for a Grammy award, Category 24 "Best Historical Album"

PUBLISHER

REVIEWS, FILM

Open Air Baptism Under the Lights Georgia 1938, a Christmas Gift Suggestion and a Milestone!

Dull Tool Dim Bulb will receive hit number 100,000 today though I only added the counter in August 2009. The figure includes all my sleazy sites as well, but STILL! I am amazed. This site started one year ago to occupy my time while my first book/cd project was being printed by the good folks at Dust-to-Digital. The book, Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950 is something I am very proud of. The institution the original photographs were donated to will announce an exhibition soon.

You can read the reviews. In fact, this week I read one in DUTCH. They are all, I am also proud to say, great. If great reviews were coins, we would all be shaking our hips like Shakira at the American Music Awards. Not being available at your local Barnes and Noble, you'll have to click it on home. Needless to say, it will make an outstanding Christmas present, as will any of the discs at D to D. Don't expect to see my publisher's house on MTV Cribs anytime soon, this is most certainly, as they say, love labor... but I can promise anyone who receives the book will not re-gift. It is a keeper.

"THEIR CLOTHES DRIPPING AFTER THEIR BAPTISM IN THE OPEN AIR RESERVOIR IN THE HILLS NEAR HERE, MR. AND MRS. HOWARD MCGEE AND HUGGED BY THEIR THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, PEGGY, AS THEY EMERGE FROM THE POOL. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE DEEP SOUTH, THE BAPTISM WAS HELD IN THE OPEN AIR UNDER FLOODLIGHTS. THIRTY-ONE "APPLICANTS" WERE DUCKED"

Original Press Photograph, 1938. Collection Jim Linderman

Take Me to the Water Promotional Film BOOK and CD RELEASE 2009

Take Me to the Water from Dust-to-Digital on Vimeo.