Shout, Sister, Shout: a Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe features an all-star cast of female singers performing some of the best songs associated with the groundbreaking artist who blurred the lines between gospel and secular music. Some of the artists featured on the new album include Joan Osborne, Maria Muldaur (accompanied by Bonnie Raitt on guitar), Michelle Shocked, Sweet Honey In The Rock, Odetta, Phoebe Snow, Janis Ian, Marcia Ball, Victoria Williams, Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli and Marie Knight.

M.C. Records president Mark Carpentieri first heard Sister Rosetta Tharpe in 1999 at the home of rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef, himself a big fan of the singer/guitarist, and who acknowledges her music as a big influence »Sleepy said, 'Everything I learned on the guitar was from Sister Rosetta,'« remembers Carpentieri. »I was completely moved by the singing, the playing the spirituality ­ it was a revelation.« With the idea of doing a tribute album, Carpentieri began reaching out to artists to gauge their interest. One of those was Maria Muldaur, who loved Tharpe and had actually seen her perform. »I asked Maria about putting together a tribute and would she liked to be involved,« says Carpentieri. »She couldn't say yes fast enough. After two years, hundreds of phone calls and thousands of miles traveled, we¹ve been able to put this album together to salute one of the most underrated American musicians of the twentieth century.«

Some of the many highlights on Shout, Sister, Shout: a Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe include Joan Osborne (accompanied by the Holmes Brothers) singing »Nobody's Fault But Mine,« Maria Muldaur with Bonnie Raitt on guitar performing »My Journey To the Sky,« Michelle Shocked singing »Strange Things Happening Every Day,« Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball, Tracy Nelson and Angela Strehli teaming up on »Shout, Sister, Shout,« Phoebe Snow (also accompanied by the Holmes Brothers) performing »Beams Of Heaven,« Sweet Honey In The Rock singing »Precious Memories« and Marcia Ball performing »I Want a Tall Skinny Papa.« The music ends with an amazing performance from Marie Knight of »Didn't It Rain,« a song she originally recorded with Tharpe. Knight recorded and toured with Sister Rosetta Tharpe for more than a decade and is still very active in her Harlem church as a preacher.)

In addition to the audio tracks, the enhanced CD includes a special video clip of Sister Rosetta Tharpe performing »Down By The Riverside« from »TV Gospel Time,« recorded in the 1960s. The video track can only be viewed on computer. The album packaging of Shout, Sister, Shout: A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe includes an extensive essay on the artist by author Gayle Wald, a professor at American University, who is compiling a book on Sister Rosetta Tharpe's life.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973) has been hailed as one of the greatest sanctified gospel singers of her generation. A charismatic performer whoaccompanied herself on guitar, Sister Rosetta Tharpe combined spirituals with blues and swing music of the 1930s and 1940s to become one of the most popular artists of the time. She pushed the envelope of gospel music, inspiring both acclaim and controversy. Sister Rosetta was one of the artists on the legendary »Spirituals To Swing« concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938, performing on the same bill with Sidney Bechet, Count Basie and Benny Goodman. She also played many of the landmark venues of the day, including Café Society and the Cotton Club. As an African-American woman musician, she faced and overcame a myriad of hardships and obstacles placed in her way during her ascent as arguably the first gospel/pop star.