Downtown Church
Encyclopedia
Downtown Church is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Patty Griffin
, released on January 26, 2010, by Credential Recordings
, a Christian label distributed by EMI
. The album was recorded in Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
and features different styles. Griffin has stated that she recorded the album to explore her feelings about religion. The album debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200
and topped the Billboard Christian Albums and Folk Albums
charts. The critical response was "generally favorable". On December
, 1st 2010, the album received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Gospel Album. On February 13, 2011, Downtown Church won the Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album. This was Patty Griffin's first Grammy award, after previously being nominated for Best Contemporary/Folk Americana Album for Children Running Through
in 2007.
in a duet with Mavis Staples
. Peter York, president of the EMI Christian Music Group
, suggested Griffin record a gospel album, and she agreed under the condition that Buddy Miller
work as producer. Miller agreed and found the Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
, after which the album was named, and where the album was recorded in January 2009. The album was recorded in collaboration with Buddy Miller
, Emmylou Harris
, Shawn Colvin
, gospel group The Fairfield Four
, Jim Lauderdale
, Raul Malo
, Mike Farris
, and Julie Miller
. The recording took five days, one day rehearsal and four days playing, and was described as sometimes exhausting.
Downtown Church consists of cover songs, traditional songs, and original songs by Griffin, and Billboard
has described the album as a "gospel-style record" influenced by traditional country music
and blues
. Griffin stated that the album was an attempt to familiarize pop fans with gospel music and that she intentionally used different styles to "mix it up". A Spanish hymn, "Virgen de Guadalupe", was suggested by Michael Ramos, a member of Griffin's band. Griffin stated that she had listened to Christian songs by Bob Dylan
, but failed to connect to them, and wrote her songs partly in reaction to their certainty and her ambivalence about rigid doctrine. She told National Public Radio that she was "working through complicated feelings about religion" and recorded the album to explore them. Griffin described her original song "Coming Home to Me" as sharing a recurring theme of her music, loneliness and connection, and being about "what really goes on inside, deep down". The final song, "All Creatures of Our God and King" is traditionally attributed to Francis of Assisi
.
reviewer Jonathan Keefe who praised Griffin as a natural fit for the songs and passionate "that even a nonbeliever can get on board". Jim Caligiuri of The Austin Chronicle called the album "haunting and original" and described the new direction compared to Griffin's previous album as a "gutsy move". Michael McCall of the Associated Press
described the album as a "stunningly powerful and compassionate work". Kyle Matthews of the Associated Baptist Press
noted that the album was cohesive despite a variety of styles and praised the song selection as "beyond stereotypes". Martin Bandyke of the Detroit Free Press
called the album "uplifting and utterly majestic". Michael Corcora of the Austin American-Statesman
praised Griffin as an "amazingly athletic singer" but criticized the album as "often divinely stirring" but lacking "a deep spiritual core". Noel Murray of The A.V. Club
remarked on the choice of unconventional songs "I Smell A Rat", "Death's Got A Warrant", and "Virgen De Guadalupe" and described the album as "heartfelt", but "a little generic at times". Gage Henry of Paste
stated that the album had "drastic turns" and praised Griffin's sentiment. Jewly Hight of American Songwriter praised the album and argued that the album had no "flat performances". David Belcher of the New York Times described the album as a "celebration" that was subtle but sometimes "foot-stomping". Jerry Shriver of USA Today
praised the restraint and versatility of the album. Andrew Whitman of Christianity Today
called the album "surprisingly diverse and beautifully sung" but argued that the secular "I Smell a Rat" did not fit with the religious material. Jay Lustig of The Star-Ledger
described the album as "pop-folk-gospel fusion" and noted that the album includes songs that are slow, quick, mellow, and blunt. Mark Deming of Allmusic stated that Downtown Church was one of a string of good albums Griffin made since 1996 and was appealing "regardless of [one's] religious convictions".
.
Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
, released on January 26, 2010, by Credential Recordings
Credential Recordings
Credential Recordings is a Nashville-based record label, focusing generally on the pop rock genre. It began branching out when it agreed on a distribution agreement with Lowercase people records for Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman's solo EPs, which tend to be more folk-acoustic in style...
, a Christian label distributed by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. The album was recorded in Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, affiliated with Presbyterian Church , was formerly known as First Presbyterian Church. The church is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Church Street. As Old First Presbyterian Church it is designated a National Historic...
and features different styles. Griffin has stated that she recorded the album to explore her feelings about religion. The album debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and topped the Billboard Christian Albums and Folk Albums
Folk Albums
Folk Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top selling "current releases by traditional folk artists, as well as appropriate titles by acoustic-based singer-songwriters" in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated December 5, 2009...
charts. The critical response was "generally favorable". On December
December
December is the 12th and last month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.December starts on the same day as September every year and ends on the same day as April every year.-Etymology:...
, 1st 2010, the album received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Gospel Album. On February 13, 2011, Downtown Church won the Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album. This was Patty Griffin's first Grammy award, after previously being nominated for Best Contemporary/Folk Americana Album for Children Running Through
Children Running Through
Children Running Through is Patty Griffin's sixth commercially released album, and fifth studio album. It was released on 6 February 2007. The album features vocals from Emmylou Harris on "Trapeze". "Heavenly Day" was the album's first single....
in 2007.
Background and recording
Griffin has stated that she did not have a background in gospel music before recording Downtown Church. She had appeared on the 2009 compilation Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music CelebrationOh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration
"Some of secular music's top acts -- among them Queen Latifah, Jon Bon Jovi, Joss Stone and 3 Doors Down -- take a walk on the spiritual side for Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration."...
in a duet with Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band.-Biography:...
. Peter York, president of the EMI Christian Music Group
EMI Christian Music Group
EMI Christian Music Group is a subsidiary of EMI which contains its Christian music record labels, and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee...
, suggested Griffin record a gospel album, and she agreed under the condition that Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller is a country singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee...
work as producer. Miller agreed and found the Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, affiliated with Presbyterian Church , was formerly known as First Presbyterian Church. The church is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Church Street. As Old First Presbyterian Church it is designated a National Historic...
, after which the album was named, and where the album was recorded in January 2009. The album was recorded in collaboration with Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller is a country singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
, gospel group The Fairfield Four
The Fairfield Four
The Fairfield Four is a gospel group that has existed for over 80 years. They started as a trio in Nashville, Tennessee's Fairfield Baptist Church in 1921. They were designated as National Heritage Fellows in 1989 by the National Endowment for the Arts. The group won the 1998 Grammy for Best...
, Jim Lauderdale
Jim Lauderdale
Jim Lauderdale is a musician & singer-songwriter who performs bluegrass and country music. He has recorded since 1986 and has released nineteen studio albums. Artists who have recorded his material include George Strait and Patty Loveless.-Biography:...
, Raul Malo
Raul Malo
Raúl Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. , known professionally as Raúl Malo, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He was the lead singer of country music band The Mavericks and the co-writer of many of their singles, as well as Rick Trevino's 2003 single "In My Dreams"...
, Mike Farris
Mike Farris (musician)
Mike Farris is an American musician. He was the founder and lead singer of Nashville, Tennessee group Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, but has been a solo act since 2001. He has put out 2 studio releases as well as a one live record as Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue as well as a charity EP...
, and Julie Miller
Julie Miller
Julie Miller is a songwriter, singer, and recording artist currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. She married Buddy Miller in 1981...
. The recording took five days, one day rehearsal and four days playing, and was described as sometimes exhausting.
Downtown Church consists of cover songs, traditional songs, and original songs by Griffin, and Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
has described the album as a "gospel-style record" influenced by traditional country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. Griffin stated that the album was an attempt to familiarize pop fans with gospel music and that she intentionally used different styles to "mix it up". A Spanish hymn, "Virgen de Guadalupe", was suggested by Michael Ramos, a member of Griffin's band. Griffin stated that she had listened to Christian songs by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, but failed to connect to them, and wrote her songs partly in reaction to their certainty and her ambivalence about rigid doctrine. She told National Public Radio that she was "working through complicated feelings about religion" and recorded the album to explore them. Griffin described her original song "Coming Home to Me" as sharing a recurring theme of her music, loneliness and connection, and being about "what really goes on inside, deep down". The final song, "All Creatures of Our God and King" is traditionally attributed to Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
.
Critical reception
The album was favorably reviewed by Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
reviewer Jonathan Keefe who praised Griffin as a natural fit for the songs and passionate "that even a nonbeliever can get on board". Jim Caligiuri of The Austin Chronicle called the album "haunting and original" and described the new direction compared to Griffin's previous album as a "gutsy move". Michael McCall of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
described the album as a "stunningly powerful and compassionate work". Kyle Matthews of the Associated Baptist Press
Associated Baptist Press
The Associated Baptist Press was founded in 1990 as an independent Baptist news agency. ABP has no headquarters office; its staff is located in various locations in four states with an office in Washington, DC housing the organization's Washington Bureau. ABP is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship...
noted that the album was cohesive despite a variety of styles and praised the song selection as "beyond stereotypes". Martin Bandyke of the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
called the album "uplifting and utterly majestic". Michael Corcora of the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
praised Griffin as an "amazingly athletic singer" but criticized the album as "often divinely stirring" but lacking "a deep spiritual core". Noel Murray of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
remarked on the choice of unconventional songs "I Smell A Rat", "Death's Got A Warrant", and "Virgen De Guadalupe" and described the album as "heartfelt", but "a little generic at times". Gage Henry of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
stated that the album had "drastic turns" and praised Griffin's sentiment. Jewly Hight of American Songwriter praised the album and argued that the album had no "flat performances". David Belcher of the New York Times described the album as a "celebration" that was subtle but sometimes "foot-stomping". Jerry Shriver of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
praised the restraint and versatility of the album. Andrew Whitman of Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
called the album "surprisingly diverse and beautifully sung" but argued that the secular "I Smell a Rat" did not fit with the religious material. Jay Lustig of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
described the album as "pop-folk-gospel fusion" and noted that the album includes songs that are slow, quick, mellow, and blunt. Mark Deming of Allmusic stated that Downtown Church was one of a string of good albums Griffin made since 1996 and was appealing "regardless of [one's] religious convictions".
Awards
The album won a Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year at the 42nd GMA Dove Awards42nd GMA Dove Awards
The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 20, 2011 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The show will be broadcast on gmc on April 24, 2011. It will be hosted by Sherri Shepherd from The Newlywed Game....
.
Track listing
The album contains seven traditional songs, five cover songs, and two original songs.- "House of Gold" (Hank Williams) – 2:53
- "Move Up" (traditional) – 2:44
- "Little Fire" (Griffin) – 4:07
- "Death's Got a Warrant" (traditional) – 1:44
- "If I Had My Way" (traditional) – 3:24
- "Coming Home to Me" (Griffin) – 3:33
- "Wade in the Water" (traditional) – 3:08
- "Never Grow Old" (traditional) – 3:11
- "Virgen de Guadalupe" (traditional) – 3:32
- "I Smell a Rat" (Jerry Leiber and Mike StollerJerry Leiber and Mike StollerJerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...
) – 2:31 - "Waiting for My Child" (Sullivan Pugh) – 4:16
- "The Strange Man" (Dorothy Love CoatesDorothy Love CoatesDorothy Love Coates was an American gospel singer.-Early years:Born Dorothy McGriff in Birmingham, Alabama, her early years were hard, . Her minister father left the family when she was six, divorcing her mother thereafter...
) – 3:38 - "We Shall All Be Reunited" (A. Karnes and B. Bateman) – 4:11
- "All Creatures of Our God and King" (traditional) – 4:17
Personnel
- Patty Griffin – vocals
- Buddy MillerBuddy MillerBuddy Miller is a country singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee...
– production, mixing, guitar, vocals - Jim DeMain – mastering
- Mike Poole – engineering
- Gordon Hammond – assistance with engineering
- Kathi Whitley - production coordination
- Maple Byrne - production assistance
- Dennis Crouch – bass
- Jay Bellerose – drums
- Doug Lancio – guitar
- Stuart DuncanStuart DuncanStuart Duncan is a bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo. Born in Quantico, Virginia and raised in Santa Paula, California, where he played in the school band, he has been a member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band since 1985, and is a much-in-demand session musician...
– fiddle - John Deaderick – piano
- John Catchings – cello
- Bryan Owings – percussion
- Russ Pahl – pedal steel guitar
- Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
– vocals - Raul Malo – vocals
- Jim Lauderdale – vocals
- Shawn ColvinShawn ColvinShawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
– vocals - Mike Farris – vocals
- Julie MillerJulie MillerJulie Miller is a songwriter, singer, and recording artist currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. She married Buddy Miller in 1981...
– vocals - Regina McCrary – vocals
- Ann McCrary – vocals
Chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
38 |
| Billboard Christian Albums Hot Christian Albums Christian Albums is a Billboard chart of the best-selling Christian music albums of the week.-1980 number one Christian Albums:-1981 number one Christian Albums:-1982 number one Christian Albums:... |
1 |
| Billboard Folk Albums | 1 |