Sounding a bit like Ella Fitzgerald herself, the beautiful songbird Miss Freddye lends her voice to a song rumored to have been sung by Harriet Tubman. “Wade In The Water” is truly American – it’s words passed down generation to generation. Miss Freddye’s version is slower paced, but rapidly heartfelt. “Wade In The Water” is from Miss Freddye’s forthcoming gospel album, expected in 2021. It’s a gift to be able to hear this song before the official album release.
MORE ON MISS FREDDYE: http://missfreddye.com/
Miss Freddye, who is based in Pittsburgh, sings like she has the full attention of the room. You can hear a pin drop between the stanzas, as she takes extra gumption to deliver the lyrics. The melody of the piano and organ, the gathering of the percussion – it all falls just effortlessly into place. Miss Freddye sings with a deep passion in her voice – as if she were the medium or mouthpiece for generations before her. Her voice is palpable – she transports the listener to an intimate setting. I’m not sure that I completely felt like I was in a church, per se, but I felt like I was moved to a place that felt very powerful. For some reason. I had a blues club stuck in my head, and I didn’t know if that felt right. I can just picture her, again, like Ella Fitzgerald, singing on the stage and having the audience completely glued to her every move. There is a nostalgia wave to took over me, and made me feel like this song and Miss Freddye are from a better time.
The chorus, wade in the water, wade in the water, children, wade in the water, God is gonna trouble these waters, is repeated frequently. For such a quick, simple song, it creates such a memorable stamp. It pierces the heart in only the way a spiritual song can. Miss Freddye at the helm is a wise choice. I think listening to a song like this in the current state-of-affairs, it’s not the same call to freedom as it might be an invitation to replenish into the waters. This song makes you feel centered and gets your compass pointed correctly. The organ keys fill the space when there is just but a breathe, a pause from Miss Freddye. Those tiny moments are like pathways to the water, lit up like streetlights lined up on a pathway. The pathway, of course, leads to water.
The temperament and the pace of “Wade In The Water” is serious. Still, Miss Freddye brings a celebration, a packaged joy to each word. When she sings it’s as if this were a lullaby and she were calming the listeners’ souls. Her voice, like alchemy, brings a golden joy to the listener’s heart. You can tell while listening to her that Miss Freddye is a giving person, that she gives her all in not only her music, but in life. “Wade In The Water” from Miss Freddye is a treasure. She really changed my outlook for the day, for the better.
Kim Muncie