The Church of the Living God “Home of the Sacred Steel Players”

The Jewell Dominion Praise Musicians represent the rich musical tradition of the Church of the Living God, Jewell Dominion, an African American Holiness-Pentecostal denomination where music serves as an essential expression of worship, praise, and the spiritual experience. The Church of the Living God was founded in the early twentieth century, and is noted for its distinctive use of the lap steel guitar, which has held a central place in worship services for generations.

Sacred steel originated when brothers Troman and Willie Eason of Philadelphia, enamored of the Hawaiian lap-steel guitar, introduced electric steel guitar into House of God churches in the 1930s. Named for the metal bar slid over the guitar strings, the music is characterized by single-note melodies that mimic African American vocal styles. Distinct approaches emerged in two branches of the House of God, known as the Keith and Jewell Dominions. The former, developed by guitarist Henry Nelson, is more up-tempo, with guitar lines played over a single, drone-like chord. The Jewell Dominion style is attributed to Bishop Lorenzo Harrison, and features expressive chord changes, wah pedals, and uniquely tuned double and triple strings that imitate an organ. Walking bass lines and rhythmic shuffles create an atmosphere that encourages congregational singing, praise, and joyful worship. Unlike concert performance, the music is inseparable from the life of the church, where it accompanies prayer, testimony, preaching, and spiritual celebration.

The musicians of Tupelo’s Jewell Dominion Church of the Living God continue a tradition passed directly from one generation to the next through family, church services, revivals, and conventions. Musicians learn by listening, observing, and playing alongside their experienced peers, ensuring that the style remains both deeply rooted and renewed as new players come in. While the Jewell Dominion tradition shares common origins with other sacred steel traditions, it retains its own distinctive sound, instrumentation, and approach to worship that have been preserved through decades of faithful practice.

Today, the Jewell Dominion Praise Musicians continue to share this living tradition with congregations and festival audiences alike. Their performance at the National Folk Festival offers a rare opportunity to experience one of America's most distinctive sacred musical traditions—one in which music is not simply performed but lived as an expression of faith, community, and cultural heritage.