Esco Hankins and Jackie - Working God's Fields (Full Album Rip) [1970 Kentucky Gospel]

An absolutely phenomenal duet album from Esco Hankins and Jackie. Recorded in 1970 at Jewel Recording Studios in Cincinnati, OH. Jackie is Esco's wife and her incredible tenor singing is well on display here. There are many incredible tracks here. I could single out "Lord I Need You Today" in particular, though there isn't a single dud on the album. Esco was born in Maynardville in East Tennessee and relocated to Knoxville. His early career had him cutting a number of singles for King, Columbia, and Mercury. Many biographies closely associate his vocal style and catalog with Roy Acuff, although I don't think that comparison is fair for the stint of four or five gospel albums he recorded with Jackie for Jewel in the sixties and onward. Esco was at one point (although I'm not sure quite when) a featured performer on the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. His time later in life was spent as a DJ and record store owner in Lexington, where he continued to play music with Jackie. For bluegrass fans, it should be noted that in J.D. Crowe's biography Crowe on the Banjo, it's mentioned that J.D.'s first paying gig was with Esco Hankins. He is quoted as saying that Esco was “top dog in Lexington as far as country music was concerned. He was a hell of an emcee—he brought on all the acts and did commercials. I learned a lot from him." In fact, it was on Esco's radio show where Jimmy Martin first heard J.D. Crowe and hired him to be a Sunny Mountain Boy. Other influential members of Esco's band, the Crazy Tennesseans (later, the Tennesseans) included none other than English Tullock and Buck Graves, better known as Uncle Josh and Cousin Jake, who were playing with Esco in Louisville around 1949. They would later become longstanding members of the Foggy Mountain Boys. 00:00 Side One 00:06 1. I'm Not Worthy 02:32 2. Without Him 04:35 3. Working God's Fields 06:34 4. Had It Not Been 09:15 5. Power in Prayer 12:07 Holy Hills of Heaven 15:20 Side Two 15:33 1. Renew Your Joys in the Lord Today 17:06 2. Lord I Need You Again Today 19:51 3. Spread the Gospel 23:23 4. Eternity Where? 26:18 5. Uncle Dan's Last Request 29:13 6. Mother Left Me Her Bible 32:25 7. Telegram from Viet Nam