James McBride: Traditional Spirituals, In The Studio

The Good Lord Bird, the latest novel from James McBride, is a fictionalized retelling of the true story of abolitionist John Brown -- the grizzled anti-slavery rebel who was eventually captured in 1859 during his unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry. But in addition to his work as a best-selling author of books like The Color Of Water and Miracle At St. Anna, McBride is also a conservatory-trained musician and composer.

Two months before The Good Lord Bird won the National Book Award, McBride joined us in the Soundcheck studio to talk about the novel and to perform a selection of traditional spirituals with a quintet of singers and musicians.