The Blue Journey – Releasing the Glory of the Blue Note – February-October 2015
Jonathan Fitt's fantastic book, Glory in the Blues: A Worship Journey is now available! This book expertly delineates who we are, what we do, and gives an accurate and detailed account of the Blue Journey. Click here to purchase your copy.
The Blue Note Journey: Releasing the Glory of the Blue Note
Please bear with us regarding this post – we are still editing it as the journey unfolds! Check back for further updates as we continue this monumental worship journey.
What is the blue note?
"The blues scale is sometimes referred to as a minor pentatonic scale or an altered major scale with lowered third, fifth, and seventh degrees. The transient use of the 'blue note' (flat fifth or sharp forth) is highly characteristic of blues music. This note relative to the tonic, is also known as a tritone, or in sacred music, the 'devil's note' which was avoided in that idiom. In any case the blues scale in practice is dynamic, it changes all the time... A slick blues lead might embellish any scale degree with repeated grace notes of a semi tone above the scale degree or below it depending if the line is ascending or descending." 1
Why is it called "The Blues"?
While it is uncertain definitively when and how the term "blues" came to refer to emotions, the prevalent theory is the following:
"Why is blues music called 'the blues'? The name of this great American music probably originated with the 17th-century English expression 'the blue devils,' for the intense visual hallucinations that can accompany severe alcohol withdrawal. Shortened over time to 'the blues,' it came to mean a state of agitation or depression." 2
One of the first recorded references to "the blues" used in this context is in the diary of Charlotte Forten, a free African-American woman who was a teacher of slaves on Edisto Island, SC (near Charleston). In December 14, 1862, she heard the sound of a slave being beaten. That day she wrote in her diary:
"I hadn't slept more than ten minutes when I was awakened by what seemed to me terrible screams coming from the Quarters... Nearly everybody was looking gay and happy; and yet I came home with the blues. Threw myself on the bed and for the first time since I have been here, felt very lonesome and pitied myself. But I have reasoned myself into a more sensible mood and am better now." 3
The Intent and purpose of the Blue Journey
The intent and purpose of the Blue Note Journey is very simple:
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the currents and the rivers.
Father is creator of ALL the notes of the scale and ALL the colors of the spectrum, and is copyright owner of it all! There is no note the devil owns!
Father (Yahweh Elohim, The Lord God) is also the creator of every bloodline and knows the history of each family tree. He knows exactly when and where the thief of destiny came in to steal the dreams, the songs, the joy, the dance, and the hope of bloodlines and the fragrance and fruit of family trees.
However, the Blood of the Son (Yeshua, who is He—the long-awaited King-Messiah of Israel or Jesus Christ) paid the price for every dream, song, dance, and fruit of every family tree to be restored to original intent.
Colossians 1:20 – And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross.
As this Blue Journey group of psalmists and minstrels step into a territory through the blood and light of Son, and release the sounds, decrees, declarations, and proclamations, born out of honor, and in plumb line alignment with eternal purpose and original intent, atmospheres shift.
We are not afraid to play any note or release any sound owned by the King of whose we are and whom we serve!
On a logistical note, this journey was unlike any we had ever done before – rather than merely driving from place to place over a one- or two-week period, this journey was broken up into several legs, going to a different city each month for several days. This allowed us to attain a greater feel for the region, as we weren't merely rushing in, worshipping, then tearing down to be on to the next site.
Leg one – Charleston, South Carolina – February 19-22, 2015
Thursday
Our team in Charleston consisted of James Nesbit (vocals, percussion, and harmonica), Jamie Fitt (guitar and vocals), Jonathan Fitt (guitar), Keith Stone (guitar), David Munoz (bass), Isaac Nesbit (keyboards), and our hosts, Frank Seignious and Judy Jackson.
This leg of the journey began Thursday morning with James, David, Isaac, and Frank (Keith and the Fitts would arrive later that afternoon). Our first stop in Charleston was at Christ Church on Kingshighway, the old main route of town. Christ Church was erected in 1706, and we felt it was important to go to this gate which had been in the region for centuries.
After this stop, we headed to Sullivan's Island. On the way, we stopped and prayed at Hunley Bridge, site of the first use of submarines in warfare (during the Civil War - February 17, 1864).
When we arrived at Sullivan’s Island, we didn't realize its historic importance in several dimensions. This island was also important in times of war - the Battle of Fort Sullivan, one of the earliest American victories In the Revolutionary War, was fought here on June 28, 1776. Local palmetto trees were significant to this battle, as they absorbed cannonball fire 4 - Frank commented on how this was a symbol of God's mercy, and how the palmetto trees became the symbol for the state of South Carolina as a result.
Fort Sullivan (renamed Fort Moultrie in honor of the Revolutionary general) was also used to fire on Fort Sumter in 1861, 5 the opening shots of the Civil War – there was a significant connection between the Blue Journey team and this act as well. Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard, the man who ordered the first shot, was from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, where guitarist Keith Stone is from. Keith’s wife Cindy is also a direct descendant of the man who fired the first shot, George S. James.
However, Sullivan's Island's most important historical significance was regarding slavery. While estimates vary, at least 40-60% of all African slaves were brought through this island during the Atlantic slave trade. 6
When we stepped on Sullivan’s Island and realized such a significant percentage of African American bloodlines were effected this gate – dreams stolen, sorrow and loss roaring from every cell, joy taken, dance robbed, hope for a future for themselves or their bloodlines destroyed – we realized why we were sent to Charleston. We felt the trauma that still resounds within the bowels of our nation as does the state of agitation or depression on every reservation in the land, but… GOD!
We realized Father had perfectly positioned us to sing into the eternal destiny of these bloodlines and family trees (which are His planting) and in the power of the “It is finished song!” purchased by the Blood of the Son, we, sons of God, release awakening into each bloodline and tree. The sons of God, the revealing of which all creation has been waiting for, have found the power of the Blood-bought song that restores the dreams, the songs, the joy, the dance, and hope of bloodlines and the fragrance and fruit of family trees. The sound of awakening, as a mighty rushing whirlwind, is moving across the land. The sound of worship is changing from "somewhere, sometime, someday," to "NOW Father is!" Awakening is in the land, and it has a sound!
That evening, we met at Seacoast Church – we lacked a drummer for the night session. Drums were outlawed on slave plantations, and James and Keith both related this to our difficulty in finding a drummer. James also asked the Lord to send us a horn player while we were in Charleston. That evening, the Lord sent us Jack (drums), Joel (drums and guitar), Michael (harmonica), and Clay Robinson (violin) to join in with our team. There were two high points of the evening: seeing each of these men being touched, and the joy of the pastor, Ron Hamilton, worshiping with his son and grandson. He said, “I’ve gotta have more of this!” There was also a rabbi with us that evening, who released the following word: “God says I have given you a gift to release rivers of life.” After this, the meeting went to a different level. James asked Clay to play a violin solo, and the meeting went to an even deeper level.
Friday
On Friday we journeyed out to Edisto Island, where Charlotte Forten taught and the term "the blues" was equated with emotions for one of the first times. We met at Trinity Church with the pastor, Way Camp. There was wonderful sound at this meeting – in keeping with the blues theme, we played the chord progression/movement of B.B. King's “The Thrill is Gone", changing the words to “The Joy has Come”. We had several equipment issues, and we all felt this tied into the difficulty over the area. Jamie and Keith had cords break, one of Isaac’s foot pedals broke. One line in particular that stuck out was: “The whole East Coast is lit up with the fire from Edisto. Signs, wonders, and miracles on Edisto.” Since we lacked a drummer, we utilized Jonathan’s iPad for drums, and this worked quite effectively. Keith said: "As we drove to Edisto Island, I started hearing a sound in my heart and the drums Jonathan picked drew the sound out."
After we finished at Trinity Church, we drove to the beach and released the blast of a shofar.
We returned to Seacoast Church for an evening meeting. Barbara Walker, an African-American lady who used to be in a prophetic worship team with Keith, came to join us for this meeting. John, another friend of Keith’s, played drums that evening. Isaac and Clay played over a lady named GeorgeAnn (farmer of grace) who was battling cancer. A lady saw a shutter open and release a multitude of colors – she said that there were jewels throughout the region and the angels were leading people to them. We also honored Lillian, a watchman who had been on the wall for a long time. James talked about (and then led the room in) sculpting the air. Once again we released the “Thrill is Gone” movement.
Saturday
Saturday we remained at Seacoast Church. The meetings that day were a mixture of worship and teaching until noon, while the afternoon focused on worship. Deborah and Barbara joined us singing. We also discussed the importance of dances that affected the earth from this region (the Charleston and the Twist – Chubby Checker was from South Carolina). There were some people in the meeting from New England, and we closed by releasing our sound over New England and singing over them.
After the meeting, we went to the Fleet Landing Restaurant. We had purposely left Saturday night free to experience the city of Charleston, and after finishing our meal, began to walk the streets. We prayed for Benjamin, a young Jewish man, at the Old Exchange building. We also prayed at the birthplace of the Scottish Rite lodge – a passing dog stood at attention when we blew the shofar. Immediately after we blew the shofar, we heard a New Orleans-style wedding with a Dixieland band leading the processional. Went to the "Four Corners of Government" and blew the shofar at each corner – God’s government, federal government, state government, local government.
After this, we followed the wedding processional to the Hibernian Hall where the reception was held. We listened to the band, then when they were finished we talked to Fred Sheets, the band leader (trumpet). James asked Fred to close his eyes and play whatever he had in his heart. Fred said he couldn't recall ever doing that or being asked to do such a thing. He then played a short motif which included a blue note or two. Keith in particular found this significant because James had prayed the Lord would send us horn players to release a sound while we were in Charleston. Before Fred left, he turned and told us how he had come from a long line of military men.
This whole series of events took place in Charleston's French Quarter, another connection to Keith and New Orleans. We then found and walked down Philadelphia Alley in the French Quarter. At this moment we realized there was a convergence taking place that began at the Battle of New Orleans conference in January. In January, there was a release of a musical militia, a release of a thankful army, and a joining of prophetic minstrels. Here we were now in Charleston with Philadelphia and New Orleans converging with musicians from St. Louis. We sensed heaven kissing us and blessing this journey. None of us knew that there was a French Quarter in Charlston or an alley called Philadelphia Alley. To finish the evening, we drove to Charlotte St, stopped between two churches and blew the shofar – we felt a very powerful release and a breaking in the heavens.
Sunday
On Sunday morning, we went back to Sullivan's Island with the Fitts and Keith. We took communion, blew the shofar, and drove a stake in the sand. Keith repented for his bloodline's connection to the attack on Fort Sumter and its part in the Civil War. Jamie then prayed for all the bloodlines in Philadelphia who were connected to Sullivan's Island. We also repented over the devastation of the Reconstruction and the bitterness that still remains. We found it interesting that we were visiting Sullivan's Island in February, Black History Month.
We then returned to the historic Christ Church and set up outside under an old live oak tree (believed to have been used to lynch black slaves). We had a glorious time – Keith and Jonathan were on fire musically. We would have stayed and played longer, but had to pack up early because it started to rain.
Before we left, however, we went inside the new Christ Church building (positioned directly behind the historic church) and Jonathan and Isaac played wonderfully together on a grand piano.
Afterwards
In light of the horrific shooting that took place in Charleston in June, we felt that our time there was even more poignant – we had left DNA in the region, and therefore had the authority to speak into this area that was dealing with the trauma of loss. We wrestle not with flesh and blood! The demonic spirit spoke through the Charleston shooter exactly what hell’s intent was in the slaying of these nine innocent – to start a race war! But as satan always does, he over played his hand. He shed innocent blood in a prayer meeting and released the voice of the Blood of the Lamb!
These innocent people didn't choose to be a hinge point in history, but the lives they lived resound through their children and their children’s children! And with the proclamation of the granddaughter of one of the martyrs, “I forgive you, they lived and loved and their legacies will live and love, hate won’t win!”, the enemy’s attempt was trumped!
At this historic gate of our nation, where the curse is reversed, we have heard the sound of the Blood-bought anthem released.
On June 18, 2014, Chuck Pierce prophesied in Collinsville, IL:
"I’m realigning the sound of Heaven, and I’m going to cause a dividing line to come down and start dividing in this Nation the wheat and the tares. I’ll do it in states. I’ll do it in counties. I’ll do it in cities. I’m going to cause my Judah people to arise."
Since that time, we have seen city after city enter the valley of decision: Ferguson, New York City, Baltimore, Charleston. As the wheat and the tares are being shown for what they are, we have watched as many of those who say they stand against racism have been shown to be the most racist.
After a year of watching for the sound of the Judah people to arise, I heard it again from Charleston, as family members and relatives in the depths of pain, sorrow, grief, and loss released the sound for which the Blood of the Son purchased:
“I forgive you… their legacies will live and love, hate won’t win!”
Now, in the power of that sound, let there be intentional worship gatherings in every city in this nation with the black and white voices resounding together, lifting high the anthem of the Blood-redeemed! Every time we look at a piano, the answer is right there for all to see – the black and the white keys perfectly positioned together releasing the full spectrum of harmonious sound.
This is the sound that will change our cities – the black notes and white notes resounding together, releasing the love of the Father, through the Blood of the Son, and the breath of comforting truth igniting the hearts of everyone!
Leg two – Florence, Alabama – March 26-29, 2015
Thursday
Our team in Florence was much larger than in Charleston – the team was comprised of James Nesbit, Colleen Nesbit, Jamie Fitt, Jonathan Fitt, Keith Stone, David Munoz, Isaac Nesbit, Steve Shoaf (Native flute and percussion), Mike Curtis (drums, guitar, and vocals), Byron Bishop (saxophone and percussion), Cindy Bishop (vocals), Randy Webb (keyboards and vocals), Sylvia Gast (vocals), Chuck Thurston (saw), Therese Thurston (vocals), Steve Bell, and dear friends Donna Neeper, Trisha Jones, and Betty Love.
This leg of the journey began with James, Colleen, Isaac, David, and Steve Shoaf (with other team members joining throughout Thursday and Friday). We visited Tom Hendrix, Teh La Ney’s great-great grandson at his memorial wall.
We worshipped, drove a stake in the middle of their small amphitheater, which had been dedicated for worship. Father brought several witnesses (tourists) who were deeply touched and ministered to.
That evening, we worshipped by the Tennessee River, "The Singing River" in McFarland Park – that night it was cold and rainy. We started bonfire, and it began rain as soon as we started to worship.
We found a guitar pick and the spiral of a notebook in the ashes of the fireplace. James saw Indians in canoes in the Tennessee River, David saw canoes on the clouds.
There was also a considerable amount of warfare around Keith and his wife Cindy, and considerable intercession was poured out for them both.
Friday
The next morning we visited the Tennessee River at McFarland Park again, worshipped with Mike's acoustic guitar, drove a stake, Steve played the flute, and Chuck got his photo taken playing his saw for the local newspaper.
After this brief stop, we met with Jimmy Johnson, one of the Swampers, the rhythm section which had made Muscle Shoals part of what it was. They broke away from the larger FAME Studios in 1969 to found Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where we met him. Muscle Shoals Sound (3614 Jackson Highway) was a historic influence on American music, with many hits being recorded there: The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses", The Staples Singers' "I'll Take You There", Paul Simon's "Kodachrome", as well as songs from Cher, Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs, and many others. As fans of much of the music that had been recorded there, the entire team thoroughly enjoyed the stop. Many pictures were taken, laughs had, and Jimmy told several stories about the studio back in its heyday. We finished by listening to some of his new recordings in his car (an experience the team greatly enjoyed as well).
From there, we left to visit and record in FAME Studios (mentioned above). This studio has had as much of an impact (if not more) than Muscle Shoals Sound: Aretha Franklin's "Respect", Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally", Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman", Etta James' "Tell Mama", and countless other songs had been recorded there by everyone from the Allman Brothers to the Osmonds. As with the last stop, the entire team thoroughly enjoyed the historic aspect of it: Jonathan was able to use the amp that Duane Allman had used to record, and Isaac was able to use the Wurlitzer keyboard heard prominently on Aretha's Franklin's seminal album I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You.
We worked with John, Spencer, and Tyler, and they were a little overwhelmed by the amount of musicians we brought with us. They were accustomed to recording one or two musicians at a time in separate rooms – we had thirteen, and wanted to all be in the same room. We pushed them to their limit (and they were a little stressed), but once we started, Spencer said over and over “This is friggin’ awesome!” At one point, James began singing over these three, their bloodlines, and their destinies. Before we were finished, they were recording videos on their phones as well, and the release in that studio was very powerful. One particular point of interest was our good friend, Dr. Chuck Thurston. Chuck plays a hand saw with a violin bow, which creates a very unique sound – this gets swept under the table sometimes because of its unorthodox sound and its difficulty to properly capture via microphone. None of the three technicians at FAME had ever heard a saw before, but they absolutely loved it. They recorded videos of him with their phones, set him up right in the middle of the room, and spent ample time getting him mic'd properly.
The audio clip below is a brief sample of our worship in FAME. This has not been mixed, and is raw, straight off of the studio mixing console from that afternoon. The full track went on for 35 minutes, but this has been edited down.
That evening, because of the cold, we rescheduled from McFarland Park to Grace Christian Baptist Church with Pastor Tommy and wife Theresa, who graciously opened their doors to us. One of the phrases that evening was “Grace, grace, grace – triple grace!"
Saturday
The next morning, we returned to Grace Christian Baptist Church and worshipped again.
That afternoon, we went to the W.C. Handy home and museum. W.C. Handy was an early blues trumpeter who has been widely recognized as "Father of the Blues" – he wrote several early blues pieces such as the "Memphis Blues" and the "St. Louis Blues", and helped to spread the blues sound from the South to other parts of the nation; he was also a Freemason. As we began to play, there was a tremendous warfare over the sound: cables didn’t work, the sound was hard to mix, and most interesting was that the guitars were tuned almost a quarter step up (sharp) – both Jamie and Jonathan have carbon fiber guitars, which are designed not to detune so dramatically. After warring through the sound, we broke through, singing "No longer orphans, now we are kings." This stop had been announced by the local newspaper, and therefore a small crowd joined us. Ronita, a local, sang with us. Before we left, we drove a stake as well.
We returned to Grace Christian Baptist for an evening meeting. That night, at Mike's request, we experimented with the A=432 tuning that many are advocating. Before the end of the evening, we returned to A=440, standard concert pitch. We felt powerful releases of sound in both tunings. After the meeting we went to a place called Champy’s to listen and connect with two people we had met at W.C. Handy's, John Blumer and Will McFarland.
Sunday – Selma
The next morning, we drove south to Selma to join forces with a Tent of David that had been worshipping for over two weeks by that point. Their tent got flooded on Thursday night, and they had to move to Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church, which was nearby. This stop was an excellent release, and we could tell that the region was open to receiving from us due to worship and intercession that had gone up from that region for over two weeks. There was a good response from the people, and before we left we asked permission and rang the bell out front several times, over the Philadelphia, Atlanta, the nation, and Israel.
After this we drove to the other side of the Edmund Pettus bridge, where we drove two stakes. We then walked to the middle of the bridge, and released the sound of the shofar as well.
Leg Three – New Orleans, Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta – April 23-28, 2015
New Orleans Thursday, Friday, Saturday morning
Our team for this leg of the journey was smaller than in Florence. James Nesbit, Jamie Fitt, Jonathan Fitt, Keith Stone, Byron Bishop, and Isaac Nesbit comprised our core team, and we were met in different locations by musicians who could join us along the way, some for multiple days, some for only one or two sessions.
This leg was also different in that we were not limited to one city/area, but instead traveled from New Orleans all the way up the Delta to Memphis.
Vicksburg – Saturday night
Saturday, April 25 In Vicksburg there about 70 people in attendance as we played at River city mission. Ernie before marine is the director of the mission. We began the night with James doing a short teaching an explanation of what the blue journey was about so those listening would understand what they were about to hear. We saying over their destinies in dreams. We sing we all fall down it's how we get up that counts. "If you fall down seven times get up eight." James begin to ask those in attendance with their first and middle names minute and then we looked at their names up and told them what their names meant. Everyone want to know what the meaning of
Their name. There was one man there who was ashamed of his name. But when he found out his name meant smooth soaring Eagle he was able to begin to understand his destiny. Another man who had been in that a prison many times who is weeping over the sound he was hearing. The same man came to us later in the night and so although I'm a baby Christian I would like to pray for you and he prayed the sweetest prayer over the entire team everyman at the mission was moved but what God was doing and when we left they have hope in the next morning they all joined us at jubilee revival center.
Vicksburg – SUNDAY MORNING
Releasing the sound of Jubilee has been our theme for the year and God intended it in his purpose planted us in Mississippi at the Jubilee revival Center We were at Jubilee revival Center with pastors Robert and Lisa Sanders two very kind humble and hospitable people. James open the meeting by having everyone come forward and released a raw sound which sounded like a single tone it was actually an F note. The entire congregation joined us in releasing the sound and we felt heaven open. The beauty in Vicksburg Mississippi of black people and white people coming together to release that sound was overwhelming it moved several of us to tears. From that place we all moved as one and begin to come into agreement with grandma's prayers and the prayers of the Saints and family members that have gone before us. The worship was wonderful. At one point James invited one of the singers to come forward that is the churches singers to come forward and begin to seeing horse song and the song of Vicksburg in agreement with what heaven was hearing. Near the end of the gathering a lady named Barbara Ann came forward and wept as the whole congregation sang over her in honor. She had live the life in which most of it she was dishonored. As she wept she began her healing became more free and stepped into her true destiny of original intent. At the end we saying over the man whose name was smooth soaring eagle to the tune of smooth operator. And we sang the Vicksburg Eagles are flying. Jamie began to sing from Pittsburgh to Vicksburg the Eagles are flying. At the end of the meeting the pastor declared that the glory of the blue note had visited Vicksburg. Just a note here The state of Mississippi fully paid fully paid for our room and board blessed and blessed us in many many ways. thank you Betty love everyone and everyone else who contributed for the meals the gas in the rooms.
Cleveland, Mississippi – Sunday night
That evening we traveled up to Cleveland, MS, to set up and play outside at the Dockery Plantation.This is one of the primal centers for blues. Charlie Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, all played at Dockery plantation. As we stepped foot on the commissary where all these blues great plate on the front porch we were once again moved by the moment in the sense of American history and with deep Thanksgiving that the Lord would have us on this journey to release the original intent of the glory of the blue note. Thousands of poor African-American farmhands came to this location on Saturday evenings after they were paid to hear blues music played on this front porch. Afterwards they would have to pay $.25 to cross the bridge on the sunflower river to go to what was called the frolicking house. This was a little shanty where they installed huge mirrors on the walls and used lanterns as lighting the mirror is magnified the light. This is where the blues music would last all night long. It was said that Charlie Patton would make $250 a week playing is blues music just on Saturday nights. These poor farmhands only made $.50 a day. One of the highlights of the evening was singing over the bloodline of the thousands who have been baptized in what was called the dipping pool. The dipping pool was actually a watering trough used to water mules. Thousands were baptized at Dockery farms prior to using the dipping pool they used the sunflower river, but after several met their maker following baptism because of alligators and snakes these believers began to use the watering trough. At one point James direct it Byron Bishop are saxophonist to go and play his horn in the dipping pool. At the same time many of the intercessors were in the dipping pool praying and waving banners and large flags.
Sang love song
Played 2 5 change
Indianola, mississippi – Monday morning
Played on Church Street
A reporter came and said we were releasing the joy of the blues. We played thrill is gone groove and atmosphere shifted. We started and skies were gray and as we played the wind changed direction and the sun came out.
Clarksdale, mississippi – Monday night
Played on stage outside the Delta Blues Museum
Released body slaming love, original intent, jubilee from Clarksdale to Vicksburg.
James blew the shofar and it was very powerful.
We laid down a blues rock groove that took us to a different level musical level.
Later that night the mayor of Clarksdale, who was there, stopped us on the street and told us we were great and invited us back and said he would promote it.
Memphis, Tennessee – Tuesday
We got to Memphis early in the day, and chose to visit some historic Memphis sites – Graceland (Elvis' home), Beale St., Sun Studios, and the Lorraine Hotel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in 1968. Jonathan and Keith sat in with a blues band on Beale St.
We found a penny on the ground heads up which went back to a word spoken in NOLA about Abe Lincoln and a penny on top of a wave. The print date was 1968, the year of King's assassination.
We opened with thrill is gone groove With the words grace, grace, grace to Graceland Memphis were speaking to you.
We sang the fountains of the deep are open, living waters flowing.
We sang Hallelujah yes, hell no. We were made for hallelujah.
We ended a bit abruptly, as we noticed one of the speakers we were using (not our equipment) was starting to smoke.
Leg Four – Collinsville, Illinois –June 9-13, 2015
This is a humorous video by Jamie Fitt, providing a brief tour across the stage, looking at the many instruments he dubbed the "Nesbit Orchestra" at the 2015 Tribe Quantum Worship Congress.
We merged the St. Louis leg of the journey with our annual Tribe Quantum Worship Congress in Collinsville, IL, and were joined by friends, musicians, and intercessors from across the nation. Ray Hughes, Chuck Pierce, Patti Amsden, David Van Koevering, Yolanda McCune, and James Nesbit were our featured speakers – each had a powerful release of revelatory insight about a wide variety of topics. Audio recordings of these teachings are available here.
The musicians who joined us were quite extensive: James Nesbit, Jamie Fitt, Jonathan Fitt, Keith Stone, David Munoz, Isaac Nesbit, Steve Shoaf, Byron Bishop, Randy Webb, Sylvia Gast, Chuck Thurston, Therese Thurston, and Steve Bell all returned, and were joined by several newcomers. These newcomers included: George Adamson (keyboards and vocals), Mark Lewis (violin), David Van Koevering (keyboards), Michael Bartula (drums), Charles Williams (drums), Mark Crowe, (bass), Doug Dietsch (bass), Dave Geiler (guitar), JD Russell (guitar), Calley Russell (vocals), Annette Birdsong (vocals), Jimmy Tercero (vocals), and Saundra Corner (vocals). What a wonderful lineup, and a full stage!
We had attempted to play in Ferguson, MO, but we couldn't get any permits to play outside. We decided to stay at the venue we had been all week, but devoted Saturday morning to the Blue Journey – that morning was a very powerful moment of worship, and the recordings we captured from that morning will most likely comprise a large portion of Tribe Quantum's next CD release.
Leg Five – Chicago, ILlinois – July 16-19, 2015
Thursday
Our team for this leg of the Blue Journey was Keith Stone, Jonathan Fitt, Doug Dietsch, Michael Bartula, Isaac Nesbit, James Nesbit, George Adamson, and Byron and Cindy Bishop. The team (minus the Bishops) gathered Thursday evening at a ministry center George Adamson is constructing that he calls “The Hut”. Byron and Cindy joined us Friday evening. George’s motto for hosting is “lavish and unique” – believe me, that was the weekend expression of the Chicago Blue Journey. Thursday night the team set up and worshipped in the Hut and allowed Holy Spirit to make adjustments as necessary – a few had not been on different legs of the Blue Journey, and we used this time to find our rhythm and get comfortable playing together, then began to prepare for Stateville prison the following morning.
Friday
Our scheduled start time was 11:00 AM, but we left at 6:30 to unload all of our equipment from our vehicles into a state truck owned by Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, IL, which then took all the equipment through the security check into the prison itself. There was an officer at the gate that wanted to block the event from happening, and we were under the impression the day before that she would do everything in her power to prevent us getting our equipment in. However, the Lord gave us favor and all of our equipment was allowed inside, a fact that surprised all of us greatly.
Bishop Adamson, who is the Senior Chaplain at Stateville, had handpicked 75 inmates (all doing time for murder) to be with us for two hours in the prison auditorium. There were guards with rifles positioned in the balconies in case things got out of hand. The temperature was a hot and muggy 95°, and there is no air conditioning in the prison!
Holy Spirit was more than wonderful in His ministry to us all. Our intent was for the sound the Blood has purchased to minister deeply to not just the prisoners in the room, but every bloodline and family tree that has every been connected or affected by anyone in the penal system!
We began by releasing a very ethereal sound and moved into joining the four living creatures that surround the throne by singing holy. Our worship escalated during the morning, culminating with the prisoners (who had all murdered, remember) binding the spirit of murder in a thunderous shout. Bishop Adamson released a tremendous teaching and a holy hush filled the room. We came back and released the sound of joy, so these men could leave infused with the strength of the Living God!
At the end of the meeting, our team stood in the back of the room and shook hands and hugged these men, who were so appreciative of what had just transpired, as were we. Bishop Adamson said the reports that are still coming in are radical. Most reported seeing the sound travel through them, while others reported seeing shapes coming at them. Some were in awe of a sound they were convinced that no one had ever heard before. Others talked about the time of silence that they had never experienced, and others about being truly free for the first time while we were there.
After the meeting in the auditorium, Bishop Adamson took us on a tour of the prison to see the most famous and last panopticon housing unit in the world, where the worst of the worst are kept locked up 24 hours a day. After this, he took us to see the longest cell house in the world, where most of the men in our gathering were from.
We were exhausted after the day at the prison. We were moving a whole lot of things in the Spirit from Stateville.
We canceled our Friday evening outdoor gathering because of dark clouds that were forming and the report of strong lightning moving in and staying over the area for the rest of the evening; we returned to the Hut for some debriefing and regeneration for the next day.
Saturday
On Saturday morning we gathered at Calumet Park, Grove #5, on the south side of Chicago – in the past Bishop Adamson, Pat McManus, and Richard Martinez had shot a fire arrow over the city of Chicago from this point. The forecast predicted it would be very hot and humid, feeling like 110°. However, at exactly 11:00 AM (when we were scheduled to start), a strong wind started to blow with a chill in the air. We asked Father to lessen the wind just a little, and it turned into a gentle breeze as we began to worship.
Our first musical movement lasted an hour and forty-five minutes – as we ascended on the currents of the spirit, it was a melodic motion journey . Somewhere around 1:30, we began singing about atmospheric change. Later in the evening, Pastor Louis Reeves would ask us if we felt the atmospheric change over Chicago at 1:30 – my, my!
About three minutes after we stopped playing, the generator we were using ran out of gas. We also noticed a swarm of dragon flies about the size of hummingbirds had gathered over Lake Michigan and would not come near us until the sound stopped – then swarms of them came ashore and were flying in very unique patterns going in all directions, almost like a picture of how the sound was moving.
When we were planning the journey, I wanted to worship at the darkest place in Chicago. That request led us to the intersection of 63rd and Wallace on Saturday evening. This intersection is in Englewood, a community known for the number of murders that have happened there.
We felt this was the tap root, from which the spirit of murder was operating through the gate opened by Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, one of the first documented serial killers in the modern sense of the term.
"In Chicago at the time of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Holmes opened a hotel which he had designed and built for himself specifically with murder in mind, and which was the location of many of his murders. While he confessed to 27 murders, of which nine were confirmed, his actual body count could be over 200...
"After the completion of the hotel, Holmes selected mostly female victims from among his employees (many of whom were required as a condition of employment to take out life insurance policies, for which Holmes would pay the premiums but was also the beneficiary), as well as his lovers and hotel guests, whom he would later kill. Some were locked in soundproof bedrooms fitted with gas lines that let him asphyxiate them at any time. Holmes would also lock his victims in a room where the walls were covered with iron plates and had blowtorches installed to incinerate them. Other victims were locked in a huge soundproof bank vault near his office, where they were left to suffocate. The victims' bodies were dropped by a secret chute to the basement, where some were meticulously dissected, stripped of flesh, crafted into skeleton models, and then sold to medical schools. Holmes also buried some of the bodies in lime pits for disposal. Holmes had two giant furnaces used to incinerate some of the bodies or evidence, as well as pits of acid, bottles of various poisons, and even a stretching rack. Through the connections he had gained in medical school, he sold skeletons and organs with little difficulty."7
There is also a potential connection between Holmes' murders and the infamous Jack the Ripper:
"Jeff Mudgett, the great great grandson of H.H. Holmes, recently wrote a book about his infamous ancestor and his startling theory that Holmes was responsible for at least some of serial killer Jack the Ripper's London murders in 1888.
"Mudgett says Holmes seems to have disappeared from Chicago at the time of the ripper murders. He says a comparison of handwriting between the two men shows a 98 percent similarity and that a recent Scotland yard drawing of the ripper based on eyewitness accounts bears an uncanny resemblance to Holmes.
"'I showed it to professionals in the FBI. That's what they do. They run computer schematics with photographs to try to ID serial killers,' Mudgett says. 'They said that was the closest they'd ever seen in their career.'" 8
On the site where this hotel once stood is a branch of the United States Post Office. We gathered behind the Post Office between two witness trees and brought repentance for what had occurred on this land. It was during this time when I notice a very statuesque black lady with beautiful white hair had joined the group. I thought she may have been a passerby. It was at that point her husband, Pastor Louis Reeves, began to speak, “We pastor here in Englewood and have wanted to come to and pray at this location for two years, the Lord said, ‘Wait until the reinforcements arrive!’ When someone sent us an email and we saw the you were coming to this location, the Lord said, ‘The reinforcements have arrived – go!’“ It was at this point that Pastor Reeves mentioned the atmospheric change over the city around 1:30 that afternoon.
We felt led to drive a wedge at this location. We all took a strike at it, but as George was finishing driving the wedge, two post office employees came out and were very agitated with us. The told us we should go drive the wedge somewhere else, but we were already done. Just like James sensed, the trees were witnesses. Jonathan felt as though the enemy had sent two witnesses as well.
We had been looking for a place to set up our equipment and worship in Englewood and Pastor Louis and his lovely wife invited us to worship on the sidewalk outside their storefront church, and worship we did. As we were setting up, we noticed the most peculiar thing – a white bust of Abraham Lincoln about 4’ high that had been placed there in 1926 stood on the corner across the street. He had set the slaves free, united the country, and been murdered. For more information about this statue, please click here.
As we drove to the church, Jonathan felt we were to release brotherly love - which is the opposite spirit to that of murder. When we got to the street corner, there were two men screaming at each other; the sound of the corner was one of extreme anger and bitterness, but we released the burning love of the Father and brotherly love over that neighborhood and all of Chicago. Another example of the heavenly anthem drowning out every sound but its own!
By the end of the evening, George Adamson had two Englewood children, one on each knee, playing keyboard with him, and Michael Bartula had relinquished his drum throne to a young Englewood drummer and was helping another with percussion. We sang destiny over a young woman whose name meant Trinity. She had just buried her father earlier in the day – tears of joy were flowing down her cheeks. We also sang over a woman named Mildred who was watching us from a window directly overhead. Her name meant "gentle strength", so we released gentle strength into the neighborhood. What a glorious evening that only Father could orchestrate.
Sunday
Pastor William Santos has been a friend of ours for several years, and I felt it important to connect with Church of the King on this strategic journey. We had very powerful times of worship with them during the Chicago 50 worship assignment in 2012.
Sunday morning wasn’t easy from a practical perspective – we had to lug all our equipment up two flights of stairs into a very warm meeting room with only one functioning window air conditioner. But yet again, worshipping with this Latino congregation was rich and wonderful. There were many tears in the room and great joy. We also had the honor of witnessing a very powerful conversion! Pastor Willie also released a very powerful prophetic word over us, which is one of the reasons I believe the Lord sent us there.
Pastor Willie blessed our wealth our health and our families at home. He declared that we would be releasing new sounds and melodies and that there were 1,000 angel musicians following us through Chicago, moving with us and following our lead. He also prophesied that James would see the change he was contending for in his lifetime and that he didn’t need to be concerned about who would carry the torch after him.
Sunday afternoon Pastor Louis shared with us that there was a profound new level of freedom in worship at their Sunday morning service after we had been there the night before.
The atmosphere in the room Sunday evening was electric! We joined the Hub gathering, and having never been with many in the room before, we felt it important to explain our assignment and our experience on the Blue Journey Trail that had led us to Chicago.
Beginning with our January time in New Orleans at the Releasing the Musical Militia Gathering, I asked Keith Stone to release a little of that New Orleans sound that he carries. I was then prompted to have a Native American guitarist named Eddie (from the Rosebud Reservation) join Keith – friends shared with me later that Eddie was scheduled to leave earlier in the day, but felt that it was so important for him to be in that meeting that he chose to drive all night afterwards so he could stay and attend) and the room exploded as we released the Native American minstrels on every reservation through our sound.
The evening had a very different flow as we would teach, then prepare the room to move as one in intent, and then release worship from that position.
Recently, Chuck Pierce had given us a word about a wedge of worship. In the midst of that word he said, “Chicago becomes My eye in this season”. We worshipped from that position and many others as well. We could tell that many in the room weren’t used to this type of worship, and it was wonderful to watch the lights come on inside individuals throughout the evening.
Nancy Magiera and the Chicago Hub team were wonderful hosts. What an honor to connect with this tribe! I am so glad that she asked us to minister to the worship leaders – we called them forth, and as the team went into a beautiful ethereal season of release, Byron Bishop skillfully weaved through the worshippers with blessing each heart with his prophetic sax (including the musicians in our team).
LEG Six – Detroit, Michigan – August 20-23, 2015
LEG Seven – Austin, Texas – September 24-27, 2015
LEG Eight – Kansas City, Missouri – October 16-18, 2015