Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams

The ethereal voice of Washington Phillips, paired with his mysterious Manzarene, sounds like nothing else in American music — timeless, haunting, and utterly unforgettable.

This digital edition features the 76-page PDF companion to Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams, written by journalist Michael Corcoran. Through newly uncovered research, rare photos, and detailed notes, the book tells the story of Washington Phillips—an elusive gospel artist who recorded 16 hauntingly beautiful songs between 1927–1929 using his handmade instrument, the Manzarene.

Important contributions to this edition were provided by Doris Foreman Nealy, whose assistance in archival searches and interviews was instrumental in uncovering key details of Phillips’s life—including the identity of his instrument and the accurate account of his death. Her work added depth and accuracy to the story, helping bring Phillips’s remarkable legacy into sharper focus.

What's Included:

• PDF of the original hardcover book
• Song lyrics, session notes, archival photos
• New findings about Phillips' life and music

Please note: Audio is not included. Recordings are available on streaming platforms.

To hear the music, search for Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams on your favorite streaming service.

Praise & Reviews

“The plucked string instrument sounds feather-light and blurry, the musical equivalent of dust motes floating in a sunny room; the mighty Washington Phillips wheezes at times like he's about to pass out from the spirit.”

— Pitchfork

“He played an instrument that sounded like an electric zither run through a Leslie speaker cabinet, showing you a heaven populated by ghosts.”

— Greil Marcus

“…the philosophical Washington Phillips, whose magic zither tune ‘Denomination Blues’ provides a doxology: ‘It's right to stand together, it's wrong to stand apart / 'Cause none's gonna enter but the pure in heart.’”

— Robert Christgau

“Surely, Washington Phillips, with his modified zither (if that’s what it was) and his gutbucket sermons, never set out to be weird. And if Phillips nevertheless was weird—well, weird to whom?”

— Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker