MAHALIA JACKSON
Mahalia Jackson in Concert Easter Sunday, 1967
Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting with Mahalia Jackson
Recorded Live in Europe During Her Latest Concert Tour
(Columbia Records)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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Mahalia Jackson sang gospel the way (and the only way) I really care to hear it-a strong, lone voice with minimal musical accompaniment and no electric guitars. These three new CDs cover a good deal of her live and previously-unreleased material, which might make one wonder if it's the sort of unreleased material that should have stayed so, but in this case, pretty much anything Jackson sang, including badly-taped shower songs, is worth releasing. ...In Concert Easter Sunday, 1967 is a live collection of more traditional gospel songs, including "Thy Will Be Done," "In My Home Over There," and her stand-out rendition on "Come On Children, Let's Sing," which conveys such strength and joy that it's hard to picture the somber crowd of New York's Philharmonic being able to sit still through the performance. Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting with Mahalia is more subdued, a stripped-down collection of songs from various sources (both live recordings and from previous Jackson albums) that sound more earthy and closer to the blues than gospel, despite the religious lyrics. The third album ....Recorded in Europe During Her Latest Concert Tour, is essentially a selection of live recordings from Jackson's 1961-1962 extensive tour of Europe. Much of the material on this album can also be found on the previously mentioned records-only difference is these are the live versions of the songs, and nowhere can Jackson's strong personality and wonderful adlibbing style be heard than on her live recordings. While it's often been said that Jackson was America's greatest gospel singer during her day, it's obvious from these recordings that she was so much more and deserves attention from anyone who appreciates the power of a beautiful voice.

© 2001 - Holly Day