Mahalia Jackson - The Best Of (1995)

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Mahalia Jackson - The Best Of (1995)

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Born to a poor family in 1911 in New Orleans, Mahalia Jackson grew up singing in her father's church–and soaking up the blues and jazz for which that city is so famous in the process. By the late 1920s she was in Chicago, where (according to this CD's liner notes) her distinctly jazz and blues-inflected singing style nearly got her thrown out of the Greater Salem Baptist Church. But Mahalia persevered, and in the early 1950s a series of radio and television broadcasts launched her first to national and then international acclaim. Some thirty years after her death in 1972, she is still considered the single greatest gospel singer America has ever produced.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: nothing short of a remastered box set could possibly do justice to Mahalia Jackson. But if you can only own a single CD of her work, the inexpensive BEST OF MAHALIA JACKSON is probably your best choice, for it collects most of the songs for which she was most famous–and a number of less famous but no less beautiful and powerful selections as well. As in the other Mahalia Jackson recordings it has been my pleasure to explore, the sound quality here is somewhat problematic. But nothing, absolutely nothing, can undermine Jackson's beautiful tone, amazing power, and incredible control. Whether it's her jump-for-joy rendition of such titles as "God Put A Rainbow In The Sky" or her emotionally draining medley of "Summertime" and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child," you feel Jackson all the way from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. Her voice rings through you like a great bell, like the voice of the God she worships in every note of every song. This is the second Mahalia Jackson CD I have reviewed, and I'm fast running out of superlatives. Truly, this is a voice that belongs alongside the great singers of the 20th Century, and I strongly recommend this CD and her work in general.

Amazon customer

This album is a collection of some of the most phenomenal recordings by probably one of the most talented female vocalists ever. I can't recommend it highly enough - to everyone, not just gospel fans.
Whatever kind of music you're into, there's an excellent chance you'll fall in love with the music of Mahalia Jackson. I did, and it was my first gospel album ever. From the soft, peaceful crooning of the ballads and sprituals to the foot-tapping energy of the hymns and jubilees, Mahalias' powerful, versatile, velvet voice will make you feel every emotion of the music. For example, "In the Upper Room" starts off as a slow, traditional spiritual. But halfway through, the tempo changes, and if there's a musical bone in your body soon you'll be tapping your feet,snapping your fingers, and singing along. This album is history. For example, some of you classic rock fans may remember Janis Joplin's famous rendition of "Summertime", or Richie Haven's performance of "Motherless Child" at Woodstock. What you may not have known is that they're both slave ballads more than a hundred years old - and they're both on this album.The truly amazing cuts, in my opinion, are "In the Upper Room", "Medly:Summertime/Motherless Child", and "Walk In Jerusalem", with the rest still being excellent.

Doug Linder