Various Artists - Jubilation, Vol. 1 (Black Gospel)

Sacred classics from Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward, Aretha Franklin, The Swan Silvertones, The Dixie Hummingbirds, and many more! Album Description

Roots Gospel!

The first time I listened to this I was a little disappointed thinking the production ( older recordings) was sub par. However I came to it a second time with triple the volume & it came to life in a BIG way! Marvelous interplay of voices. Wide variety of stylings. Cool Christian vibes! Very different! Try it out! March 27, 2007

Jubilation, Vol. 1

I love the gospel songs from the old days, they put you closer to God when listening to them. August 23, 2006

Hallelujah! and Amen.

If you are like I was: a newcomer to the Gospel scene and considering purchasing this CD, think no further. Do it! This is a perfect introduction to the Golden Age of Gospel. Ms. Jackson's "Move on Up a Little Higher" has everything you want to hear and more. Power, spirit and the love which speaks louder than words even more gracefully than music. The Famous Blue Jay's "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" is certainly much more than I learned at camp. "Golden Gate Gospel Train" contains lip-curling harmonies and spirit. Even the Hawkins' Singers' "Oh Happy Day" takes on new meaning after listening to the entire, moving collection of some of the best Gospel recorded. January 17, 2002

Finest collection available anywhere

Of all the collections of classic Black gospel out there, this one (and vol. 2) are easily the best. Some of the music here is just beyond description - the Roberta Martin Singers track is ethereal; Mahalia is at her peak; the Swanee Quintet at their rawest greatness; the list of must-have tracks here is long. And the sequencing of the songs is brilliant for a various artists collection, everything just flows as if these artists worked on this together. Whoever put this CD together clearly loved the music, and no collection of gospel is complete without this disc. Volume 2 gets equally high marks, and Vol. 3 (White Gospel) is sadly out of print. July 23, 2001

This Is Music To Feed the Soul

This hour-long CD kicks off with the queen of gospel Mahalia Jackson, and over the course of 18 tracks gives you a crash course in black gospel music. Most of these tracks were recorded in the 40s and 50s. The earliest recording is the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet's acapella "Golden Gate Gospel Train" from 1937. There are two Seventies recordings. Shirley Caesar's 1975 remake of the country hit "No Charge" is a touching song but hardly seems essential to a history of black gospel. Aretha Franklin and James Cleveland's 1972 performance of "Precious Memories," however, is an emotionally charged reading, and clocking in at over seven minutes is by far the longest track on the collection. "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers proved that there was still a place in popular music for gospel even in 1969--it went to No. 4 and sold over a million copies.

But the real gems are the songs by early gospel artists like The Swan Silvertones, the Dixie Hummingbirds and The Pilgrim Travelers. Instrumentation is generally sparse, as it should be, to keep the emphasis on the vocals. Sound quality at times is marginal. "The Old Ship of Zion" and "Sit Down, Servant," for example, sound like they were mastered from scratchy 78's. But this is powerful music. It's difficult to imagine anyone listening to "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" or "Do Lord Send Me" and not being spiritually moved. Black gospel music has a deep and rich history and this collection is in no way intended to be definitive, but it's a wonderful introduction. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED January 24, 2001

More reviews at Amazon.com ...