Search - Mahalia Jackson :: In the Upper Room

A Fine Sampling of the Great Gospel Voice

Gary F. Taylor | Biloxi, MS USA | 06/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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. By the late 1920s she was in Chicago, where 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.At present, there are numerous Jackson compilations on the market. IN THE UPPER ROOM consists largely of songs available on other releases, but it does include several harder-to-find selections that make this particular CD worth seeking out--"Hands of God," "I Bow on My Knees," and "Walk With Me" to name but three. But regardless of the particular song, Jackson's voice is always first rate. I can only describe it by saying that it reaches out and rings you like a great bell with a vibration that runs from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. If ever there was a voice lifted in praise of God, surely this is it.Although the audio integrity of these selections are limited by the technology of their time, Mahalia Jackson's gifts easily transcends every issue, and the sheer number of selections is also very good. Overall the collection offers a truly fine sampling of her work. Recommended!GFT, Amazon Reviewer"