Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

The Jackson Southernaires (named after the city of Jackson, Mississippi, which coincidentally is the location of the Malaco recording studios) are numbered with the best in US Gospel's Hall Of Fame, and are still busy delighting aficionados of Gospel's Golden Age (myself included). On this 1998 recording, the group is joined by a combined Mississippi Mass Choir and Jackson Community Choir, with various guests, including Margaret "Babe" Allison, formerly of the Angelic Gospel Singers, and Jacksons' leader Huey Williams' two sons Doug and Melvin, who themselves had their own family band The Williams Brothers back in the '80s. The result of all this is nearly 55 minutes'-worth of soul and traditional gospel, with some awesome church wreckin', loads of call-and-response with the choir in good form, and plenty of fine old-time quartet singing, particularly in the final track, a seven-minute medley of the best of the Jacksons. with everyone getting stuck in. This music really is timeless.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.