Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Continuing the successful series of live recordings, on this album Carlton Pearson is backed by the Azusa Mass Choir, so massive it has three directors! This time around musically there are echoes that stretch back 100 years to the original revival that triggered the worldwide Pentecostal movement at Azusa Street with a selection of older material now considered traditional. This is superb, scintillating, live gospel with Bishop Pearson ministering to the huge crowd and leading them in powerful gospel worship. Guest appearances include Shirley Caesar introduced as the Queen Of Gospel music and certainly she sounds like she's wearing her royal robes as she sings "I'll Say Yes, Lord, Yes!" with Pearson. Then the whole thing breaks loose with Shirley when she rips it up on "Sweepin' Through The City" and the whole album takes off. At the other extreme, the album closes with a powerful rendition of "Is Your All On The Altar" from Lashun Pace. It's a moving way to close the album, taking into account the fact that Pace was still grieving the sudden death of her young daughter. Yet such an experience makes the comforting, challenging lyrics of the song even more poignant.

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.

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