Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

Recorded live at the 1999 Jubilee Jam Festival at St Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral, Jackson, Mississippi, The Messengers are a throwback to the hootin', hollerin' and testifyin' style of the Golden Age of US Gospel, due in no small measure to the influence of their late lamented leader, the legendary Willie Banks. There's nearly an hour of music on this CD, some of it uptempo call and response, a few slow shouters, with the addition of a gospel choir on some tracks. The audience is rather low in the mix, so some of the live atmosphere is absent, but the singing is excellent, especially Charles Blakely's lead vocals, even though some of the songs go on a bit. Recommended for fans of old time black gospel.

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