Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Black gospel music yep but black gospel recorded in the '60s and originally pitched at a white audience when America's folk enthusiasts belatedly discovered the glories of the blues and spirituals. It's a mixed bag indeed. Alongside the brilliant Claude Jeter and the Swan Silvertones recorded at 1965's Newport Folk Festival and tracks from the Staples Singers demonstrating again that Mavis Staples had one of the soulfulist voices ever, you've got songster bluesmen like Mississippi John Hurt and the Rev Gary Davis plus some pretty dreary stuff from the Freedom Singers and Odetta. Still, the good tracks sound great.

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