Gospel 'n' Soul Revival

Unlike Mahalia Jackson who was popular within the gospel realm, Sister Rosetta Tharpe crossed over into the secular framework of American popular music. This CD contains two live concert performances done in 1960 somewhere in Europe with Tharpe singing and playing electric guitar, accompanied at times by an unidentified rhythm section, performing her songs that departed from strictly hymns and spirituals. If you have ever seen videos of Tharpe, you know she was a rambling, styled guitar slinger whose windmill swoops preceded Chuck Berry and Pete Townshend, while her sound was a precedent to that of Freddie King. But it's not that Tharpe is completely removed from her roots, as she includes Biblical tales like "Jonah in the Whale" and the slow, bluesy "Two Little Fishes, Five Loaves of Bread," the super famous "This Train" and "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho." and the classic, spatial, spiritual blues of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." But she departs into jazz swing, where her clear and distinctive voice shines through during "Up Above My Head, I Hear Music in the Air," dives into precious boogie-woogie on "That's All," and digs into that primal rock & roll à la Berry for "Can't Sit Down" — too much fun! While some tracks at the end such as "Is Everyone Happy?," the heaven ballad "Mansions in the Sky," and the gospel talk, belief-in-God song "Precious Lord" might be too preachy for some, they do identify Tharpe as a person who is grounded by her faith, even if she is prone to cutting loose and showing her humanity away from pious congregations. Overall, this is a delightful set under any criteria, well preserved and produced considering the analog time period, and stands as a testament to Tharpe's vitality and viability long after her initial splash in the popular music world. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi