::ALBUM REVIEW::

There is some kind of a mystical blessing that falls upon the legacy surrounding the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. During the event, a list of legendary greats including Louis Armstrong, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Chuck Berry took the stage and, for some strange reason, was well documented. Part of that reality falls upon the many historic live recording sessions such as Duke Ellington’s Newport 1958 album and with the 1960 documentary film Jazz On A Summer’s Day. But Mahalia Jackson, one of the closing acts on Sunday, also took the platform and, thankfully, was documented on vinyl. Hailed as the World’s Greatest Gospel Singer, Mahalia Jackson had reached her zenith at this time and completely wowed the audience with her tenacious spirit and vigorous contralto. Much powerful as her studio sessions, Live at Newport showcases a spirited Jackson backed by Mildred Fall’s complimenting accompaniment on piano and light bass thumps from Tommy Bryant.

The 1994 reissue of Live at Newport finds a startling re-mastering gloss over the original production, along with nine additional songs from the Newport performance. The new additions add greater value to one of her highly-acclaimed albums. “An Evening Prayer”, written with a spirit of repentance, is a perfect introduction for the album with its tranquil Baptist-like brand of soul. The Roberta Martin/Clara Ward classic “Didn’t It Rain”, with its boogie-woogie bounce, exalts Jackson’s performance to spunky heights. “I’m On My Way”, one of Jackson’s compositions using familiar Negro Spiritual characteristics, is creamy and full of her irresistible charm. There are also a few “Dorsey songs” attached to the repertoire, including the reflective “I’m Going To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song”, the bluesy-pepped “Walk Over God’s Heaven” and “It Don’t Cost Very Much.” “When The Saints Go Marching In” delivers the goods most associate with Jackson’s trademark stage antics: her swooping dips in her vocals, her powerful and unpredictable hand claps and her glorious vibrato. The big highlights of the album surround the closing selections. On “Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho,” Jackson acknowledges the unpleasant situation of the downpour of rain on the event. She tries to rap things up, but the audience eagerly anticipates more and yell “that’s all right, you can sing all night.” Her warm personality exudes through the microphone when she proclaims “you make me feel like a star” while preparing to render a quick run through of the classic Negro spiritual. “The Lord’s Prayer”, penned by Albert Hay Malotte, sets the tone as one of the most popular musical renditions of Jesus Christ’s model for a steadfast prayer life. Also included in the collection is her moving renditions of “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” and an invigorating gospel take on the album’s closing cut, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”

On the record, gospel singles and albums made brief appearances on the pop charts in the fifties. That probably explains the record label’s depth of involvement in “race” music - in particular with the popular traditional gospel sound. Jackson’s “He’s Got The World In His Hands”, taken from this album, became a pop favorite and peaked at number 69 on Billboard’s Pop Singles. And with the Newport Jazz Festival forever being associated with making pop and jazz music history, the left a little room for gospel music and helped shaped its history. Only an artist as prolific and tantalizing as Mahalia Jackson could do such a thing.