::ALBUM REVIEW::

The reigning First Lady of Gospel hit it big with the release of this spirit-filled, heavily charged gospel project. "Live In Chicago" (1988) is staged with all the right answers for a fiery church service. From gospel testifying, storytelling, shouting and enthusiastic singing, Shirley Caesar is armed and ready to deliver what she is famous for. And unlike any of her other live projects, Caesar seems highly comfortable and at home on this set and delivers on record one of her greatest performances of all time.

You can sense the bubbling energies arising astronomically on her signature cut, "Hold My Mule". She tells the story of an old farmer making his way into a dormant house of worship. The church in this story is not used to charismatic rejoicing and outward expressions of praise, but on this particular Sunday according to the story, they are in for a rude awakening. The man begins to praise and thank God with joyous shouts. The church responds by visiting his residence to tell him he is not welcome there. The story goes another direction as the man protests in the spirit; continuing to do what he was created to do. As the story unfolds, the man responds with the infamous tagline, "Hold my mule". Caesar, using her storytelling style, bridges "I Feel Like Praising Him" to the track and adds more charcoal to the burning fires.

And there are more treats captured here. "Feel The Spirit" is a wonderful choir selection combining the styles of the Thompson Community Singers with Caesar's traditional powerhouse vocals. And of course, the Thompson Community Singers are skillfully delivering infectious singing on this cut. Darius Brooks' "Never" fits perfectly on Caesar's bright vocal preaching and is rooted in traditional church choir foundations. "Yes Lord, Yes", another popular hit in Caesar's catalog, is also in the mix. It is simple in nature and has an obvious sing-a-long flair, but the vocal textures of the background choir and Caesar's matchless voice takes the song to sweeping heights of gospel delight. On "Things Are Going To Get Better", legendary Caravan leader Albertina Walker guest stars and sings alongside Caesar on the moving, inspiring ballad.

It was probably one of the wisest decisions to see two of Word Records' greatest stars come together for one project and that is greatly documented here. Because of this artistic fusion, the album is still hailed as one of Caesar's greatest musical celebrations and continues to earn great recognition from music historians and her fanbase. Caesar received a wealth of awards and nominations for this project, including a Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year and Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for "Hold My Mule" in 1988.