A beautiful project from pianist Billy Foster – part of a long tradition of jazz mass records that have been popping up from the underground from the late 50s onwards – and maybe one of the best we've heard so far! The setting is spare – really just a trio outing by Billy's group, but with vocals by Renee Miles-Foster, whose lovely voice really shapes some of the best tunes here – tracks that are maybe a bit in the gospel tradition in terms of subject matter, but which also have a warmer jazz vocal approach overall. All music and new lyrics are by Billy – and titles include "He's Always Been There", "Today Is A Day", "Music Is", "God & Savior", "Joyful Noise", "His Grace", and "Just Hold My Hand". (Jazz, Gospel) CD

Some of the greatest work ever from The Staple Singers – early gospel recordings for Vee Jay Records, mostly recorded in a spare vocal group mode that's greatly different from their later fame at Stax! The style here is quite traditional and earthy – near-acapella vocals often just supported by a bit of guitar to underscore some of the bluesier elements of the tunes. The approach is great, and perfectly recorded – in a way that's still gospel, but which shows plenty of early soul leanings too – a style that's different than most of the group's contemporaries, and which certainly hints at their later direction. (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

Rootsy material recorded for Epic in the 60s, before the group went over to Stax and started cutting secular soul! These sides are much more in a traditional gospel quartet mode – but the group's powerful vocals and strongly soulful approach makes the tracks rock with the strength of some of their secular material. Titles include "It's Been A Change", "Waiting For My Child", "Pray On", "John brown", "The Tramp On The Street", and "How Great Thou Art". (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album

A record that begins with a question, and follows through with a sublime mix of social politics and spiritual energy! Pops Staples asserts himself a bit more than before with his songwriting here – including the title classic "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)", which went onto become one of THE anthems of the Civil Rights era! That energy follows in more original songs by Pops, and in his great reworkings of older traditional numbers – on a set that also has the group working with producer Billy Sherrill, who seems to give them even more power than before, but without commercializing their music at all. Titles include "Why", "I've Been Scorned", "I'm Gonna Tell God", "Move Along Train", "Step Aside", "King Of Kings", "What Are They Doing", and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". (Soul, Gospel) LP, Vinyl record album