The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what’s out there.
This thread’s topic is gospel music.
Previous threads: Project Planning | Classical | Rock | Jazz | Modern Rock | The Blues | Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave | Opera/Choral Music | Rap/Hip-Hop
Just to try to get the discussion started, here’s AMG’s list of the top albums for traditional gospel (as opposed to contemporary Christian music):
Mahalia Jackson, 16 Most Requested Songs
The Fairfield Four, Angels Watching over Me
The Dixie Hummingbirds, Complete Recorded Works (1939-1947)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 (1938-1941)
The Swan Silvertones, Do You Believe: The Very Best of the Swan Silvertones
Dorothy Love Coates & The Original Gospel Harmonettes, Get on Board
Mahalia Jackson, Gospels, Spirituals & Hymns
Shirley Caesar, Her Very Best
Various Artists, Jubilation, Vol. 1 (Black Gospel)
Various Artists, Jubilation, Vol. 2 (More Black Gospel)
The Soul Stirrers with Sam Cooke
Second the absolutely magnficient Dixie Hummingbirds.
Also, second the Jubilation! compilation series on the Rhino label.
Sorta jazz meets gospel: Steal Away with Charlie Haden & Hank Jones
You’re going to need some Blackwood Brothers in there (I aplogize in advance for the godawful–hee hee–photo on the main page of that site).
I’m not familiar enough with them to name specific albums, but I do know there’s a live concert recording of them that’s supposed to be some kind of a high-mark. I’ve heard it, and I loved it, but then I’m no gospel connoisseur.
An absolute must have is the amazing soundtrack to the excellent documentary about Gospel, Say Amen, Somebody. It’s beyond vital. I’m as heathen as they come but boy, do I love that movie and that music.
The double CD of Elvis Presley’s gospel work is rated very highly, and that’s by that all-Jesus all-the-time magazine Rolling Stone.
I’d second The Blackwood Brothers and Elvis’s Gospel music. Johnny Cash also did some awesome gospel work.