Mahalia Jackson
"Come on Children, Let's Sing" (Vinyl)

Fortunate to find this on a Columbia six-eye.

The "Queen of Gospel" was born and raised in New Orleans and spent most of her life known only to negro audiences in the deep southern Baptist churches.  But talent has a way of finding its way to the top, and sooner rather than later she was performing nationally, mostly through Baptist churches, and it was this same faith that would not allow Mahalia to sing in bars, clubs or theatres.

This album, (1960, I believe) comes soon after Duke Ellington successfully pleaded with Ms. Jackson to record with his orchestra on his album "Black, Brown & Beige."

I let Mahalia's own words sum up her attitude towards her music:

"I sing God's music because it makes me feel free," Jackson once said about her choice of gospel, adding, "It gives me hope. With the blues, when you finish, you still have the blues."