This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
If you accept that virtually all contemporary music — rock, pop, blues, soul, hip-hop, country, jazz, bluegrass, you name it — flows from African-American roots, then the original Fisk Jubilee Singers serve as the headwaters for much of modern culture.
Formed in the post-Civil War U.S. South, the choir became a worldwide phenomenon, spreading its gospel sound and spiritual message around the globe. The gorgeously packaged In Bright Mansions, sadly, does not unearth the old singers’ tracks (which date back to 1909); instead, it features the current incarnation of the choir performing spirituals such as Down By The Riverside, Nobody Knows the Trouble I See amd Ride On, Jesus. But even if it isn’t the original, it’s still the real deal — stirring, elegantly arranged works whose beauty lies in their passion and sincerity. Perhaps the ultimate Sunday-morning album.
