Praise the Lord: Gospel Music in Washington D.C. in Bloomington, MN

These 15 tracks were recorded in 1998 by the Anacostia Museum and Center for African-American History and Culture for an exhibition on contemporary African-American life. It was assembled with an eye toward illustrating diverse forms of gospel, including solo, duet, quartet, and choir performances (though not trio ones), including a couple by
the Nannie Helen Burroughs School Choir
. The arrangements, too, vary from sparse and traditional, emphasizing piano, to ones which reflect the influence of contemporary soul. The less elaborate tracks sound better; it's pretty unlikely this disc is angling for adult contemporary radio airplay, but that's the effect produced when intrusive synthesizers come into the action. ~ Richie Unterberger