GospelFlava.com - Reviews - Mississippi Mass Choir (Amazing Love)

Mississippi Mass Choir
Amazing Love

Amazing Love is a brand new album from Gospel’s pre-eminent mass choir. And yet, there’s Frank Williams, the choir’s esteemed founder who passed away to glory in 1993, singing lead on the traditional swing of “My God Said It”.

What’s going on here?

Taking their cue from Natalie Cole and Tramaine Hawkins, both of whom took advantage of techincal advances to duet with those who have passed on before (Nat King Cole and Mahalia Jackson respectively), The Mississippi Mass Choir recorded their vocals for the song at last year’s live recording session in Jackson, Mississippi accompanied by the voice of Frank Williams, who had laid down the track in a 1989 recording session with The Georgia Mass Choir. Audio engineers removed the choir track, leaving room for Mississippi Mass to accompany their beloved founder.

Aside from that automatic project highpoint, there’s no shortage of others to point out.

Prime among them is Dathan Thigpen’s sensitive lead vocal on the album’s title track. His inviting tenor voice, at first accompanied only by flowing keyboards, unhurriedly lays the foundation for a strong climax with Mississippi Mass pouring repeating phrases of “nobody but You Lord” to emphasis His unqualified love for us. Thigpen unravels his heart cry with growing intensity on this, one of the album’s surefire hits.

Any song that Lecresia Campbell guests on, you can take to the bank. Here, she puts her her distinctive soprano style to the praise piece “Lord You’re Holy” from songwriter Eddie James. Choir in strong support, Campbell then segues to an unaccompanied “Holy, Holy, Holy” with her clear tone and huge vocal range making the song unforgettable.

Always faithful to their legions of followers, Mississippi Mass obeys tradition by including several of the expected elements on the project. Choir mainstay Lillian Lilly powers out on “I Get Excited”, a song from David Curry and Jerry Mannery that features some grabbing choir vocal texture as they sing a deep register “yeah”.

Choir matriarch Mosie Burks tears up the house with her interpretation of the late Dorothy Love Coates classic, “Holding On (And I Won’t Let Go)”, spiced with some nice guitar from Undra Watts, and Rev. Benjamin Cone Jr. delivers a stirring story-song in his profound tones, “A Widow’s Love”, to conclude the album.

Mississippi Mass: Emmanuel

The title cut “Emmanuel” swings into place as the album highlight, possessing all the hallmarks of another Mississippi hit. Tuneful and encouraging, this pick-me-up mid-tempo ballad features....

Read the full album review.

Among all of these are some fine selections from the choir, all within the same tried and true style that has endeared so many thousands to the Mississippi Mass.

Rev. Milton Biggham’s “Trust In The Lord” features a trio of solo leads, David Curry ties a new brassy arrangement to “Saved” with horns adding excitement, and Percy and Jeral Gray write “By Grace”, a slow, strings and organ-filled testimony with Rogina Thomas’ alto up front.

Amazing Love will comfort many by proving that as much as Gospel has transitioned to many popular new sounds in recent years, there remains a secure place for respected choirs such as The Mississippi Mass.

Producer: David Curry, Jerry Smith, Jerry Mannery album release date: June, 2002
Malaco Records

— reviewed by Stan North —