Mthunzi Mvubu The 1st Gospel

The Harlem Gospel Travelers are not from Harlem. They came to Harlem, however, from far-flung corners of the five boroughs of New York City, and it was in Harlem, that legendary center of African-American culture, that they found their voices. As members of the music education program Gospel For Teens, these young men spent many hours on the subway or the bus to ultimately end up at an unassuming brownstone on W. 126th Street. They walked through the red door at the parlor level, the one with the cross on it, and inside they found a world of music. Gospel music.

This is a good selection of the beautiful music the Dixie Hummingbirds made: tight-knit harmonies, fervent soloing, and songs ranging in mood from tender and peaceful to hand-clapping, shouting joy. This earnest and lovely music demonstrates why they're one of the groups that even unbelievers love, and joining them on at least some cuts are the Angelics. The passionate title track, "Move On Up a Little Higher," kicks things off, and is followed by another intense number – a version of "In the Morning" recorded live at what must've been quite a church service. There are plenty of breathers included, too, such as the a cappella numbers "Beaming from Heaven," the heartbreaking "Young Man" and "Get Away Jordan."

The Jazz Club series is an attractive addition to the Verve catalogue. With it's modern design and popular choice of repertoire, the Jazz Club is not only opened for Jazz fans, but for everyone that loves good music.

A wide range of magnificent vocals are displayed on The Great Gospel Men, a 27-song anthology. Some names such as Brother Joe May, Rev. James Cleveland, and Professor Alex Bradford are familiar even to non-gospel fans; others, like the intense Robert Anderson, Professor J. Earle Hines, Norsalus McKissick, Robert Bradley, and R.L. Knowles are known only to the hardcore, and even they probably haven't heard many songs by any one artist. This collection alternates nicely between slow and fast pieces, giving each artist a chance to demonstrate their skills.

Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey is a 1973 compilation album by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey. The recording features Dorsey's account of his life, as well as contemporary performances of his greatest works. Composer of many enduring gospel classics, Dorsey is considered to be the Father of Gospel Music. It is a collection of performances of his compositions. Dorsey appears on only two tracks: the spoken introduction to "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and the piano accompaniment on "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go." In 2002, the Library of Congress honored the album by adding it to the United States National Recording Registry.

Like its male counterpoint, this anthology spotlights contributions from both famous stars (Mahalia Jackson, Marion Williams, Dorothy Love Coates, Sister Rosetta Tharpe) and obscure figures (Mary Johnson Davis, Jessie Mae Renfro, Lucy Smith, and Goldia Haynes, among others), presenting a hefty 31 selections. While some might quibble that celebrated stars Jackson and Williams get six tracks apiece, it's hard to argue with the greatness of what's presented by them. Others who give head-turning performances include Frances Steadman, Roberta Martin, and Clara Ward.

Wings of Heaven is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Magnum, released in 1988. The original choice of producers for Wings of Heaven was Roger Taylor and Dave Richards, who had produced Vigilante. This was not realised because of conflicting schedules. Albert Boekholt was suggested at Wisseloord Studios, the Netherlands. The album was mixed at Sarm West Studios in London in January 1988. One song was announced, "That's How The Blues Must Start", but was dropped from the album. The album is certified Silver in the UK.

This recent gospel compilation from Swedish producer and collector Per Notini is a three disc, 84 track set focused exclusively on a capella singing without any instrumental accompaniment. Featuring many well-known quartets such as the Fairfield Four and Soul Stirrers as well as lesser known artists, the set traces stylistic changes over a thirty year period, concluding in 1969 before the ‘contemporary’ gospel era. These groups created some of the most inventive and progressive African American vocal music of the post-war period, which had a profound effect on later R&B and soul artists, not to mention artists across all other genres.