I’m Glad About It: The Legacy of Gospel Music in Louisville, 1958-1981

According to contributing singer Bessie Leavell Palmer, ‘gospel music is written out of the depths of somebody’s soul.’ Well, this epic project plumbs new soulful depths. Under the aegis of The Louisville Story Program, The Louisville Gospel Restoration Project has created an archive of photos, videos and a thousand or so songs by over 125 gospel artists in and around Louisville, Kentucky, to preserve – as the LSP’s Darcy Thompson asserts – ‘a cultural heritage whose richness and importance cannot be overstated.’ That heritage has been distilled into a double LP of 26 restored and remastered tracks and a mighty 83-track four-CD box set. Even vinyl purists, though, should opt for the full set – not only for the additional music but also for its 208-page book, full of photos to illustrate the often moving tales of the singers, musicians, pastors, elders, broadcasters, choir leaders and diverse personalities involved in this riveting story. The music itself sounds glorious, focusing mainly on vocal harmony quartets and full gospel choirs. Evocatively named outfits like The Heavenly Five, The Singing Son of Zion, The Deep River Song Birds and The Junior Dynamics (AKA ‘The Jackson Five of Louisville’), plied their trade in and around the city, playing at hotspots like the Cable Baptist church, broadcasting on local radio stations, recording for local specialist labels, maybe even touring neighbouring states, but never breaking nationwide. ‘There was so much talent here,’ as singer and broadcaster Archie Dell suggests. Rev Leroy Elliott says that ‘Louisville had some of the greatest singers that have ever sung gospel music’: just listen to The Sensational Bells of Joy’s ‘Lord Take My Hand’, say, with a simple snare drum, a frisky electric guitar and intermittent chorale whoops to bolster Calvin Nunn’s fabulous lead vocal; or Anna ‘Sissy’ Elliott’s lead vocal on The Solomonaires’ spine-tingling ‘Come Out of the Wilderness’; or ‘Until You Try Jesus’, the B-side of Eastern Star Chorale’s sole 45rpm recording. Listen and muse on the vagaries of fate and fame. This wonderful historically and sociologically important set helps to redress the imbalance. Rev. Della Porter believes “you can’t sing gospel and not feel it.” Nor can you listen to gospel like this and not feel it. Deeply.