Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson – Album Review
By Ellie Victor
Mahalia Jackson’s influence on gospel music is difficult to overstate. Over a career spanning four decades, the singer known as the ‘Queen of Gospel’ brought extraordinary vocal power and emotional depth to songs that carried spiritual, cultural and political weight. Interpreting her work therefore demands more than a strong voice. It requires conviction, restraint and an understanding of the traditions from which the music emerged.
Sarah Brown approaches that challenge with evident respect. Best known for her work as a backing vocalist with Stevie Wonder, George Michael and, more recently, Simple Minds, she has long cited Jackson as an important influence. From the opening of ‘Nobody Knows’, it is clear that this is no casual tribute project.
The song begins with quiet control before Brown allows her voice to rise, revealing both its strength and its gospel foundations. It makes for an assured opening and establishes the album’s approach: faithful to Jackson’s spirit without attempting to imitate her.
The musicians play an equally important role. Brush drums, double bass, swinging piano and organ give the arrangements warmth and movement, particularly on ‘Summertime’ and ‘Didn’t It Rain’. Colin Good’s piano is a constant pleasure, while Tom Wheatley and Luke Smith provide understated but telling contributions.
“Contemporary feel“
Brown is at her best when the material allows her to balance force with vulnerability. ‘Trouble of the World’ faces sorrow without softening its edges, while ‘Amazing Grace’ avoids unnecessary ornamentation. It is a song familiar enough to invite excess, but Brown delivers it with patience and genuine feeling.
Throughout the album, she finds room for her own phrasing and personality. The aim is not to recreate Jackson’s performances note for note, but to explore what these songs still have to say. Some arrangements introduce a more contemporary feel, although the music remains rooted in the rhythms and emotional directness of traditional gospel.
That balance makes Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson more than a respectful collection of covers. It is an affectionate, carefully considered interpretation of a formidable catalogue, performed by musicians who understand when to push forward and when to leave space.
Brown cannot escape the long shadow cast by Mahalia Jackson, nor does she try to. Instead, she acknowledges it, steps into it and emerges with a record that feels sincere, spirited and entirely her own.
8/10
Ellie has spent over three decades dissecting riffs, rhythms, and rockstar egos, all in pursuit of the perfect review. Her music writing journey began at 12 with a glowing 10/10 diary entry for Echo and the Bunnymen, and she’s been chasing that high ever since. Armed with encyclopaedic knowledge and a soft spot for the sonically daring, Ellie will review anything that’s put in front of her – as long as it’s on vinyl.
