The Story of Gospel

You can get a whole lot of "amens" from The Story of Gospel, Andrew Dunne's (director of The Bodyguard [!]) stirring feature-length history of gospel music. Recently aired on PBS's Great Performances series, the film traces the birth of gospel to the Southern plantations where African-American slaves, melding African rhythms with Anglo-Methodist hymns, created a fervent, full-bodied sound. Beginning in the 1920s with Tommy Dorsey (not to be confused with the Big Band leader), who was called the "Godfather of Gospel," this spiritual music of the people began to roll across the land, later interpreted by such greats as Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland and crossover groups such as the Edwin Hawkins Singers ("Oh Happy Day"). Insightful interviews with religious/musical scholars and gospel musicians, who comment on gospel music's important role in the civil rights movement (most notably embodied in the anthem "We Shall Overcome"), are coupled with generous samplings which range from the toe-tapping, head-nodding variety to the jump outta your seat "hep me Jesus" let's-move-the-coffee-table boogie down type. As one interviewee put it: "Well, you're not gonna get anything like that out of the Presbyterian congregation." Say amen everybody. Sure to be popular, this inexpensive song-filled history is recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)