AIN'T IT GRAND: WILLIE'S GOSPEL SONGS

I've been playing a new CD by Mark Miller, Ain't It Grand: The Gospel Songs of Blind Willie McTell, and I can recommend it. All the tracks were recorded in a church, without overdubs, and there's some excellent playing on it. This is never overdone, and the vocals, similarly, are vibrant with feeling yet free of the mannered or the overwrought. Mark Miller makes no attempt to sound like McTell, yet honours the spirit of the songs throughout. (I shall never like the title song, though at least here we don't have Kate McTell's flat metallic chanting to wade through.) I rarely like McTell covers, but in my opinion this is a fine and honourable album. It's also beautifully packaged.

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