Christmas with Mahalia Jackson [Special] (CD - 1992)

Mahalia Jackson cuts through the insanity of the holiday season to reaffirm the true meaning of Christmas and its music on this powerful collection, highlighted by stellar performances of "Do You Hear What I Hear," "O Holy Night" and "The First Noel." ~ Marvin Jolly

Despite the inclusion of seasonal favorites like "Silent Night, Holy Night," Christmas with Mahalia Jackson is less a collection of Yuletide music than traditional gospel performances; there's nothing wrong with these renditions of "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "The Lord's Prayer" or "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," of course, it's simply that listeners in search of a more secular Jackson Christmas record need to look elsewhere. ~ Marvin Jolly

This, the second of her two legendary gospel Christmas albums for Columbia, is a worthy companion to her earlier Silent Night album. ~ David A. Milberg minimize