Search - Paul Simon & Friends: A Night of Gospel Glory on DVD

The Greatest Gospel Concert Ever

William E Donoghue | Healdsburg CA USA | 04/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine Luther Vandross singing "A Change Is Going To Come" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with a choice and Jennifer Holiday singing some of the most impassioned music in her life "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is a tour de force of three different soloist styles. Add in the Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Oak Ridge Boys (Slip Sliding Away), The amazing Tata Vega with Andre Crouch who must be seen in action to be appreciated and you get how special this show was.
Part of a 13 show all-star run in 1989 once called Cinemax Sessions (Black and White Night with Roy Orbison was one of them), this was the most influential gospel concert ever. I have gone to the gospel tent at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, the home of the greatest gospel quartets and choirs and I can tell you to this day nearly 20 years later, nearly every choir or quartet does something on their program that can be directly traced to the influence of this evening (arrangement, feel, etc.). No other gospel concert has had that influence. You have to give credit to Paul Simon (not the strongest voice in this choir) for the influence he has had on exposing gospel "Gone At Last", "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Slip Sliding Away," and other songs that have drawn from the well only the best of gospel."

Review

James F. Stevenson | 04/21/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Great music by some great performers. I saw this on cable 20 years ago and I have been looking for it for a long time. I highly recommend it. Jim S."

A Night of Gospel Glory by Paul Simon & Friends

JB | Topeka, KS | 08/23/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I was thrilled to finally find a CD version of this performance. I have a VHS version and was hoping to find a good CD version. However, I was disappointed in the quality of the recording. The sound was OK, but the video seemed to be an amateur copy from a used tape."