Mahalia Jackson- "Get Away Jordan"

Mahalia Jackson in her early years taking on the Gospel Standard "Get Away Jordan". In this recording you can still hear a hint of how Mahalia's voice was once a Soprano.

So sorry bout the Videos length, I had no idea I had put a minute and some change of nothingness on it.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mahalia
• Jackson
• Get
• Away
• Jordan
• Gospel

[PennTrafford]

I have never seen Mahalia wearing jewelry while in concert. Is she in a recording studio in this picture? I thought she avoided jewelry while performing, except at the very end of her life, when people's attitudes about women religious singers wearing self-adorning 'accoutrements' had changed....

[DaSourcespr06]

I was reading where back then, it was discouraged for women to wear a lot of flashy jewelry to Church, this was more so in the Holiness Church then in The Baptist Church, which Mahalia was a lifelong member. Thats why women wore such beautiful broaches, cat eye glasses, and gardenias in there hair, as those where in some places, the only kind of "Jewelry" they could wear, and of course, the Church hats!

[direfranchement]

Maybe I have a hearing problem, and I'm certainly not a musical expert, but I can't imagine how people called Bessie Folk "little Mahalia". There voices are so dissimilar. Sometimes I can't even distinguish Bessie and Delores in chest voice attimes. Mahalia is distinctively a contralto, with a wide range. I don't really get the comparisons of her and Bessie Griffin either...but I can see them moreso than with her and Bessie Folk. Great song Shane. I'm jealous of that collection of yours.

[DaSourcespr06]

I hear a song by Mahalia called "Oh My lord" in which she sings in her high register, that might tell why Bessie Folk was called "Little Mahalia".

[direfranchement]

I dunno man...I just don't hear it. Bessie's voice was pretty special...not that Mahalia's wasn't of course, although I'm not a big fan. I just don't hear the similarity...I can hear it with Bessie Griffin though...you can tell she was really working off the Mahalia formula. I can't believe I made two typos in my comment to misspell what should have been "their voices" and "at times"...I promise, I am in college lol!

[DaSourcespr06]

Typos occur my friend, I make them all the time, I am getting better about tho, to some degree..i type like I talk. But yeah, Bessie Griffin, was more Mahalia like the Bessie Folk was, only difference was that Bessie Griffin used alot more phrasing then Mahalia Jackson.

[DaSourcespr06]

listen to the video of Mahalia singng "Oh My Lord", that might possibly answer this question! I think she sounds a lil like Bessie on that one

[PennTrafford]

@1joker88  It was one of her earrings! lol

[1joker88]

@PennTrafford

Oh yes! The one in the pink outfit, and that curly wig. I was wondering what that was in her hands!

[FeatherDumplin]

I have a deep yearning to sing a song that would deliver people from demons Mahalia was a great annointed woman of God Jesus truly blessed her with some vocal chords.

[Agathogatos]

She is the graetest singer of god. I feel god warming my heart when i hear her! Thanks.

[TheFirecogicuk]

that true I,m from COGIC, Holiness so I Know what you mean

[smetch123]

Mahalia the best gospel singer of all time. I bought a cassette of her greatest hits 25 years ago and wore it out!

[tirayi]

How refreshing to read such intelligent debate on this clip. On other videos people are always bitchin about who's better than who and all kinds of nonsense. God bless you you all and keep you all the way.

[Rowoches]

"Get away- on back Jordan"...

[PennTrafford]

This is also the first picture of Mahalia I have seen where she is wearing her hair pulled back and above her ears. Usually she preferred to wear her hair over her ears -- so why bother with earrings if nobody would be able to see them? But she loved to wear jewelry when she wasn't on stage or in a church. My favorite album cover ("The Great Mahalia Jackson") is a picture of her taking off one of her beautiful gold earrings and fiddling with it in her fingers -- with a big grin on her face!