With this album, moved into his most artistically productive period. The LPs he made into the mid-'60s were all concept albums zeroing in on specific folk music themes. was the first of two albums that featured the choir known as , conducted by , who were by then recording as a group in their own right for . The album consists of traditional Negro spirituals, delivered by , who combined his acting and singing abilities with his deep understanding of the subject matter, thanks to his growing interest in his African American heritage and the civil rights movement. Noted poet penned the liner notes, describing in detail the history of spirituals. This is an emotional, satisfying album, although not quite as powerful as . ~ Cary Ginell