Anita Wilson – Worship Soul

Anita Wilson

EMI Gospel (2012)

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

 

Anita Wilson’s patience was duly rewarded.  The unhurried time she and producer Rick Robinson took to write her debut solo CD, Worship Soul, was worth every minute.

Recorded live at Chicago’s historic Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Worship Soul is well-paced, every song selected and ordered with the utmost care.  Wilsoneven substitutes the compulsory upbeat praise and worship intro for the more dramatic ”Have Your Way.”  

While her alto voice is always pleasant, Wilsonshowcases a variety of shades within it: from Tracy Chapman folky on James Taylor’s sing-along “Shower the People” and jazzy on “Keep on Praisin’” to bluesy on the Hulah Gene Hurley & Voices of Tabernacle’s classic “Jesus Will.”  On the current single, “Speechless,” Wilsonbrings some Toni Braxton soulfulness to the lyric.

“He Shows Out” is sure to be a congregation pleaser because it employs the gospel technique of borrowing what sounds like a preacher’s catchphrase for its hook: “Every time He shows up, He shows out.”

In the liner notes, Wilson thanks Mahalia Jackson and Albertina Walker for paving the way for lower-register singers.  This got me thinking:  could the alto voice be the ideal range for female gospel singers?  Historically, sopranos have been the vulnerable victims or imperious heroines, especially when it comes to the opera stage, but altos—like their male counterpart, the bassos—exude wisdom, strength, courage, and mystery–all attributes of a gospel song and a gospel singer.  Food for thought.

Worship Soul is a marvelous debut for Anita Wilson. It proves that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. 

Picks: “Speechless,” “Perfect Love Song.”