Midway through Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic speech at the 1963 March on Washington, a voice called out from behind him: “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” That voice belonged to Mahalia Jackson, King’s close friend and one of the most revered gospel singers of the 20th century. Glorious Mahalia, a new tribute from Kronos Quartet, uses that defining moment as a lens into Jackson’s artistry, convictions, and the profound relationships that ran alongside her work, including her ties to King, oral historian Studs Terkel, and attorney Clarence B. Jones.
Featuring compositions by Kronos collaborators Stacy Garrop, Zachary James Watkins, and Jacob Garchik, the LP also incorporates archival audio of Jackson’s voice, a newly recorded conversation with Jones, and a new arrangement inspired by Jackson’s remarkable rendition of Antonio Haskell’s “God Shall Wipe All Tears Away.” Across its three-part arc, the album places Jackson’s music, advocacy, and spiritual force into direct conversation with the present.
In the album’s liner notes, Kronos founder and violinist David Harrington writes:
That’s how Glorious Mahalia started, with the idea of celebrating friendship, celebrating Mahalia’s incredible voice but also, when she spoke with Studs, her ability to look at societal issues in such a clear, beautiful, no-nonsense way, pointing out things that happened to her—happened to many people— that aren’t right…
As Clarence Jones says about the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ it’s the symphony of social justice. I’m a quartet player but am very happy to play in the symphony of social justice.
