Rejoice and Shout

Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Directed by: Don McGlynn

Jun 13, 2011 Web Exclusive By Chris Tinkham

Director Don McGlynn's documentary chronicle of the history of Gospel music is so rich with electrifying archival performance clips that, a few years ago, it would have sparked a follow-up run to Tower Records or Virgin Megastore to peruse these artists' recordings. But those stores no longer exist, and sadly, Gospel is no longer producing the dynamic records and performers it was from the '30s through '50s. McGlynn's film, which employs the oft-imitated talking-head approach (think Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown), skirts this issue but otherwise succeeds in tracing the genre's relationship with the African American experience and Christianity. Artists such as Mavis Staples, Willa Ward, and the late Ira Tucker appear in contemporary interviews. (www.magpictures.com)

Author rating: 6/10