While Patti LaBelle has never hidden her love for Gospel music, she's spent her entire recording career on secular soul, funk and pop. So after years of planning for it, in November, 2006 she finally released her first full Gospel album, The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle. And while the album is clearly Gospel, it relies on the elements that have kept LaBelle relevant to popular audiences well into her sixties — excellent song selection and an ear toward contemporary adult soul sounds.
On The Gospel, LaBelle wisely associates herself with some of the key players in the contemporary Gospel world, performing duets with Yolanda Adams, J Moss, CeCe Winans and, most notably, Mary Mary (who sound as wonderful as ever), and bringing in notch producers PAJAM, Gordon Chambers and Troy Taylor, among others. And the results are uniformly pleasing. LaBelle's voice is clear and inspired, and the arrangements are right on as she walks through Gospel staples like "Walk Around Heaven" and fine new compositions such as "Where Love Begins" and "More Than (He Loves You)."
While millions have only known her as a classic soul singer, there should be a lot of converts to The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle. Highly recommended.
by Chris Rizik