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Frank Williams, leader of one of the South's most popular gospel quartets, the Jackson Southernaires, had a dream. He wanted to put together a choir that would show the world all that Mississippi had to offer. With a few associates, he proceeded to spread the word that he was seeking singers from all over the state, and soon the audition tapes were rolling in. Williams picked out the best few hundred cassettes and called those singers in for auditions. In the end, he had roughly a hundred of the greatest singers in a state long famous for its depth of musical talent. He brought them together, rehearsed them, and called them the Mississippi Mass Choir.
Frank Williams is dead, but his dream lives on. Mississippi Mass is the most successful choir in gospel music. Every record it makes shoots instantly to the top of the gospel charts, and several have lingered on those charts for years. The group has toured Europe, Japan, and most of the United States, bringing its unique blend of tight, modern arrangements and old-time churchy passion.
It is the downhome soul and sheer technical brilliance of the singers that have set Mississippi Mass apart, and kept it consistently ahead of the imitators that have sprung up in its wake. Other choirs can put together hot arrangements, but none can boast the depth of vocal talent that comes together in the choir's rehearsal space, a modern church building on the outskirts of Jackson. From teenagers to grandparents, these are the deepest, soulfulest singers in America, and when they start swinging in time, their robes swirling around them, there is no resisting the force of their message.
Bio from Mississippi Mass Choir's recording label Malaco Records
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