My Lord What a Mornin'

AMG Review of My Lord What a Mornin'

Cary Ginell
All Music Guide

With this album, Belafonte moved into his most artistically productive period. The albums he made into the mid-60s were all concept albums zeroing in on specific folk music themes. My Lord What A Mornin' was the first of two albums that featured the choir known as the Belafonte Folk Singers, conducted by Bob Corman, who were now recording as a group on their own for RCA Victor. The album consists of traditional Negro spirituals, delivered by Belafonte who combined his acting and singing abilities with his deep understanding of the subject matter, thanks to his growing interest in his AfricanAmerican heritage and the civil rights movement. Noted poet Langston Hughes penned the liner notes, describing in detail the history of spirituals. This is an emotional, satisfying album, although not quite as powerful as Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall. The CD reissue of this album includes 5 bonus tracks at the end.