Mountain High...Valley Low
Recognized in the last decade as one of modern gospel's seminal voices, Yolanda Adams is clearly poised to take up the torch from foremothers such asMavis StaplesandAretha Franklinwith her Elektra debut,Mountain High... Valley Low. Adams brings her music to a wider audience not by watering down her message, but by making a record of supreme power, conviction, and glorious beauty, incorporating elements of traditional gospel, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B; into daring arrangements. "The Things We Do" is a gorgeous ballad with samples of JFK and MLK speaking some of their most famous words of commitment. And "Yeah," easily one of 1999's best R&B; singles, is a masterfully ebullient song of praise and dedication marrying thick, funky beats with divinely soulful vocals. A bright and shining testament to faith in a higher power, Adams uses her extraordinary vocal prowess to uplift her listeners and to elucidate the pure joy of spiritual and musical flight. She not just crosses but banishes lines of separation.--Paige La Grone