Simply Amazing

Amazing Grace (2018) has an amazing backstory. In 1972, Aretha Franklin went into a Los Angeles church and recorded a live gospel album, Amazing Grace. Director Sydney Pollack filmed it to make a movie, but they were unable to sync the sound. They solved that problem in 2007, but now Aretha didn’t want it released, so it had to wait until her death to be released.

It features Rev. James Cleveland as MC, piano player and singer. The band includes Chuck Rainey on bass and Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on drums. The audience included gospel luminaries such as Clara Ward, who wrote “How I Got Over”, and Aretha’s dad. Also, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts.

Aretha’s singing is also amazing, soaring, ecstatic. However, I have to say that I wish she spent more time on the straight song. Her “Amazing Grace”, for instance, stretched each line into an entire verse, filled with melismatic flourishes and swooping runs. Just sing the simple, swinging, funky song.

But I sure felt shivers when she sang those wild runs. The church, its preachers and singers, as well as Ms. Franklin made this Buddhist feel the Holy Spirit. And, while she did not talk much, or reveal much of herself, she looked radiant and sweet - at some times girl-like, although at ~30, she wasn’t really a girl. Glad this was finally released.