The original release of The Staple Singers’ Freedom Highway (1965) exposed contemporary gospel music to new audiences and was considered a cultural milestone during the civil rights movement. Recorded live in a Chicago church, the concert served as a rally for overturning legal and social prejudice. On the original release, the concert was trimmed to fit the LP format. The CD reissue offers the whole fervent show of upbeat spirituals of hope and resilience that often reveal some of the same deep Southern roots as blues and rockabilly, especially in the guitar playing of Roebuck “Pops” Staples.
