Precious Memories

Traditional country has deep roots in gospel, so it’s only natural that neo-trad country hero Alan Jackson would craft a gospel album as commanding as this. His warm baritone is equally well suited for the spiritual and the secular. Blending old-school piano-and-organ-led gospel arrangements with shades of bluegrass and acoustic country, Jackson shows as much reverence for the style as he does for the subject on devotional tunes like the gleeful transcendence anthem “I’ll Fly Away” and the afterlife ode “When We All Get to Heaven.”