With this album,
Belafonte
moved into his most artistically productive period. The LPs 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 by then recording as a group in their own right for
RCA Victor
. The album consists of traditional Negro spirituals, delivered by
, who combined his acting and singing abilities with his deep understanding of the subject matter, thanks to his growing interest in his African American 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
. ~ Cary Ginell