‘Summer of Soul’ Looks Back on Harlem Cultural Festival

“Take My Hand, Precious Lord” by Mahalia Jackson

The gospel titan shared the mic with Mavis Staples (81) in a performance that New York Times writer Wesley Morris called “the single most astounding duet I’ve ever heard, seen or felt.” You can listen to Jackson tackle the song solo here, but you’ll have to watch the film to see the alchemical pairing of two of the century’s most transcendent vocalists.

Listen here: “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” on Spotify

“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Gladys Knight & the Pips

The Empress of Soul (77) recalls being so nervous and excited before stepping onstage to perform this high-energy Motown single that she and the Pips joined hands and prayed before their set.

Listen here: “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” on Spotify

“Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day” by Stevie Wonder

Dressed in a brown suit and ruffled yellow shirt, the 19-year-old Motown star (now 71) tears the roof off the documentary with a rousing drum solo in the rain. His set also included a slowed-down cover of “It’s Your Thing” and this groovy hit from his teen-star days.

Listen here: “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day,” on Spotify

“Why I Sing the Blues” by B.B. King

Befitting the politically empowering nature of the festival, King’s masterful blues classic traces centuries of injustice against Black Americans, from the slave trade to urban poverty.

Listen here: “Why I Sing the Blues,” on Spotify

“Watermelon Man” by Mongo Santamaría

The Cuban percussionist and bandleader spiced up the Herbie Hancock standard with a cha-cha beat, and the fusion hit is often credited with starting boogaloo, a genre that paired Afro-Cuban rhythms with R&B.

Listen here: “Watermelon Man,” on Spotify

“Grazing in the Grass” by Hugh Masekala

Perhaps less well known to audiences today, this South African trumpeter (known as “the father of South African jazz”) had an unexpected number one pop hit in America with this laid-back instrumental.

Listen here: “Grazing in the Grass,” on Spotify

“Oh Happy Day” by the Edwin Hawkins Singers

It’s impossible not to get swept up in the emotions and roof-shaking vocals of this gospel hymn, and Hawkins’ arrangement is so definitive that it’s been included on the Recording Industry Association of America’s Songs of the Century list.

Listen here: “Oh Happy Day,” on Spotify