The blues were worldly songs, but the gospel songs and spirituals of the black churches were also an important element from the beginning, for the way they were sung, with soulfulness and great enthusiasm, made an unforgettable impression on most jazz musicians when they were young. If you compare records by Bessie Smith and the great gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, you will see that despite the difference in what they sang, there is a similarity in the way they sang, and that there is a joint relationship with early forms of jazz expression. The fervor and warmth of gospel music were often translated as directly as possible by jazz musicians, and for a long time the adjective "hot" was used in praise of their improvised solos and tonal qualities. << less