On their first release of their new Classics series, Rounder has created a likable, if slightly unimaginative compilation of gospel music. I use the term “unimaginative,” because there are only six different artists on the compilation. Admittedly, all the artists are top notch and the selections have been chosen in fine taste, but couldn’t there have been a broader sampling of artists preaching the Good News? One third of the record comes from the fantastic New York trio of the Holmes Brothers, a group more known for its blues and R&B treatments. In fact, most of the artists represented merely dabble in sacred music, which actually is a great way to show the link between the secular and the spiritual. If it weren’t for repeated references to Jesus, a cappella gospel veterans the Birmingham Sunlights could easily pass for a trash can-serenading doo-wop group, especially in the pop arrangement of “Today.” The Crescent City is represented by Irma Thomas in two cuts (the keeper being the up-tempo “Walk Around Heaven All Day”), and a breathtaking duet of the gospel standard “Never Alone” by the late Johnny Adams and Aaron Neville. While it was just released this year, and therefore is a relatively youthful “classic,” the compilation’s highlight comes from the Dixie Hummingbirds who recorded the year’s best gospel record by far. “’I’ve Been Born Again” moves along at a brisk pace with the help of Dr. John on piano and The Band’s Levon Helm on drums, but the real treat is the vocal interplay between Ira Tucker and the Hummingbirds. While Gospel Brunch Classics doesn’t bring anything new to the table, it nonetheless offers the joy and charm of a spirited church minus the uncomfortable pressure of the collecting plate.