Clara Ward Singers, The Caravans, The Davis Sisters - Golden Gospel Gals: Selected Sides 1949-1959
STYLE: Gospel RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 117185-18367 LABEL: JSP JSP77145 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 4
Reviewed by Lins Honeyman
This lovingly-assembled box set from specialist label JSP Records is a treasure trove of golden age female black gospel and features three of the era's most prominent exponents. Dominating two of the four discs under a number of guises is gospel matriarch Clara Ward who influenced the likes of Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples as tracks such as "There Is A Fountain" and the bluesy "One Way Street" clearly show. Ward's incredibly affecting and arguably underrated vocal skills are put to good use in obligatory spirituals such as "Give Me That Old Time Religion", "Down By The Riverside" and "Were You There" but it's in the likes of the less famous "Come In The Room" and the simply magnificent "Out On A Hill", together with the inclusion of live tracks and alternate versions, that make this release stand out. Elsewhere, Chicago all girl group the Caravans and the Pentecostal-driven Davis Sisters get a disc each with the Caravans' lead singer Albertina Walker shining in the likes of a wonderfully soulful reading of "Blessed Assurance". Lastly, the rounded and powerful sound of the Davis Sisters - perhaps one of the most unwaveringly evangelical acts of the time - completes a worthy retrospective that succeeds in highlighting the importance of yesteryear's black gospel women in shaping music, Christian and secular, as we know it today.
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