Reviewed by Tony Cummings

If you're a doowop buff wanting to trace the origins of all those '50s secular groups you could do worse than to investigate this, and the other Document volumes, which shines a deserved spotlight on one of the most distinctive acappella gospel groups of the 1930s. Anthony Heilbut has described the four voices of Mitchell's Christian Singers from Kinston, North Carolina as "not the rich instruments of other professional groups" but rather "the voices of street corner quartets; especially in the first tenor and baritone, one hears the fathers and uncles of the young black men who cultivated the 'Doo wah' group sound of the early '50s." The group acquired their name from their manager, one Willie Mitchell, and by the time the first of these recordings were released in 1936 were well established as steady sellers for the American Recording Company who poured out their 78s on a welter of labels like ARC, Conqueror, Vocalion and Columbia. There are plenty of gems in the 25 sides lovingly compiled here, including "We Want To Have A Talk With Jesus", a live performance of which in 1934 won them the opportunity to travel to New York and begin recording. With what the sleevenote calls their "complex weave of voices ranging from bass to falsetto, like an early New Orleans jazz band, each chugging along in its own way, moving the song to its conclusion," their performances of songs like "Jesus Hear Me Praying" and "Lord Have Mercy" are, even today, great listening.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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