Reviewed by Stephen Luff

Sister Rosetta Tharpe rose to gospel music stardom in the 1930s and 1940s and was a major influence on early rock'n'roll artists such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard and through her dazzling guitar technique, Chuck Berry. Her appeal extended to the rhythm and blues audience and gospel songs such as "Didn't It Rain?" and "Down By The Riverside" (versions included here) climbed the R&B charts. This collection is a comprehensive selection (although the Sister's 1945 hit "Strange Things Happening Every Day" is missing) with studio recordings and what appear to be radio transcriptions (no information is supplied on this budget-priced release). Some of these tracks are quite marvellous but what does let this compilation down is the transfer quality on some songs such as the opener "The Lonesome Road", which is clearly taken from a rather scratched 78 and is both crackly and slightly distorted. There are many Tharpe collections out there, several with better quality transfers. However, with its bargain price and 60 tracks on offer 'The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection' just about lives up to its name.

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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