Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Connoisseurs of the 'golden age of gospel' (bet you didn't know that was the 1940s and 1950s all you CMM-ites) will recognise the famous Blue Jay Singers who have four tracks on the superlative 22-song compilation while deep soul buffs will note the availability of two Kelly Brothers sides. In fact, the famous Blue Jay Singers are too stentorian and stuck in the pre-quartet sound of jubilee to make comfortable listening today and many of the obscurities lovingly rescued and dubbed from rare 78s make the most absorbing listening. So listen to the raw and rugged Golden Eagle Gospel Singers recorded in 1937 with bluesman Hammie Nixon giving gutsy accompaniment on harmonica; the Gospel Songbirds brilliantly overcoming primitive recording to holler in "hard" quartet style; and the Norfolk Singers who do a string rendition of "Bye And Bye" and come startlingly close to topping the Soul Stirrers' classic rendition.

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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