Reviewed by Tony Cummings

As the sleevenote reminds us, Jefferson County in Alabama was between 1925 and 1950 an epicentre for black vocal group activity. Key to the whole movement was the pioneer instructor and group organiser R C Foster whose groups featured the early style of religious singing popularised by the quartets trained at the black universities in the wake of the international success of the Fisk Singers. But the style adopted by the Birmingham Jubilee Singers was a long way from the staid, Europeanised output of the Fisks. Here you have majestic, deep-pitched harmonies that emphasised Charles Bridges' rich baritone lead. The numbers recorded in 1926 at their initial recording session included gems like "He Took My Sins Away" complete with a "moaning" harmony alongside one or two secular novelties like "Southbound Train". The success of the group's original 78s led to another session (10 tracks recorded in a single day!) and these are great too, featuring spiritual standards like "Pharoh's Army Got Drowned" as well as vaudeville songs like "Sweet Mama, Tree Top Tall". For their third session (in New York) the group cut one of their bass singer's showpieces, "A Hymn With Prayer By Brother Sherrill" and a version of "I Shall Not Be Moved", titled "King Jesus Is My Captain". Wonderful stuff.

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