Norfolk Jubilee Quartet - Norfolk Jazz And Jubilee Quartets Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol 6 1937-1940

Published Monday 16th February 2009
Norfolk Jubilee Quartet - Norfolk Jazz And Jubilee Quartets Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol 6 1937-1940
Norfolk Jubilee Quartet - Norfolk Jazz And Jubilee Quartets Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Vol 6 1937-1940

STYLE: Gospel
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 21342-12067
LABEL: Document DOCD5386
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £9.99

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

My review of Vol 5 spoke about the split personality of these pre-war harmonisers, one moment exhorting us to "Shine For Jesus" (track 17 here) and the next moment (track 18) confiding how they "Like My Jelly Roll" (and they weren't talking about mama's home-made dessert). But whatever the questionable content of the songs when they did their Norfolk Jazz Quartet bit, as church performers and a jubilee recording act they were masters. Listen to their sublime versions of "Stand By Me" or "Jesus Is Making Up My Dying Bed" and one will hear harmonisers at the top of their game. As second tenor Raymond Smith noted, "We were cleaning up around here (New York). Nobody was doing what we were doing. After we got here, we learned the style of most of the groups. Everybody was humming and 'homp-homp'. So we would say the words to the songs in harmony." The last session for the group was on 20th April 1940. Prophetically, one of the songs recorded was "The Death Train Is Coming". On 2nd June 1940 the group's founder and longtime manager Len Wilson died aged 40. The group struggled on briefly but soon folded. The 23 tracks gathered here contain some of the finest acapella gospel recordings ever made.

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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