Reviewed by Tony Cummings

I've long had a personal affection for the Deep River Boys. I have childhood memories of listening to the smooth jubilee harmonies each week on a BBC radio programme and they were for me and millions of others the first time I had heard the old spirituals sung in authentic black acappella harmony. Coming to the UK when they did in the early '50s the Boys were able to find a receptive audience for their music when the original African American audience had moved away from the old school jubilee sounds to the more exciting hard quartet style. The Boys' harmony was impeccable and this 32-song compilation shows that even with continuous lineup changes in the '30s, '40s and '50s the blend of mellifluous tenor, rich baritone and booming bass voice was clearly the stylistic foundation stone for the doo wop harmonisers of the '50s. Like several other successful jubilee groups the Boys mixed up secular and sacred material. For me they were clearly at their best when running through spirituals like "Get On Board Little Children", "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "Go Down Moses" though if you've a liking for the finger-snapping quasi jazz of the Mills Brothers or the smooth-as-silk harmonies of the Ink Spots you'll find some tracks here worth investigating. Excellent sleevenotes add greatly to the package.

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