"KINGS OF THE GOSPEL HIGHWAY" The Golden Age Of Gospel Quartets

Kings of the Gospel Highway presents selections from the top male a cappella groups of the 1940s and '50s, including the Soul Stirrers, the Swan Silvertones, and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi. Songs range from light and upbeat numbers such as "Does Jesus Care" by R.H. Harris and the Soul Stirrers, to hand-clappers like the jubilee rendition of "Lord Hold My Hand" by the Pilgrim Travelers and Julius Cheeks and the Sensational Nightingales' take on "Lord Have Mercy." The compilation also includes slow and moving numbers, like "The Old Account" by the Swan Silvertones and hard-singing, spirited pieces such as the Silvertones' version of "All Aboard" and Archie Brownlee with the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi singing "I Was Praying." Other highlights include "Jesus Brought Me" by the Spirit of Memphis, with an anointed, hoarse-throated Silas Steele at the front, and the earliest recording on this collection, the Soul Stirrers' 1939 recording of "Walk Around," which has crackly sound quality but rousing spirit, with Harris sounding his best. Besides this one early recording, the rest of the Stirrers' songs come from the mid- to late '40s, while the Sensational Nightingales' tunes span the 1950s. The other groups' selections are drawn from the late '40s through the early '50s. (Allmusic)After digesting these 26 glorious tracks, it's easy to see just how much of an influence the gospel quartet had on everyone from doo-wop crooners such as Clyde McPhatter and soul belters such as Ray Charles to James Brown and Otis Redding. Without any instrumental firepower, the harmonizers establish a rock-solid groove while the lead singer passionately and often acrobatically testifies. Even with that basic template in place, the range of sounds can be remarkable. On the 1950 track by the Pilgrim Travelers, "Dear Lord Look Down Upon Me," leader Kylo Turner delivers a sweet and gentle falsetto vocal that will make you swoon with delight. On the Swan Silvertones' "Working on a Building," it's the intricate, vibrant arrangement that stands out. Then you have the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi's Archie Brownlee, a fiery, earthshaking lead vocalist whose raspy growls on a song like "Will My Jesus Be Waiting" will raise the hair on your neck and hurt your own throat just hearing it. And the Sensational Nightingales' Julius Cheeks, roaring through his "country gospel" adaptations, isn't far behind Brownlee. Other classic quartets such as the Soul Stirrers and the Spirit of Memphis are represented here as well. Though we tend to think of gospel as pretty simple, straightforward music, this compilation reveals all of the subtle nuances, the jazzlike improvisation, and the unbridled intensity that goes into it. Anyone with even a passing interest in secular postwar soul music will be thrilled to hear its deep roots in this record. --Marc Greilsamer, Amazon

trax:
1. Walk Around - The Soul Stirrers 2. Sleep On Mother - The Soul Stirrers 3. I Want To Rest - The Soul Stirrers 4. I'm Willing To Run - The Soul Stirrers 5. I'm A Soldier - The Soul Stirrers 6. Does Jesus Care - The Soul Stirrers 7. Dear Lord Look Down Upon Me - The Pilgrim Travelers 8. Go Ahead - The Pilgrim Travelers 9. I Wonder Will We Meet Again - The Pilgrim Travelers 10. Lord Hold My Hand - The Pilgrim Travelers 11. Lord I've Tried - The Swan Silvertones 12. Working On A Building - The Swan Silvertones 13. The Old Account - The Swan Silvertones 14. All Around - The Swan Silvertones 15. Jesus Jesus - Spirit Of Memphis 16. Sign Of The Judgement - Spirit Of Memphis 17. Tell Heaven - Spirit Of Memphis 18. Jesus Brought Me - Spirit Of Memphis 19. I Was Praying - The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi 20. The Lord Will Make A Way - The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi 21. Will My Jesus Be Waiting - The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi 22. Someone Watches Over Me - The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi 23. God's Word Will Never Pass Away - The Sensational Nightengales 24. Lord Have Mercy - The Sensational Nightengales 25. I'm Coming Up Lord - The Sensational Nightengales 26. Somewhere To Lay My Head - The Sensational Nightengales
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