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