Various ArtistsThe Best of Federal Gospel
Available at www.crystalballrecords.com(US)
or www.bim-bam.com (UK)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
Nestled in Cincinnati, Ohio, which abuts the border between the North and South, Syd Nathan’s King Records was positioned perfectly to capture the diverse musical palette of post-war America.
That included gospel music, as Galen Gart’s The Best of Federal Gospel reissue CD demonstrates. A subsidiary of King, Federal Records released gospel throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, but Gart focuses the collection on 1950 to 1953, a high-water mark in the music’s evolution. He highlights two strands that made this period especially significant: the transition of the African American quartet sound from sweet jubilee to hard gospel, and the “sister” phenomenon: the emergence of female evangelist recording artists who flourished in the wake of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s 1940s breakout success.
Of the former, there are many fine examples, most notably the Four Internes, Federal’s gospel hitmakers of the early 1950s. They emulated the Golden Gate Quartet’s rhythmic singing but added a swinging combo of musicians for greater propulsion. Their big hit, “Count Your Many Blessings,” and nine other tracks are included on the CD.
Other quartets on The Best of Federal Gospelinclude the L & N Gospel Singers and Florida Soul Stirrers, whose unaccompanied harmonies are indicative of an age when “time, harmony, and articulation” was the main directive. The birdlike tenor notes of the Golden Eagles’ lead on “Anywhere, Anytime” (either Edgar or Ralph Powe) are clearly influenced by the work of the Soul Stirrers’ R.H. Harris.
Sister Bonnie Bradford, a member of the Sallie Martin Singers, is among the female evangelists in the collection. She croons the conversion song, “Jesus Made a Change,” with the sultriness of Savannah Churchill. Gart also includes sides by Thelma Bumpess, a blind evangelist whose Royalettes included a young Shirley Caesar (she takes a solo on “Heavenly Father”). Caesar debuted as a solo artist on Federal; her first two sides, released in 1951 by “Baby Shirley” (for her size, not her age), are included on the set. On “I Know Jesus Will Save,” Caesar mimics Mahalia Jackson’s low tones and vocal phrasing. The Baby Shirley tracks, impossibly rare on vinyl, are alone worth the purchase price.
Although mastered from original 78 rpm discs, the album has a suburb audio quality. The liner notes are slim, but Gart does include recording session details.
After listening to The Best of Federal Gospel, it should come as no surprise that the label introduced to the world the gospel-imbued soul of James Brown and his Famous Flames.
Four of Five Stars
Picks: “I Know Jesus Will Save,” “Anywhere, Anytime.”
Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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