The Best of Nashboro Gospel examines the gospel output of Nashville's Nashboro Records, a subsidiary of the Excello blues label. The 27-track collection combines the Nashboro albums All Time Gospel Hits and Best Loved Gospel Songs, Vol. 2 with a handful of bonus tracks, in good-sounding mono except for one stereo cut. The recordings span the years 1950-1968 with a mixture of groups and soloists, the best-known of which are
the Fairfield Four and
the Swanee Quintet. There are a number of driving performances with electric guitar, similar in style to
the Staple Singers; smooth, pop-oriented vocal groups; and plenty of unvarnished, roof-raising gospel shouting. A companion anthology, It's Jesus Y'all, follows the Nashboro story into the '70s. Universal acquired the Nashboro masters a few years ago, so it is possible that some of this material may not be made available again. ~ Greg Adams