This collection may indeed be made up of some of gospel music’s greatest tunes, but it isn’t necessarily the greatest set of performances of them by the
Golden Gate Quartet. These 15 selections, which make for about 25 minutes of music on this disc, were taken from very late recordings by the group in the '80s, when the only original member was Clyde Riddick. These are reinterpretations of some of the group’s most memorable recordings of the '30s and '40s. This is not to say that what is here isn’t worth listening to -- it is -- but it is important to hold this German label to a standard of truth in advertising. The later group still stayed very close to the founding spirit of the
GGQ, performing these classic quartet favorites in their unique style that embraced the influences of the
Mills Brothers, vocal jazz, and pop performed in the '30s. The price on this set is attractive, and the music is well-performed, if not the genuine article. ~ Thom Jurek