"That's The Rhythm" is a delicious collection of 20 examples of Black vocal group harmony from the early 1930s to the early 1950s, all at least lightly accompanied. The watershed moment for these groups was the rise of network radio, which made immediate stars of the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots. By 1945 there were three routes an aspiring group could take, the "jubilee" gospel style of the Golden Gate Quartet, which enjoyed a crossover appeal, the jump/jive stylings of the Four Vagabonds, which had an almost entirely Black following, or going into the pop crossover stylings of the Ink Spots/Mills Brothers, whose huge success was due to the support of a vast white audience. So many treats: The Three Keys' cartoon-like "Somebody Stole Gabriel's Horn," Three Sharps and a Flat's wonderful title tune, the raunchy, double-entendre "Garbage Man" by the Four Aces, the very funny "Wig Blues" by The Melody Masters, who also star on "Subway Cutie," The Four Vagabonds' swinging "Choo Choo," The Four Blues' boogie-woogie anthem "It Takes A Long Tall Brown Skinned Girl," the Four Knights' sweet "Wrapped Up In A Dream," The Three Riffs' silly "Cherry In My Lemon And Lime," The Beavers' torch song "I'd Rather Be Wrong Than Blue"-these are unknown musical treasures on many levels. Funny, poignant, hip, romantic-it's all here, and some of the sweetest leads and harmonies you could imagine. We love this collection! |
