Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

The Gospel Originals are based in Aiken, South Carolina, and their style in some ways is a throwback to some of the legendary quartets of Gospel's Golden Age. There were no sleevenotes with this CD, so I don't have much information about them, or who wrote the material, but they have shared the stage with Dottie Peoples, The Canton Spirituals, The Mighty Clouds Of Joy, to name but a few, and as you don't get any old rubbish on the undercard when any of those guys come to town, it shows that they are held in some regard in gospel music circles. So I played this 2005 release, checking in at over 55 minutes, and I heard a rather clumsily-edited live recording (what's wrong with a live recording, that some people try and chop it up for radio play? Any radio station has the technology to create radio edits). Having said that, however, whilst The Originals have a ways to go to be up there with the great names of the past, it's good to hear that the traditions of gospel quartet singing are alive and well.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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