The Swan Silvertones Singers, also known as The Swan Silvertones, were one of the most popular and accomplished black gospel groups of the 40s and 50s. They also rank as one of the greatest a cappella groups of all time.

The Dovesong Foundation has a excellent collection of old gospel music but, in my opinion, the 21 tracks making up the King Recordings of The Swan Silvertones is one of the best things about it. These tracks from 1946 to 1951 comprise their recordings before they went to Specialty Records and national fame. Each track is a perfect gem of a cappella singing with only a few accompanied by a single strumming guitar. While all members were virtuoso singers, the founder Claude Jeters processed a tenor and falsetto voice that was rarely equaled. “A Mother’s Cry” is a exquisite example of the emotion in Jeter’s falsetto deliverance. “Working on a Building” is a harmonic revelation and I dare you to try to keep your foot from tapping during upbeat gospel scorchers like “My Time Done Come” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”. Don’t let the gospel label keep you away from these masterpieces of American music.

The album is available in 128kbps MP3.

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