The Famous Davis Sisters - The Singles Collection 1949-62 (2023)

The Famous Davis Sisters of Philadelphia were a gospel group formed in 1945 by Ruth Davis after she had briefly served with the Women’s Air Corps at the end of WWII. She organised her four sisters and developed an act which became legendary at the “Met” – the Metropolitan Opera House – in Philadelphia, where they would, as some said, “tear the house down”. Accompanied for many years simply by their pianist and organist Curtis Dublin, they recorded initially for the Apex and Gotham labels before signing to Savoy, with whom they stayed through into the ‘60s. This great-value 51-track 2-CD collection comprises most of their A & B sides on those labels during these years, and features classics like “Jesus Steps Right In” and “Too Close To Heaven”, with many of the songs written by the sisters themselves – Ruth, Thelma, Audrey and Alfreda. They were a group who, like the Caravans, helped to bridge the gap between gospel and soul with their brand of “hard gospel” of the sort pioneered by the likes of the Dixie Hummingbirds. It’s a great showcase for one of the most exciting gospel groups of the era.