When I reach that heavenly shore : unearthly black gospel : 1926-1936

"When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel, 1926-1936, compiled by the notorious 78 collector Christopher King and released by Tompkins Square, collects 42 tracks similar and dissimilar to "Preaching With Singing". They come from a variety of sources and locales, but the defining aspect of this compilation may be the era it represents. These songs predate the commercial heyday of gospel in the 1940s, depicting instead a time when radio was broadcasting this music to new audiences and when many of the elements that would define the genre were only just being set in stone. For that reason, When I Reach That Heavenly Shore offers a glimpse of gospel's early calls and responses, its first hallelujahs and amens".

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"Many of the 42 tracks collected here, 34 of which are being digitally re-introduced to the world, don't sound much like gospel, at least not in the modern sense of the word. Recorded between 1926 and 1936, and done for commercial labels, these are really pre-gospel pieces, religious and sacred songs done in blues, street jazz, choral, and other styles, and some of them are simply passionately delivered proto-rap-like rhythmic sermons ... When I Reach That Heavenly Shore is a wonderful restoration of a little-known part of America's musical past, and it has the power to awaken astonishment".

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