The Consolers Collection 1952-62

Acrobat has a significant catalogue of gospel collections by many of the leading quartets of the classic era in the immediate post-war decades, and this release adds a further dimension to that repertoire with the highly-regarded Miami-based husband and wife duo of Sullivan and Iola Pugh, who performed as The Consolers, enjoying a career together which lasted over half a century. This 37-track 2-CD set collection comprises all the records they made in the first decade of their career, first as Members of the Miami Soul Stirrers on the Glory label, then as the Spiritual Consolers on DeLuxe, and then as The Consolers on the Nashboro label. Their distinctive country blues flavoured style was raw and impassioned, heightened by Sullivan’s unusual flat-top guitar technique, and their unique approach built them a significant following during those first ten years, and many gospel fans cite them as among their favourite exponents of the genre. The collection includes comprehensive booklet notes by researcher and author Frederic Adrian, along with a contribution by noted contemporary US R&B star Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed, himself a knowledgeable commentator on the genre’s musical heritage, and who is an enthusiastic Consolers aficionado.