These are some of the very earliest recordings Black vocal groups and is an outstanding example of the genre including vaudeville, blues and spirituals sung in both the 'old style' with its integrated parts blending smoothly as if sung by one person, and the 'new' with its foregrounding of wailing, blue notes and syncopation. The most well known groups here come from the incredibly fertile area of Norfolk Virginia, known for its astonishing number of vocal quartets in the 1920's and 30's. In all there is plenty of top-notch material here for lovers of pre-war vocal groups, with some churning quartet blues recordings that are irresistible.