ROOF-RAISING GOSPEL

A feature spotlighting noteworthy re-releases and compilations.

Group: The Swan Silvertones.

Album: “Get Right With the Swan Silvertones.” (Archives Alive/Rhino.)

History: The Swan Silvertones were formed by Claude Jeter in West Virginia in 1938. Originally a quartet, the group took its famous name in 1942 when it received sponsorship from the Swan Bakery in Knoxville, Tenn., for a daily 15-minute radio show that led to its first recording session for King Records in 1946. Two years later, the Swan Silvertones hit the gospel circuit full time and became a popular and influential attraction there for decades. Jeter left the group in the mid-’60s but Louis Johnson has kept the band active through a succession of lineups. “Get Right” collects highlights of the group’s 1956-64 recordings for Vee Jay that found the Swan Silvertones at an artistic and popular peak.

Sound: Jeter, the preeminent falsetto singer in gospel, heavily influenced Al Green, and fans of Aaron Neville’s breathy vibrato should check out Jeter’s immaculate performance on this set’s “Amazing Grace.” And his smooth downward modulation near the end of “The Lord’s Prayer” is breathtaking. The dynamic interplay between Jeter’s sweet, ethereal singing and Johnson’s shouts accounts for many of the most thrilling moments on “Get Right.” The Silvertones frequently recorded with a skeletal electric guitar accompaniment, leaving the superb backing harmonies to cushion and frame the pyrotechnics of the lead singers. “What’s the Matter Now” is sheer roof-raising excitement while “Savior Pass Me Not” drops the tempo to spotlight a sterling arrangement and exceptional harmony vocals. “Is God Satisfied With Me” occupies the middle ground tempo-wise and sports a lyric cutting right to the core of the sentiments underlying gospel. Informative liner notes by Ray Funk complement the golden voices of the Swan Silvertones to make “Get Right” a cause for celebration among devotees of American music--or fans of plain great singing.