The Sensational Nightingales were formed as a quintet in the 1940s (when they were known as simply
the Nightingales) and have reassembled in various configurations all the way through to the present, with tenor and guitarist Joseph "Jo Jo" Wallace the only original member still working with the group. Now a quartet, Larry Moore, Horace "Sug" Thompson, and guitarist
Darrell Luster round out the current lineup on
Songs to Edify. The original group was anchored by the intense, rough-hewed vocals of baritone
Julius Cheeks, the prototype of a hard gospel singer, but little here rises quite to the level of that legacy. The Nightingales are a solidly professional outfit, however, and the album does feature sharp group harmonies and several easy-spirited gospel shuffles, including "Please Send Lazarus" and "Separation Line." ~ Steve Leggett