The Ink Spots - Greatest Hits: The Original Decca Recordings 1939 - 1946
The Ink Spots' hushed harmonies and acoustic-guitar backing were something of an anomaly in the brash swing era; they nevertheless carved a niche as one of the benchmark acts of '40s pop and were harbingers ofdoo wop. The group's most distinctive voices were tenor Bill Kenny, whose soft leaps into his high range remain heart-catching more than a half century later, and baritone Orville "Hoppy" Jones, who provides most of the 15 songs onGreatest Hitswith recitations that are usually sincere and solemn, occasionally self-parodying ("Whispering Grass"). Not just for nostalgia buffs, this disc has a gentleness that stands on its own. (Beware the myriad later rerecordings by groups with vague ties to the original.)--Rickey Wright