Here is some of the loveliest Bluegrass gospel singing that you will ever hear. These recordings were made back in the 1980s, when this family group from Pennsylvania was just trying to make a go of it: the 2 brothers (Homer and Jay) and 2 sisters (Lisa and Lori) were barely out of their teens at the time. Heavily influenced by the Marshall Family, Doyle Lawson and the Country Gentlemen, the Forbes achieved a small but dedicated audience for their music, both in their native Pennsylvania and in North Carolina -- where they went after being discovered by the well known Easter Brothers, who helped them secure a contract with the Rebel label. On this wonderful 18-song collection (which includes 3 previously unissued songs) every track is a gem of beautiful harmonies and well chosen songs like THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE, JESUS GAVE ME WATER, THE WHALE SWALLOWED JONAH, LIVING IN THE NAME OF LOVE, I NEED JESUS, THE PRETTIEST FLOWERS, the A Cappella TALK ABOUT SUFFERING, and a truly magnificent rendition of BLESSED ASSURANCE. As Ron Block states in his notes to the record, the beauty of this music can easily bring a listener to tears. After a relatively short "career", which included an appearance on A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and an offer to tour Europe, the members of the group quietly retired to start families, and sadly, Homer Forbes, the leader of the band passed away a few years ago from cancer. (There is a second volume of the collected works of the family -- for the many who are great Forbes fans, REB- 7526, also just $ 10.00)
