In the last couple of days, lots of kind words have been said about Jake Hess. Seems like everybody loves Jake and has a favorite Jake story to tell. He has always been one of the kindest, most gracious gentlemen I've ever talked with in gospel music.

In an interview, Jake was asked who he would consider to be his "dream quartet". If he could choose five singers, living or dead, to make up this quartet, who would they be.

What was his response?

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I thought his dream quartet was the Imperials?

I certainly don't know the answer to this question without having the interview to read but I do know that once I heard him say that he thought Conner Hall was the best tenor ever.

I remember talking to Jake and his wife once at the GOGR and I was very impressed at what a humble, loving attitude that they both had. I think Jake was a once in a lifetime lead singer for most of us and he will forever be considered one of the best quartet singers.

I don't know the answer either....but I do love the portrait...such a wonderful man..

Bigger than Life. "Often imitated never duplicated" Those of you who have followed Gospel music know the ups and downs he had both physically and in the "business" but he was never bitter. I miss him to this day!

BTW: As to the question, I know he really liked Arnold Hyles and R W Blackwood.

When asked who was the best tenor he ever worked with, his response was: "Rosie I Guess"

His book "Nothin' but Fine" is a wonderful read.

I wish I knew the answer to your question, because I remember hearing Jake in person about 1951 and what a singer Jake was! I don`t think he`s had an equal since. James Blackwood too was an excellent lead-but a different style than Jake. Jake Hess IMO-and many others, was terrific!!!

I anxously await the answer to your question.

I'm going to leave this question up another day to see if there are any more responses.

With a little help from an old friend I'm going to give it a guess. Jake, James Blackwood,Thurman Bunch, Wally Varner, and Big Chief or Big Jim Waits on bass

You got two correct, Rich.

I know that sometimes we have people that only get to view our trivia questions during the week and not over the weekends. I'll leave the question up through Monday in hopes that someone else may have an answer.

It would tickle me to learn that Jake held Thurman in such high regard but I doubt he would have wanted him on the road with him in a quartet. I hope I am wrong about that.

stevenson, I think that would have been Jake's dream quartet given what was available at the time to actually form a quartet. However, the question was about who you would pick from the living or the dead.

Ben called me a few minutes ago and he knew the correct answer.

Jake's answer was this:

Denver Crumpler
Jake Hess
Doy Ott
Big Chief Wetherington
Hovie Lister

He thought no quartet was better.

In forming the Imperials, he drew from this concept, I'm sure.

Sherrill Nielsen was probably the closest thing going to Crumpler in 1963.
Although some consider McSpadden and Ott a tossup, I give a strong edge to Doy Ott. However, Gary was smooth, handsome, and had a great stage presence.
Slaughter was a better pianist than Hovie, but couldn't touch him as a showman.
There's no contest between Armond and Chief. Totally different styles.

So there you have it.

Any comments?

While I never got to see Denver, at least that I can remember, I agree with all your comments, John.

I think Sherrill was about as good as it got, back then, and I thought the same thing about Gary. I don't like Gary's sound now, but he was the next thing to Doy back in the 60's, in my opinion.

I feel pretty much the same way about Armond......no one was any smoother than Armond. I just don't care for the contemporary sound that he turned to.

I think the original Imperials were really great......on a par with the Statesmen....
and they didn't drop off any when Jim Murray joined them. One great thing about them........they didn't do encores. I wish some of today's groups would use that philosophy.

John, or any of you, did the Statesmen do a lot of encores?

Let me just speak for myself and what I heard of the Statesmem.

Joe, the first time I ever saw the Statesmen was in 1968 right after Jack left the group. Don Butler was singing lead with them at the time. As far as encores, they probably led the pack with encores. Over and over again.

I have many recordings of their concerts and they tended to encore almost every song.

I'm sure there are others of you that can speak of this better than me for you actually were in the audience.

Did the Statesmen do a lot of encores?

:rollinglaughing:

As a longtime Statesmen fan, they certainly did many encores-their audience demanded it-and loved it.

Don't get me wrong.....I'm not against encores.....but, some groups and soloists seem to have it built into their tracks. If the audience demands it, I think it is great........but, going right into an encore without prompting from the audience
......I don't particularly care for.

I heard the Statesmen from about 1957 until Jake left and they did encores but their songs deserved to be encored! Jake said they knew which songs they were going to encore before they ever got on the bus to leave home. During the Statesmen days, he overheard a fan tell another fan, "don't clap too much or they will sing it again". He never forgot that and that is why the Imperials didn't encore.

I was hoping you'd join in, superfan. You have forgotten more about gospel music than most of us will ever know!

Ben reminded me today that the interview where Jake talked about his "dream quartet" was conducted at my house in 1986. I knew that sounded familiar!

That was one the things that Jake wanted to do that separated them from the Statesmen. His philosophy was, If they want to hear it again, It's back there on the record table.

I'm 60 so I was very young through most of the 50's but to the best of my memory most all the groups in the 50's did many encores as do some of todays groups. I don't mind them but I don't think that they should be planned and done with only a normal applause.
Havn't seen Gaither Vocal Band lately but I don't remember them doing a lot of encores either. Come to think at Gaither concerts they don't do too many period, that may be due to time constraints and planning.

Also due to too many soloists and too much contemporary stuff..