This thirteen-track chronicle of country gospel legend J.D. Sumner' work with his quartet, the Stamps, may not be as thorough as one would have hoped, but it does manage to capture the talented singers at their peak, both in the studio and out on the road. Part of New Haven Records' Gospel Legacy Series, Treasury of Memories contains highlights from the group's seventies heyday, as well as live performances from the nineties. Sumner and the Stamps' style was a bit slicker than that of their gospel-wielding forefathers like the Louvin Brothers and early-Bill Monroe, but their delivery was reverent and passionate, with a focus on tight five-part harmonies that echoed their spirituality with precision and joy. ~ James Christopher Monger
