Ride With Jesus - The Holy Sons (Quartet Boyz Records 2008)

Ride With Jesus
The Holy Sons
Quartet Boyz Records 2008
http://www.myspace.com/theexcitingholysons

Hailing from Chicago’s west side, where the group was formed twenty years ago as the New Garden Messengers, the award-winning Exciting Holy Sons have slowly but surely made their mark on the national quartet scene.

The group may not be as well-known outside of the tight-knit quartet community as the Mighty Clouds of Joy or the Pilgrim Jubilees, but they have shared the stage with these leading quartets. Moreover, they have made appearances in highly-visible venues, such as at the Gospel Music Workshop of America, various Gospel Announcers Guild programs, the American Gospel Quartet Convention, and on the Sunday afternoon quartet stage of Chicago’s Gospel Fest (2003).

So the Exciting Holy Sons are on their way. Today the group consists of David Hallom, U.L. Hallom, Kevin Hamilton, Ronald Wilkins, Charles Walls, Anthony Roach, Jerry Morton and Authur Gould. In fact, the Hallom Family is the underpinning of the quartet as singers, musicians, and management (Sis. Terry Hallom formed the group and remains its booking agent). They have a brand new CD, Ride With Jesus, released on Dwight Gordon’s Quartet Boyz label.

Fascinatingly, the CD's first track, “I Know I’ve Been Changed” riffs off of Queen’s 1977 smash “We Will Rock You,” replacing the rock band’s unforgettable power chorus with “He Will, He Will Change You,” and retaining the familiar stomp-stomp-clap beat and fuzzy electric guitar. This may well be the first time the power pop anthem – or any Queen song, for that matter – has been gospelized!

“Thank You Lord” is the radio-friendly track, an uptempo drive number that features metronome-steady background vocals by the Exciting Holy Sons. Also memorable is “I Wanna Ride,” a sweetly smooth take on “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” that makes the journey from earth to paradise seem a whole lot more joyful than the spiritual version does. The “going home” theme continues on “House of the Lord,” and is the basis of the album’s title.

The CD concludes with a killer bonus live track that features the Holy Sons tearing up the stage with an eight minute version of “Touch Me.” Duelling lead vocalists bite hungrily into the song’s vamp in a style similar to fellow Chicagoans the Victory Travelers. The Sons’ performance was fiery enough to take the house, but the recording must have been made through the mixing board, because the live audience is nowhere to be heard.

The name change from the "Exciting Holy Sons" to simply the "Holy Sons" eludes me, though I'm sure there's a reason. Meanwhile, quartet enthusiasts can catch the Exciting Holy Sons on quartet cavalcades throughout the year and throughout the country. Ride With Jesus will give them access to the group’s hard-singing quartet sound whenever they want.

Two and a Half of Four Stars

"Get Your Praise On" - Dr. Yvonne Cole (C&W Records 2008)

“Get Your Praise On”
Dr. Yvonne Cole
From a forthcoming April 2009 full-length CD
C&W Records 2008
www.myspace.com/drycole

Even before Edwin Hawkins and the Northern California State Youth Choir took the music world by storm – and by surprise – the Bay Area had a vibrant gospel music scene. Dr. Yvonne Cole of Oakland is yet another member of a rich Bay Area gospel music community.

Adopted mother of Platinum RnB artist and reality television star Keyshia (“Heaven Sent”) Cole, Dr. Cole takes her turn at the microphone, delivering “Get Your Praise On” like a singing evangelist raised on a steady diet of Aretha Franklin records. An ensemble of skilled background singers serve as assenting congregation to Dr. Cole’s call for praise as the antidote to any problem.

Dr. Cole is not a newcomer to the industry, having sung with the female quartet the Spiritual Specials as well as with Pastor Elijah Baker and the Stars of Joy. She now has her own record label (C&W) and looks to release her first full project in April 2009.

TBGB wants to know whether Keyshia will be singing on her mother’s project….?

Sista "O" & D'Vine Praize - Meditation (Divine Records/Koch Distribution 2008)

Meditation
Sista “O” & D’Vine Praize
Divine Records/Koch Distribution 2008
www.sistao.com

It is fitting that a colorful butterfly adorns the front and back covers of Meditation, the debut full length CD by Sacramento’s newest gospel group, Sista “O” & D’Vine Praize. Much of the music between the covers has the light touch, breeziness, and free-form creativity of the lovely winged creature. Think neo-soul song styling with a relaxing smooth jazz soundtrack.

Also like a butterfly, the ensemble demonstrates its ability to morph into another, completely different, form. It’s when the group performs as this other persona – an RnB and hip hop flavored inspirational group – that Meditation comes into full flower.

For example, the opening track and current single, “Givin’ It Up,” has a captivating chorus, with the brassy female ensemble D’Vine Praize supporting Sista “O” (aka Pam Odom) as if they’ve sung together in the church their whole lives. In truth, the group was formed a little more than two years ago.

Testosterone is added to the mix, specifically on "Rescue Me” and “Satisfied,” as rapper Ramsey (Y.A.) Odom turns the heat up a notch like a quartet’s second lead singer. Jock Smith also adds a rhythmic vocal chant on the latter track. Pastor Alonzo G. Morris contributes a heart-melting solo on “He’s Coming.”

Sista “O” began singing gospel as a member of the St. Paul Baptist Church Choir in Sacramento, California, and cites personal influences ranging from Sade (most telling on “Praise Today”) to CeCe Winans and Jill Scott. A breathier, less street-savvy version of Scott comes most to mind when hearing Sista “O” render songs such as “He’s Coming” and “Love.”

D’Vine Praize (Nashea Jackson, Jillian Morris, Tonya Davis-Hendree, Felicia Johnson, Veronica Duncan, and Catrina Blair) are reminiscent of Virtue and Ziel, and hearken back – as most female inspirational ensembles do – to the groundbreaking work of the Clark Sisters.

The song lyrics on Meditation are rooted firmly in Scripture, and for those who wish to follow along, the specific passages are noted next to the song listing on the back cover.

Although an emerging group, Sista “O” & D’Vine Praize has opened for John P. Kee, Byron Cage, Myron Butler & Levi, and Marvin Sapp, and took home the Best Gospel Group Award at the Pure Gospo Live 2008 Gala Awards last month.

Three of Four Stars

Mississippi Mass Choir - The First Twenty Years (Malaco 2008)

Mississippi Mass Choir
The First Twenty Years
Malaco 2008
www.malaco.com

On the seventh day, Frank Williams created the Mississippi Mass Choir. And it was good. Loud. But really good.

If the Chicago Mass Choir is known for its vocal propulsion and the Georgia Mass Choir for its ability to leave you weeping, the Mississippi Mass Choir can knock you off your feet with its sonic power.

And now MMC is XX. Time flies when you’re in the rapture. And to mark the occasion, Malaco Records has released The First Twenty Years, a wonderful compilation of some of the group’s finest moments over the past two decades.

The liner notes include a brief history of Mississippi Mass, particularly its founding by the late Frank Williams, Malaco Records executive and lead singer with the Jackson Southernaires. Williams, along with Jerry Smith and COGIC music minister David Curry, held open auditions to form the nucleus of the first choir. In October 1988, only five months after the first rehearsal, the group recorded its debut album, Mississippi Mass Choir, Live in Jackson, MS. That album took, and held, the number one position on the Billboard gospel album chart for a record 45 weeks.

Today Mississippi Mass has about 150 members. “Students, nurses, police officers, doctors, teachers, truckers and people of various professions” comprise the choir. A common denominator is the group’s ability to take an old hymn or a new composition and make it their own, while casting it completely and unforgettably in the traditional gospel choir sound. This retrospective underscores the choir’s special knack, however, for interpreting the classics.

Among the tracks included on The First Twenty Years are “Near the Cross” from that historic first album in 1988; and “Your Grace and Mercy,” the choir’s hit version of Fanny Crosby's “Blessed Assurance." Other memorable tracks include “Jesus Paid It All,” the pew-rousing “They Got the Word,” and “It Wasn’t the Nails.”

The aptly titled “It Was Worth It All” provides the soundtrack for an altar call by Rev. Benjamin Cone, almost as compulsory for a Mississippi Mass concert as the COGIC “Yes Lord” chant was for recordings of another high-energy mass choir, the Southwest Michigan Mass Choir, led by Mattie Moss Clark.

Charismatic male and female soloists lend their talents to the muscular power of the chorus. The liner notes would have been even better had they recognized the lead vocalists for each song, and the year in which the recording was released.

If hearing is not believing enough, check out the companion DVD, which isn't a separate purchase but actually comes with the audio CD. Such a deal!

In an era of musical sub-categorization, Mississippi Mass Choir is all about gospel, with a capital G. Here’s to twenty more years of doing just what you do.

Four of Four Stars

Looking for Some 'Good News,' Crowds Drawn to New Pittsburgh Gospel Choir

From a press release, courtesy of www.marketwatch.com:

PITTSBURGH, Nov 25, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A new constellation has joined the universe of Pittsburgh's cultural scene, the Pittsburgh Gospel Choir (PGC). The word "gospel" means literally "good news," which may be exactly what people are looking for in this economic climate.

A capacity crowd of over 1,200 people filled the pews and balcony of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh on a Saturday afternoon in November for the debut. They swayed, sang along, clapped, and rose to their feet for classics like Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and the rousing With a Strength Not My Own. It was "an incredible turn-out for an historic moment in Pittsburgh musical history," said the church's business manager, Pam Kimmel.

The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir is a new ensemble operating under the administrative umbrella of the renowned River City Brass Band (RCBB). It is Pittsburgh's first choral ensemble dedicated to the American gospel music tradition.

"The current audience for the arts and music in Pittsburgh wasn't diversified enough," says Ralph Murray, the local businessman who first conceived of the idea and marshaled the resources to bring it to fruition. "There had to be something that would appeal to a more representative population. Gospel is the vehicle to make that happen." Murray says that when he first approached people with the idea of forming a gospel choir, "from the beginning, everyone liked the idea."

Against the backdrop of America's historic choice for the next president, the multi-ethnic aspirations of the PGC gain added relevance. Its mission includes building positive connections among participants of all races, ethnicities, and ages.

"It is my desire and hope that everyone leaves our concerts saying 'Wow! That was a great way to spend an afternoon!'" says Artistic Director Dr. Herb Jones. For upcoming programs, he plans to offer a diverse fare of gospel music styles and voices, collaborating with orchestras, dance troupes, and chamber ensembles in at least four concerts a year, including performances at festivals and other events.

The choir's mission statement includes the goal that "the audience leave with a smile." For this Pittsburgh institution's debut, mission accomplished.

Performance information will be available through the RCBB at (800) 292-7222 or www.rcbb.com.

www.pittsburghgospelchoir.org

STORY AND PHOTO SOURCE: Pittsburgh Gospel Choir

Praise the Lord - The Gospel Collection (Meltone 2008)

Various Artists
Praise the Lord – The Gospel Collection
Meltone Entertainment Group 2008
www.MeltoneEntertainmentGroup.com

Imagine driving in your car on a Sunday afternoon in the American South, the AM radio tuned into a low-power local gospel music station.

Yep, Meltone’s three-CD collection Praise the Lord is like that.

This budget-priced set of previously (and fairly recently) issued recordings offers a marvelous shuffle of gospel artists and styles, and not exclusively Meltone-signed artists, either. The lineup includes recent iterations of classic quartets such as the Mississippi Blind Boys, Soul Stirrers, Violinaires, Brooklyn Allstars and Supreme Angels; Chicago choirs such as Rev. Clay Evans & the Fellowship Choir, Father Hayes and the Warriors (feat. Dianne Williams); and legendary singers such as Cissy Houston, Inez Andrews, Doc McKenzie, the Barrett Sisters, and the woefully underappreciated Katie Sankey. Hammond B3 wiz Moses Tyson Jr. is well represented, and label exec Melvin Couch contributes a few traditional tracks to the compilation, as well.

Many of the fifty songs are classic old-time gospels, such as “City Called Heaven” (Original Soul Stirrers), “Peace in the Valley” (Mississippi Blind Boys), and “Two Wings” (Inspirational Charms). Group signature songs such as the Brooklyn Allstars’ “Stood on the Banks of Jordan” and “Family Prayer” are reprised by the new membership and are as close to the original as modern audiences will allow.

Hard core quartet enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that Praise the Lord includes contributions by groups such as the Pilgrim Wonders, Chicago Travelers, and Martin Jacox and the Gatling Staff Choir, whose recorded output is not easy to find.

Of the fifty songs in the collection, the set’s true gem is Babbie Mason’s “God Will Open Up a Window.” It's a fine old-style congregational song that is rendered so cheerfully that the chorus literally seems to parade around the church in step with the saints.

If there's a downside, it's that some of the longer songs are faded out early to keep within the CD's time limitations, but the cuts are done tastefully and with respect to the content.

'Tis the season for music boxed sets. There aren't nearly as many released in gospel as there ought to be -- and if it weren't for the Proper boxes, hardly any -- but Praise the Lord is certainly a collection that will be a treat to your ears, and to your pocketbook.

Four of Four Stars

Ed Stephens, Jr. to Manage 24/7 Gospel & Christian Internet Radio Station

Once again, from the good people at www.EURweb.com:

Heavens Gateway, a 24-hour Internet radio station offering all Christian and Gospel Music, church ministries of all denominations, as well as positive and inspirational live talk, is now available.

President/Founder Dewayne L. Loving has chosen Mr. Ed Stephens Jr., President of the Virginia Gospel Announcers Guild, as his station operations manager and personal consultant.

Mr. Stephens' experience spans more than 25 years in the Gospel and radio industry Along with his expertise in special event promotion, Stephens promises to be a company asset.

"This radio (station) is my means of connecting to Christians who love gospel, Christian and inspirational music. If you can't listen to the radio at work you can now log on and get your praise on at your desk 24/7," said Stephens.

An outlet with various formats, Heaven's Gateway has old and new faith-based music from your favorites and up-and-coming artists, as well. From Yolanda Adams and Mary Mary to Toby Mack and Natalie Grant, and in between, it's all at the "Community Connect."

Check out the station at www.lovebroadcasting.net.

TBGB Note: Congratulations to Mr. Ed Stephens, a good man and a dedicated GAG member, on his new role! R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Onward and Upward - Bridelle Huston (X925 Productions 2008)

Bridelle Huston
Onward and Upward
X925 Productions 2008
www.bridellehuston.com

Vocalist Bridelle Huston has more than a Hollywood smile. She is steeped, and skilled, in a variety of musical styles, from jazz and gospel to neo-soul, rock and pop.

Her amateur and professional music experiences partly explain the eclectic mix. Starting out as a young church singer in a family group, the Cody Sisters, Bridelle later joined pioneer gospel jazz group New Born Soul. She paid her dues as a background singer for top gospel artists such as Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams, and formed her own ensemble, Bridelle Cody and One Creation. But Bridelle’s eclecticism also comes from her own acknowledged diverse tastes in music, encouraged by parents who instilled a love of music in her at an early age.

Given Bridelle’s varied musical interests, her solo debut Onward and Upward, released earlier this year, falls squarely within the no-holds-barred urban inspirational groove. It benefits from fine production (Eric Reed), superb musicianship, and original songs penned by Reed, Bridelle and her songwriter husband Wade Huston.

One would think that, with her whispery, pop-influenced voice, Bridelle would radiate on the inspirational ballads, but she actually seems far more confident on the up-tempo pieces, such as “Beautiful,” the rocking “Only Way,” “Everyday Pray” and “Until the End,” the latter featuring a rap by Richard (Black Diamond) Cody (her brother, perhaps?)

On the other hand, the best written songs are the ballads, such as the lovely title track, the equally beguiling “Holding On 4 U” and “Lifter of My Head.”

One uptempo performance that stands out, however, is “Beautiful.” Lyrically but not melodically kin to hits such as Christina Aguilera’s song of the same name or India.Arie’s “I Am Not My Hair,” “Beautiful” encourages women to walk – no, fly – away from those who seek to keep them down physically and emotionally. Other songs espouse a “life has its challenges, but hang on to the Lord and you’ll be all right” attitude, befitting the album’s title.

Onward and Upward includes plenty of pleasing, well-written and deftly arranged songs. If Bridelle continues to pursue her craft and hone her vocal skills, she will eventually knock the cover off of any song she sings.

Two and a Half of Four Stars

Stellar Award for "Most Notable Achievement" Renamed for Father of Gospel Music

Courtesy of EURweb.com:

Don Jackson, Chairman and CEO of Central City Productions, announced that the "Most Notable Achievement Award," a special Stellar Gospel Music Award for recognition of individuals doing outstanding work in the Gospel music community, will be renamed the "Thomas Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award" in honor of the late Thomas Dorsey, the 1930s creator and "Father of Gospel Music."

Stellar Awards veteran Vickie Winans (below) will be the first recipient of the award.

The 24th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards will be held, once again, at the historic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on January 17, 2009. The show will be co-hosted by comedian Sinbad and the iconic Dorinda Clark Cole.

Also just announced are some of the confirmed performers for the star-studded awards show which include: Deitrick Haddon, Heather Headley, Mary Mary, Tye Tribbett, Dionne Warwick, and Gospel rapper Da' T.R.U.T.H., with more to come.

For more information about the Gospel Music Channel, log on to www.gospelmusicchannel.com.

Pastor Maceo Woods to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Pastor Maceo Woods, founder of Christian Tabernacle Church and a gospel music recording artist for the past 56 years, will be honored with a 2009 CMA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 28th annual Chicago Music Awards (CMA) ceremony.

The event will be held Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm, preceded by a VIP reception at 6:00 pm at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage in Chicago.

Pastor Woods rose to prominence nationally on the wings of his September 1954 Vee Jay Records instrumental, “Amazing Grace.” Woods’ arrangement on the Hammond Organ was originally intended to be the theme song for Vee Jay Records co-owner Vivian Carter Bracken’s radio program, but when the performance was released as a single, it turned the gospel music world upside down. One only wonders how many young men and women took up the organ on the basis of hearing that recording.

Congratulations to Pastor Maceo Woods from his friends at TBGB!

Special Thanks to Elder Mack C. Mason for alerting TBGB about the honor. Pastor Woods photo by Howard M. Henry, Precision Photo/Brent Jones.

The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand (Norris Garner & Friends)

Norris Garner and Friends
The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand
www.togetherwestand.com

The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand is a live recording of the 2007 Together We Stand Gospel Fest, held in Fairbanks, Alaska, which featured a workshop mass choir and a delegation of gospel guest artists from the lower 48.

Among those who traveled to Alaska to fellowship in song with the dozens of singers in the Together We Stand Gospel Fest Workshop Choir were Minister Norris Garner, John Tillery, Dr. Clarence Eggleston and Isaiah D. Thomas. Together with the choir, the group sang the glory down, and possibly even melted an iceberg or two.

Several uptempo and traditional performances, including the pulse-pounding “Leaning and Depending on Jesus,” featuring Tamara Hornbuckle and Nique Earnest, make this CD a smiling and joyful ball of energy, a “praise party,” to quote Garner’s ministry moniker. Garner himself lends his estimable talents to a number of tracks, most especially on two pieces written in the old-school tradition, “I Want the Lord to Use Me” (with Richard Wiley) and “Holy Spirit” (with John Tillery).

The choir sparkles on a powerful and bone-chilling delivery of “Hold On.” They give the spiritual appropriate gravitas, with dramatic harmonies and solemn intonation.

A snippet of Psalm 113 sung during “Praise the Lord with Me,” asking congregants to praise “from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same,” takes on a whole new meaning when rendered at a latitude where, depending on the time of year, that could be months!

The final track, “Praying,” is a hip-slapping handclapper that benefits from a “choirtet” treatment, complete with quartet-style guitar riffs.

Quick cuts between a number of the tracks, coupled with enthusiastic singing and effervescent responses from the audience, make The Alaskan Project: Together We Stand a fine ambassador of the 2007 session.

Portions from the sale benefit the Fairbanks Rescue Mission.

Four of Four Stars

O.V. Wright in the Wall Street Journal

In the Wall Street Journal, Jesse Drucker remembers the all-too-brief life of Overton Vertis Wright, who at one time was a member of the Sunset Travelers.

*****

The end came too early for Overton Vertis Wright. It was in the back of an ambulance en route to a Birmingham, Ala., hospital after he suffered his third heart attack on Nov. 16, 1980. He was 41 years old. His life had been marked by multiple marriages, a heroin addiction he couldn't shake, and a stint in jail for drug possession. But he had also become one of the most moving soul singers in an era filled with stiff competition. He was O.V. Wright.

Read more at: O.V. Wright

Beverly Crawford named National Spokesperson for Literacy

From Shout! Magazine:

(Louisville, KY) In honor of National Family Literacy Day, the National Center for Family Literacy is pleased to announce JDI recording artist Beverly Crawford as its National Spokesperson for Literacy.

Crawford struggled with literacy and subsequent depression as a teen. Few people knew of her well-kept secret, as she struggled even to sound out simple words and spent countless hours memorizing songs and sermons to keep her difficulty with reading concealed. The problem that drove her to two suicide attempts is now an extension of hope that she shares on her national platform in hopes of helping & inspiring others.

Overcoming her reading challenge through private tutors, fundamental reading books and scores of literature, the Grammy-nominated artist's past struggle with literacy has transformed her into an advocate for literacy programs and now a national ambassador with Louisville based non-profit National Center for Family Literacy, the worldwide leader for family literacy.

"I'm so excited to enter into such a powerful relationship," says Crawford. "At one time in my life, I thought the best thing to do was to be silent to avoid the ridicule of others, but now my willingness to share offers hope and inspiration to others. God has opened a great door with this wonderful organization and I am making myself completely available to help on every level possible."

Crawford, whose music career has spanned more than 20 years, has shared the stage with some of music's biggest names, including Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, and countless others. With six solo albums to her credit, including her current smash hit CD Live in Los Angeles on JDI Records/Sony BMG Red, featuring the #1 smash single "He's Done Enough," Crawford is regarded as one of the top singers in the world!

"When real-life success stories like Beverly's are shared, they inspire people to begin a path toward accomplishing their own goals," says Sharon Darling, president and founder of NCFL. "We're so pleased that Ms. Crawford will be an ambassador for NCFL to raise awareness about the critical needs for family literacy. As an ambassador on an issue that affects over 34 million U.S. adults and their children, Beverly Crawford motivates others to reach their dreams. She is an inspiration to the millions who take that first step toward success through family learning and keep on going to accomplish great things because she herself has made that journey."

About NCFL:
The National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989, is the worldwide leader in family literacy & has raised more than $100 million. More than one million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL's work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more info, contact 1-877-FAMLIT-1 or visit www.famlit.org.

About Beverly Crawford:
Riding high on the success of her #1 chart-topping single "He's Done Enough" (currently one of the most requested songs in the country - R&R/Billboard), JDI recording artist Beverly Crawford is regarded as one of the world's premier vocalists. Ebony Magazine says "... Beverly Crawford is one of the truly great voices of our times!" Topping the Billboard charts for over 60+ weeks, Live from Los Angeles is one of the breakout hit CDs of the year and is enjoying unprecedented critical & commercial success.

For more info, please visit http://cdbaby.com/cd/beverlycrawford.

Ed. Note: Other gospel artists who have volunteered their time for charitable causes include Daryl Coley for the American Diabetes Association and Tracy Worth for Habitat for Humanity.

Who else? I know I'm missing plenty of people! Reply to this entry with the names of other gospel artists taking the time to give back to the community. Let's celebrate and thank them all during this season of Thanksgiving.

K.Love - Sugar Coated (2008)

K.Love
Sugar Coated
www.cdbaby.com/klove

Shekinah Glory Ministry stomps on the devil’s head. Holy hip hop artist K.Love goes one step further: he shoots the devil full of scripture and then uses his limp head for a footstool.

K.Love’s domination over demons is from the engaging track “War” from his solo debut CD, Sugar Coated. Cuts like “War” demonstrate how versatile mean street vernacular can be when used as a real life descriptor of the journey to redemption.

K.Love (aka Kendrick Lamont Love) was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, joined the COGIC church, and now lives in Atlanta. He has been writing and producing for more than a decade and in 2007 was nominated for the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Academy. He defines Sugar Coated as “ripe-style,” or “a way of life…a continual process of growth that positions us in a place where God can use us no matter the time or circumstance.”

Sugar Coated, like other HHH projects, traverses thematic territory that the quartet community has occupied for decades. HHH artists, like quartet singers, prefer to present a downward-spiraling life of “dirt,” and how finding salvation in Christ is the key to living right. Saving today’s wayward youth is another favorite theme for quartet and HHH artists alike, and it certainly gets plenty of coverage on Sugar Coated.

Although “War” is a memorable track, “For U” is the album’s standout moment, with huge pocketfuls of urban cool to be found in its delivery and sampling. TBGB isn't alone in thinking this: the track will be included on a 2009 Holy Hip Hop compilation CD.

You also won’t forget K.Love’s take on the congregational song, “This Little Light of Mine,” with its chorus sung by a voice that sounds like Macy Gray on helium. Puts a smile on my face every time!

HHH albums like Sugar Coated offer aural evidence that rap allows for more message to be packed per verse than just about any other inspirational format. And since in HHH it's all about the lyrics, the message tends to get over better. In other words, by keeping the listener on his toes to follow the rhymes, the rapper assures that his message is heard loud and clear.

Granted, holy hip hop is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have an open mind to check out what today’s generation has to say, and how they say it, you just might find that you like what you hear. I certainly did with Sugar Coated. The talented K.Love evangelizes one rhyme at a time. And he’s pretty good at it, too, so watch out, devil, or risk becoming an ottoman.

Three and a Half of Four Stars

Paul Morton's Christmas (Tehillah Music Group/Light Records 2008)

Bishop Paul S. Morton
Paul Morton’s Christmas
Tehillah Music Group/Light Records 2008
www.lightrecords.com

Had he never received the calling to preach, Bishop Paul S. Morton could have been a soul balladeer.

At least that’s what I hear on Paul Morton’s Christmas, released in time for the 2008 Yuletide Season. On this album, Bishop Morton of Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans (and now Atlanta) performs a sampling of Christmas songs old and new in a vocal style that falls somewhere between his usual tear-stained pleading baritone and the comfort blanket of late 1940s crooner Charles Brown. The result is a relaxed RnB feel, which fits well with the Chrismas songs selected for the CD.

Assisting Morton is top producer Sanchez Harley, with co-producers Pastor Jerry Q. Parries (longtime gospel singer of note) and keyboardist Ay’Ron Lewis. The talented Nathan and Suzanne Young, along with San Franklin-Stancil, brighten every song on which they contribute airtight background harmony. Even Nakitta Clegg-Foxx (“God Blocked It”) lends her powerful vocals to the background mix.

The album’s highpoint is Morton’s cover of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” easily one of the most popular Christmas songs since “Glory, Glory to the New Born King.” Morton comes as close as any to the bright, cheery vibe of Hathaway’s original.

In terms of relevant lyrics, “Christmas in Vain,” written by Parries, reminds the listener that Christmas is about Christ’s birth, not “diamond rings” and “shopping malls” (and if that hasn’t hit home yet, it certainly will this year, thanks to the troubled economy).

Paul Morton’s Christmas also includes the popular “Mary Did You Know,” a kitchen-table conversation with Mary about the Nativity that has found its way into the repertories of country, gospel, pop and classical stars alike. The album’s final touch is a jazzy yet soulful version of Robert Macgimsey’s neo-spiritual “Sweet Little Jesus Boy.” The song is given a mid-tempo reading with swinging sax accompaniment, quite different from the stark solemnity with which it is usually rendered. In fact, many of the songs on Paul Morton’s Christmas have a bounce to them, whether written that way or not.

My guess – and that’s all it is – is that by not including “Bishop” in the album title, Tehillah/Light wants to encourage non-believers to pick up the CD. And if they do, I think they’ll be pleased with what they hear…and then will be surprised to learn that the gentleman crooning “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” happens to be a very important and influential religious leader.

Three of Four Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week: November 17, 2008

“All I Need”
Brian Courtney Wilson
From the forthcoming Spirit Rising/Music World Entertainment CD Just Love
www.spiritrisingmusic.com

“A real simple prayer.”

Such is how Brian Courtney Wilson introduces “All I Need,” a single from his debut CD Just Love, produced by Stan Jones for Matthew Knowles’ Spirit Rising imprint.

“All I Need” is indeed a real simple prayer, with a real simple (and quite lovely) melody that Wilson weaves his athletic vocals in and around like a practiced preacher working the church aisles.

The contrast between Wilson’s extra soulful delivery and the delicate harmonies are what give the performance its musical distinctiveness. The first person vernacular lyrics – a characteristic separating gospel songs from other forms of sacred hymnody – are so intimate that you feel as if you are gazing uncomfortably into Wilson’s soul...or your own.

Norris O. Garner - "Praze Party" (Gospel Praze 2007)

Norris O. Garner
Praze Party
Gospel Praze 2007
http://www.prazeparty.com/

Born in North Carolina but now a resident of California’s Bay Area, Norris Garner is a choir man. He has written, sung with, accompanied, directed and taught choirs at the Gospel Music Workshop of America and the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses. He directs the Foothill College Gospel Chorus in Los Altos Hills and regularly goes overseas to teach gospel choruses abroad.

So it’s no surprise that his CD Praze Party is chock full of choir sounds…an eight-person choir, mind you, but voices powerful enough to fill the recording studio with wall to wall harmony.

The album is bookended with celebratory somgs – praise party music, of course – most interestingly “I’ve Come to Praise the Lord,” an uptempo choir workout. The middle of the CD focuses on slower praise and worship songs, including a pastoral “My Soul Says Yes.”

Garner’s penchant for taking gospel global is evident in the fact that four of the thirteen tracks on Praze Party, including “God Is,” have some level of Caribbean flavor in the beat. Some will remember “God Is” from his performance of the song, as “God Is in the Sanctuary,” with the GMWA Mass Choir in Milwaukee (2005).

A roster of gospel artists lends its talent to Praze Party, including regular Garner collaborators John Tillery and Dr. Clarence Eggleston. Alfreda Lyons Campbell gives a nice soulful treatment to “Holy Is the Lamb.” Another female soloist, Nique Earnest is Garner’s latest “it” girl, with shades of Mary J. Blige in her sassy delivery. Earnest gives top performances on every song on which she is featured.

Garner’s sons (Joseph and Jeremy) are also part of the production, contributing the impressive holy hip hop title track. True to its sub-genre, “Praze Party” concentrates on born-again salvation from an unsavory lifestyle that is spiraling downward. It’s a message you most often hear from hip hop artists and quartets, and not as frequently anymore from other parts of the gospel spectrum.

Garner wrote or arranged all of the songs on Praze Party. His songwriting focuses on simple-to-remember melodies and uncomplicated praise lyrics, very likely the product of his experience teaching choirs world-wide. All in all, a very nice listening experience.

Three of Four Stars

P.S. TBGB is blogging this evening from lovely Evian-les-Bains, France.

Condolences to IAM Magazine's Jerry Griffis on the Loss of His Mother

The Black Gospel Blog extends its deepest sympathies to I AM Magazine's Publisher Jerry Griffis (left) on the loss of his mother, Ruth.

According to Jerry, Ruth Griffis (below) lived for a long time in Chicago and worked in a family owned restaurant on the west side. She also worked many years in Minneapolis at Minneapolis Crisis Nursery, where her love for babies was clearly shown.

Her homegoing services will be held Friday, November 14, 2008 at:

Washburn-McReavy Crystal Lake Funeral Chapel and Cemetery
3816 Penn Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55412

Visitation and Homegoing Services 11:00 a.m until 1:00 p.m. Flowers can be sent to the Funeral Chapel.

Feel free to send cards and/or donations to:

Jerry Griffis
13055 Riverdale Dr. NW
Suite 500-222
Coon Rapids, MN 55448

Angela Hall: "Beautiful God" (IMOK Gospel Music 2008)

Angela Hall
Beautiful God
IMOK Gospel Music 2008
www.imokgospelmusic.com

Brooklyn-born Angela Hall is not your typical gospel singer.

I could tell Hall was theater trained even before learning that she in fact earned a BFA in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory of Music and performed in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Black and Blue. Hall has tremendous stage projection and the ability to portray different characters through her voice. This “method singing” technique is developed only through hard work and discipline in the trenches of American musical theater.

On her debut CD, Beautiful God, Hall unfurls her theater training by morphing from a sassy salsa singer on the Latin flavored “Glorify His Name,” to a lithe worshipper on “Jesus Saves, Sets Free,” to a Pentecostal shouter on “Trust Him.”

Hall stays within reach of her stage-savvy Broadway style during the first half of Beautiful God, which showcases several worship songs, but midway through the disc, she takes a dramatic right turn down the Gospel Highway and smack into a string of traditional-sounding pieces, as well as the haunting classic “Pilgrim of Sorrow.” The latter teams Hall with a solo organ, and would have benefited greatly from a live audience to toss out Amens and Hallelujahs, and to handclap Hall to the conclusion.

Also featured during the second half are “Yes Lord,” a quasi-tribute to the Church of God in Christ, of which Hall is a member; and the album’s church-wrecker, “The Victory Medley,” which includes “He’s Bringing Me Out” and “Got To Tell It” (a new composition, not Mahalia’s song). “No Other Name” is another good gospel on Beautiful God, one that benefits from superb musicianship and the famed “gospel waltz” tempo that has the uncanny ability to get an audience almost without fail.

Hall is arguably at her best and most convincing during the quieter moments on Beautiful God, when she can flex her voice in ways that showcase her gift and training. At the same time, she puts the Pentecostal songs over with pure evangelistic gumption and human stamina.

Angela and her brother Jonathan Hall wrote most of the songs on the album, and vocalist Jason Hendrickson performs with Angela on "I Found a Friend," the album's only duet.

Two and a Half of Four Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week: November 10, 2008

“Jesus You’re My Everything”
First Creation
From the FC Productions/New Day Distribution CD, Nobody Like Jesus
www.myspace.com/firstcreationmusic

First Creation’s “Jesus You’re My Everything” is a James Cleveland moment.

Everything about the recording reminds me of classic King James: the earnest lyrics (“Without you, Jesus, where would I be?”); the skillfully rendered, unpretentious harmonies; the pleading lead; even the delicate, well-crafted piano accompaniment. First Creation gives the song a smooth, contemporary reading and, like the best James Cleveland compositions, briny tears, ripe for the weeping, are always nearby.

The song comes from the Toledo, Ohio quartet’s sophomore release, Nobody Like Jesus, but make no mistake: this group's been around for nearly two decades.

Eric Spooner - Eternal, Vol. 1: Fill Us Once Again (PureStream Music Group 2007)

Eric Spooner
Eternal, Vol. 1: Fill Us Once Again
PureStream Music Group 2007
www.ericspooner.com

Fans of the music of Israel & New Breed or Phil Tarver and Shekinah Glory Ministry will enjoy this debut CD by Baton Rouge, Louisiana native son Eric Spooner. Spooner is a young man with a smooth-as-silk tenor voice who wraps his lyrics of worship around melodies and arrangements that are gently hypnotic and meditative. When Spooner speeds the tempo, his tenor takes flight and becomes breathless, as the musicians tap out a polished accompaniment.

Spooner’s greatest achievement, however, is his songwriting. He is the composer of all but one of the songs on Eternal, Vol. 1: Fill Us Once Again. His keen ear for a breathtaking melody is truly a gift and evident on songs such as the title track and especially “Living Waters,” “In Thee I Put My Trust,” “I Will Dwell” and “He’ll Give You Peace.” The young artist notes that he took music theory in college and that his compositions have consistently earned accolades in national competitions. I’m not surprised one bit, after hearing them on his CD. They blend the melodic qualities of CCM with the exuberance of gospel. Praise and worship leaders will eat these lovely and timeless songs up.

Be sure to check out Spooner’s live performance with the Iluko Sisters of Nigeria on a stirring version of “Jesus Remember Me.”

Eternal, Vol. 1: Fill Us Once Again is calm, inspirational music for a rainy Sunday evening.

Three of Four Stars

Mel Holder - Music Book Vol. 1 (Psalmist Music Group 2008)

Music Book Vol. 1
Mel Holder
Psalmist Music Group 2008
www.melholder.com

First, a disclaimer: I am not a fan of gospel (or inspirational) jazz because it sounds like smooth jazz to me, and I am no fan of smooth jazz. In fact, the term “smooth jazz” makes no sense: jazz was never meant to be smooth any more than rock was meant to be light.

Okay, now that the caveat is out of the way, I will say that those who enjoy gospel jazz music by the likes of Allen & Allen and Jeff Majors will enjoy saxophonist Mel Holder’s Music Book Vol. 1. Holder “jazzes the hymns” with discipline and sensitivity, and doesn’t dilute the spirit with self-indulgent solos.

Most of the songs are from Holder’s own pen, with notable exceptions: Kurt Carr’s popular “In the Sanctuary” is given the treatment, as are Martha Munizzi’s “Say the Name” and William Murphy III’s “Praise Is What I Do.” “Make It Happen," with vocals by John Henry Smith, is a powerful cover of the 1991 Mariah Carey/C&C Music Factory collaboration. The “blood medley” is comprised of congregational standards, but the arrangement is Holder’s.

The saxophonist keeps the mix interesting by interjecting different moods. For example, he goes Caribbean on “Island Style;” gives “Make It Happen” a blasting RnB accompaniment; and blesses us all with Latasha S. Jordan, who sings her heart out on the album’s finest gospel moment, “When Your Spirit Fills the Room.”

Bruce Allen of Allen & Allen makes an appearance in “Say the Name.”

Mel Holder gets special props for being a dexterous saxophonist despite struggling with asthma. His story is fascinating and you can read it at his website, www.melholder.com.

Three of Four Stars

These Are Our Flowers - Lil' Blair & the Violinaires (Quartet Boyz 2008)

Lil’ Blair & the Violinaires
These Are Our Flowers
Quartet Boyz Records 2008
www.violinaires.com

At the conclusion of These Are Our Flowers, singer Titus “Lil’ Blair” Stallworth explains that the CD’s title refers to the testimonial quality of the songs on the album. That is, the new Violinaires' cover of these career-defining songs by their forebears are metaphorical “flowers” of tribute to two of its most important members.

Specifically, he means Robert Blair, lead vocalist of Detroit’s Fantastic Violinaires, who before his death in 2001 knighted Stallworth his “vocal successor” and cemented it with the endearing title, “Lil’ Blair". The group is also laying musical flowers at the gravesite of Isaiah “Lil’ Shot” Jones, a founding Violinaires member who stayed active with the group until his passing in the late 1990s.

The new Violinaires aggregation – Sedritz Strickland, Danny Boone, Rico Camp, Ed Sutton and Stallworth – retains the distinctive falsetto harmony that marked the group’s Checker sessions of the 1960s and early 1970s, when Blair and Jones were at the height of their popularity. Many of these classics are revisited here, including the hits “Children Are You Ready,” the doo-woppy “Three Pictures,” “You Don’t Know,” and a high-octane version of “Old Time Religion.” The group even reprises “Salt of the Earth,” Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ paean to the common man that the Rolling Stones, as fans of the Violinaires, encouraged the quartet to record in 1969.

Although Lil' Blair has the strongest tie to the former Violinaires, each current member is a veteran quartet singer. Their respective resumes include contributions to top groups such as the Brooklyn Allstars and the Pilgrim Wonders of Toledo. While as soloists some members are stronger than others, the collective's tight, high harmonies are always spot on.

These Are Our Flowers is another example of the fine production that Dwight Gordon’s Quartet Boyz label gives his roster of quartets. Some indie quartet projects suffer from muffled sound or overbearing musicianship. Not here.

I would have preferred to hear Lil' Blair's explanation at the beginning of the CD rather than at the end so I could better appreciate the album's intent. At the same time, I know others want their CDs to start with music, especially announcers who have precious time to wade through spoken word to get to the crux of a project. Regardless, the songs on These Are Our Flowers will bring back memories of the Golden Age of the Fabulous Violinaires.

Three of Four Stars

"Break Through Praise" & "Mountain Move" - Jeff Roberson & L.I.F.E.

“Break Through Praise” and “Mountain Move”
Jeff Roberson and L.I.F.E. (Long Island Fellowship Ensemble)
From the CD Chosen Generation (Long Island Gospel Sound Records 2008)
www.myspace.com/jeffaroberson

Powerful Pentecostal percussion permeates “Break Through Praise” from Jeff Roberson & L.I.F.E.’s Chosen Generation, transforming a churchy reading of a praise & worship themed song into an exciting fireworks display of sound. The track bounces off the speaker walls, demonstrating the energy force of music in the Pentecostal church, in which Roberson was raised.

The Long Island-based group picks up the tempo again on “Mountain Move,” a quartet-type arrangement for choir. Whirring organ and waves of double clapping (just like the saints did at Kings Temple COGIC, according to Roberson) combine to produce a sound that has more in common with Louisiana zydeco than Long Island gospel. Laissez les ecouter temps rouller!

Olivia McClurkin, Gospel Vocalist, Passes Away

From a message on Black Gospel Promo:

The McClurkin Family Mourns the Loss of their Beloved Sister, Olivia McClurkin

Los Angeles, CA - One of gospel music's most powerful singers, Donnie McClurkin and his family mourns the loss of their sister, Olivia McClurkin. The second oldest sibling of seven children succumbed to a nine year battle with cancer on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Not only will this day be recorded in the history books for the nomination of America's first African American President, but it will be recorded in the hearts of McClurkin's family and friends as the day she made her transition.

McClurkin was a dynamic vocalist who recorded with her siblings on two McClurkin Family Projects (Zomba Records), along with singing background for such artists as pop star Whitney Houston, gospel artists Pastor Andrae Crouch, Ron Kenoly and others.

Olivia McClurkin leaves behind a grandmother, mother, father, two brothers, four sisters, three daughters, nine grandchildren and a host of friends.

Funeral arrangements are as follows:

Olivia McClurkin's Home Going Service

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm

Perfecting Faith Church
311 N. Main Street
Freeport, NY 11520
(516) 223-8300

NO FLOWERS PLEASE

TBGB NOTE: We mourn the loss of a dynamic and talented singer, Olivia McClurkin, who in the words of her song, lived life "like it's golden." Our tears and support go out to the McClurkin Family.

Yes He Did! Congratulations to Barack Obama...

...who will become the 44th President of the United States of America!

The Westbrook Singers Live (2008)

The Westbrook Singers
Live
(Independent Release) 2008
www.thewestbrooksingers.com

Billed as the “Quad Cities’ First Family of Gospel,” the Westbrook Singers – Brenda, Delores, Gary, Cynthia and Larry Jr. – hail from East Moline, Illinois and Community Outreach COGIC. Their lineage includes five living generations, including their father, Bishop Charles B. Westbrook, who is 91 and 83 year-old mother Barbara Westbrook.

The sibling group traveled from one Quad City to another, across the border to Bettendorf, Iowa and the First Assembly of God Church, to record this live album.

The group totally bowled me over. First, their complex jazz harmonies blend smartly and lovingly, and evince such technical competence that I would be surprised if some or all of the members haven’t had some level of vocal training. Of course, the effortlessness with which they interact vocally is something that only siblings who grow up singing with one another in the living room can develop.

The individual star of this project is Delores Westbrook Tingle, whose stratospheric soprano notes are reminiscent of Mariah Carey or the late Minnie Riperton. Delores hits notes so far over the ledger lines that a music transcriber would have a difficult time writing them on paper.

While the uptempo, quartet-style “Jesus Will Make It Right” is the album’s finest track, with LaDerrick Williams tossing off playful guitar riffs like Howard Carroll of the Dixie Hummingbirds, “Never Forsaken” was clearly the live audience's favorite. Its slow build, like a preacher delivering a sermon or a believer in fervent prayer, seemed to creep upon the congregants like a stifled cry and wrecked the church.

Another interesting aspect of the Westbrook Singers artistry is how they weave snippets of old hymns such as “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone” into their modern arrangements.

The Westbrook Singers Live is another example of how an independent project can surprise and delight.

Three and a Half of Four Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week - November 3, 2008

“Victory is Mine" (Obama Mix)
Dorothy Norwood
From the forthcoming CD Fifty Years – It’s Been Worth it All (to be released in early 2009)
Malaco Records
www.malaco.com

“This is for you, Obama,” gospel legend Dorothy Norwood exclaims as she launches into an exuberant rendition of the beloved congregational song, “Victory is Mine.”

Ms. Norwood, longtime member of the Caravans and gospel music’s famed storyteller, is accompanied here by 2009 Stellar nominee and old-school gospel enthusiast Ricky Dillard and New G.

Norwood traveled the gospel highway during the rough days when she and the Caravans could not eat at certain restaurants or sleep in certain hotels, so for her to witness an African American running for President of the United States with tremendous popular support must be exhilarating. Thus, singing “Victory is Mine” is more than a religious affirmation; it's a metaphor for an earthly victory that has been a long time coming.

(Photo credit: www.dorothynorwood.com)

Flashback 1997: Brenda Lowe - Waiting (Alpha 7 Ministries)

Brenda Lowe
Waiting
Alpha 7 Ministries 1997
www.alpha7ministries.com

TBGB reviewed Brenda Lowe’s 2002 project, Somebody Somewhere Was Praying for Me, which preceded V.O.W.’s current hit version of the song. But that wasn’t Lowe’s first solo project; in 1997, she released Waiting, also on Minister Randall Ogans' Alpha 7 Ministries label.

Waiting is a nine-track CD representative of the California Bay Area gospel sound in which Lowe, as a Bay Area resident, is fully immersed. It's a smooth sanctified vibe fashioned by the Hawkins Family and kept in play by artists such as Bishop Yvette Flunder, Charlene Moore, Gene Viale and the late Danniebelle Hall.

Although released in 1997, Waiting leads with an Eighties vibe, electronic rhythms and synth flowing through the first couple of tracks, although by the end of the CD, the music leans far more to the traditional side.

“I Give You Jesus” bears the most similarity to “Somebody Somewhere” in its melancholy melody and Lowe’s showtune-like delivery. Equally interesting is Lowe's work on Deanna Stampley’s “A Man Named Jesus,” which is suffused with old fashioned gospel blues; and “All Things Work Together,” which, like “I Give You Jesus,” benefits from the singer's impassioned let-it-all-out vocals.

Lowe brings together a number of Bay Area gospel stars for the project, including Ricky Grundy, Elder Debra Henderson and Lynette Hawkins Stephens.

While Somebody Somewhere is the better project of the two, Waiting was an auspicious introduction to the gifted Brenda Lowe for those who didn't live in the Bay Area and were not already familiar with her artistry.

Two and a Half of Four Stars

"Nobody Cared" - Canton Jones (Arrow Records 2008)

“Nobody Cared”
Canton Jones
From the Arrow Records CD Kingdom Business
www.cajointernational.com

This year, we’ve experienced Canton Jones as upbeat and optimistic (“My Day”) and as a humorous social observer (“Hater Day”). “Nobody Cared,” another single from the Kingdom Business CD, explores the singer’s vulnerable side.

“I really messed up this time…embarrassed,” Jones admits in prayer. Whatever Jones has done, his optimistic side reappears when, at the song’s crescendo, he’s more confident than ever in the belief that “You loved me, when nobody cared at all.”

Listeners who prefer gospel that doesn't lean toward hip hop will enjoy this slower, more introspective Canton cut with plenty of singing, preaching and background harmonies.

Incidentally, Canton Jones has just been nominated for five Stellar Awards. So come January, he may learn that, besides his Savior, many gospel music fans and industry types care about him, too.