One to Watch: Seon Thompson

Every year at the Gospel Announcers Guild meetings during the Gospel Music Workshop of America, one artist takes the room by surprise.

So far this year, that artist is Pastor Seon Thompson.

This tall, bespectacled, mild-mannered gentleman preacher from Flint, MI got in front of the gospel announcers Wednesday afternoon and tore a gaping hole in the room at the Duke Energy Center with his hard-shouting, range-leaping performance of "I'm Out."

He laid people out like nobody's business. After his singing, he sat down quietly while everyone else in the room struggled to stand on unsettled legs.

Thompson is with Just Wait Records out of Flint. Check out his website at www.seonthompson.com and watch for his project, I'm Out, scheduled for release August 25, 2009.

Speaking of unsettling, did anyone else who attended the Quartet celebration on the third floor ballroom yesterday evening feel the floor actually swaying under them and watch the spotlight supports swinging back and forth? I eyed where the exits were just in case...

At right are the Miracle Lights of Miami, Florida, this year's Quest winners in the Quartet Division, performing at the Wednesday evening Quartet spectacular.

"In Me" - Eunice Wright

"In Me"
Eunice Wright
From the CD Wait On Me 2009
Joyful Noyze Entertainment

Born, raised and living in Delaware, Psalmist Eunice Wright is a "PK" - born to Bishop David and Evangelist Ella Purnell. Of course, being a PK is a good thing, because true to her lineage, Wright knows how to minister through the medium of song.

"In Me," from Wright's debut album Wait On Me, is a hypnotically lullaby-like, contemplative ballad set to a lovely melody. A tide of soothing orchestral music prefaces the track, setting the mood in which Wright delivers the lyrics as if the Savior were gently addressing His children directly. Wright's intimate yet powerful singing is supported at the end by background vocalists.

At six minutes in length, the song has a 4:55 radio edit to make it on the playlist of top stations, but only because of the scarcity of time in the rotation, not because the song doesn't hold the listener's attention throughout.

Highlights from the Gospel Announcers Guild/GMWA - July 27 & 28, 2009

Here are photographic highlights from Monday and Tuesday, July 27 & 28, of the Gospel Announcers Guild of the Gospel Music Workshop of America - in host city Cincinnati, Ohio (photos by TBGB).

Bishop Larry Trotter and the Sweet Holy Spirit Combined Choirs of Chicago, directed by James Lott, tear it up during the opening hours of the GAG meeting with their powerful singing.

Below (left) - Dana Mackey (With Praises from the Heart) sings during Monday afternoon's GAG Sisterhood program.

Above (right) - Bob Marovich of The Black Gospel Blog says hello to

Light Records/Tehillah Music Group recording artist

Bishop Paul S. Morton.

Above - Christopher Page and the Dream Keeper's Ensemble teach the Monday midnight musical audience how to do the "Sanctified Slide."

William Smith, Jr. & the Renewed Voices for Christ showed the audience how Chicago does it when it comes to gospel choir singing....energetic and churchy!

Pastor Jerry Q. Parries (right) wishes Bishop Morton a happy birthday during the GAG luncheon Tuesday afternoon. Note the birthday cake at the bottom of the photo. Don't have to ask announcers twice -- we enjoyed it! Delicious!

Gospel legend Dorothy "The Storyteller" Norwood duets with Bishop Bobby Hilton and Word of Deliverance Mass Choir on his current hit, "God Did That Thing."

TBGB Pick of the Week: July 27, 2009

"Working My Faith"
Letita Martin
From the I-66 Entertainment album Take Me Somewhere Unexpected
(Single available on iTunes August 18, 2009; full album in stores Fall 2010)

Letita Martin of Rapid City, South Carolina delivers a song about finding and hanging onto faith despite life's challenges, and she does it with such an intense electronic backdrop and straight-ahead, driving dance beat that you know nothing can stand in her way even before she does.

The singer's rapid fire testimony to the difficulties of always seeing "the evidence of things unseen" propels the song with the right amount of tension between uncertainty and ultimate assurance.

"Working My Faith" will appeal to young gospel enthusiasts (and the young at heart) who are facing the same internal confusion but think they are alone in their struggle to find and keep the faith.

Won't Let Go - Marjane'

Marjane’
Won’t Let Go
J Jane Music Group (release date: July 29, 2009)
www.marjanemusic.com

Earning a first round Stellar Award nomination for Best New Artist for her debut album, Keys to My Heart, Marjane’ (pron. Mar-jan-AY) offers a second helping of her breezy west coast sound on Won’t Let Go.

The sophomore album from Hawthorne, California’s Marjane’ is extremely pleasant listening, a mixture of light and airy melodies, body-swinging dance club rhythms and fresh R&B vocals. While some gospel artists send congregations to shouting fits, Marjane’ gets congregants dancing and swaying in the spirit. As such, Marjane’ is similar in style to other young artists such as Coko and Tonya Hairston Ware.

The songs are a collaboration between Marjane’ and co-producer Marvin Paige. They range from the extended mellow ballad “Holy Spirit” to dance tracks such as “Get Your Breakthrough” and “Can’t Nobody” (as in “can’t nobody do me like Jesus”), complete with effective male rap interlude (artist not credited in the liner notes).

Won’t Let Go is not gut-wrenching, heart-rending, emotion-soaked gospel; the lyrics are upbeat, confident and hopeful, ranging from praise and worship to overcoming struggles to grasping the golden ring of life.

“This Joy” is the opening track, current hit-bound single and the album’s finest moment. Like an overture of what’s to come, “This Joy” captures all of the smiling bounce of Won’t Let Go in four minutes and fifteen seconds.

Small wonder this independent artist received a Stellar nod: listening to Marjane’ is as refreshing as hearing Pacific Ocean waves lapping on the California shore and feeling the mist of the water on your skin.

Four of Five Stars

"I Need You Lord" - Curtis Washington

“I Need You Lord”
Curtis Washington
OverBoard Records
www.myspace.com/thecurtiswashington

Gospel artist and “PK” Curtis Washington of Houston, Texas was once a member of the R&B group “Reality” and the gospel group “God’s Creation.” He is known to many as the late Gerald Levert’s unofficial twin, given the two singers’ vocal similarities.

Today, Curtis is going solo – well, almost solo – on “I Need You Lord” for Darrell Jay Jones’ OverBoard Records of Crockett, Texas. That is, while “I Need You Lord” is certainly Curtis’s song, he is ably assisted throughout by the lovely soprano voice of recording artist Angela Williams.

As you might ascertain from its title, “I Need You Lord” is a pleading prayer for the Lord to not let go and leave the sinner “stranded with a broken heart.” The song is set to a hypnotic tempo and melody, and the mantra-like chorus is the thread that ties it all together.

Horace Clarence Boyer, Gospel Singer, Historian, Dies

TBGB is saddened to report the death of Horace Clarence Boyer, gospel music singer and historian.

From WNCU:
http://www.wncu.org/jazz-news/horace-clarence-boyer-1935-2009/

"Twisted" - Michelle Lang & Stillwater

“Twisted”
Michelle Lang & Stillwater
From the forthcoming CD Obnoxious (release date: August 2009)
www.michellelang-stillwater.com

Formed in 2000 and expecting to do a “one time…just outside of town” type of gig, Michelle Lang and Stillwater from Seattle, Washington now has three albums to its credit and a fourth on the way. Lang was voted “Best Gospel Female Vocalist” for 2009 by Inside Tha Musik. So much for being a one-gig wonder.

Stillwater is a mostly-female band of singers, dancers, musicians and actors. Together, the group delivers a funky blend of hip hop, RnB, soul…and gospel metal.

Yes, I wrote “gospel metal.” Yes, I made that up just now. Yes, it best describes MLSW’s current single “Twisted.”

From the group’s upcoming fourth album, Obnoxious, “Twisted” features swirling, buzzing and growling guitars. Lang’s vocals swagger with toughness – “you don’t like it but I know you see my swagger,” she chants – while celebrating that Jesus turned her life around “so real that I’m twisted.”

Michelle Lang & Stillwater may be “Twisted” and enjoyably different, but "Obnoxious"? Anything but!

J Moss - Just James (Verity 2009)

J Moss
Just James
Verity Gospel Music Group 2009
www.verityrecords.com

James “J” Moss is one of the most exciting gospel artists of the decade. Of course, he hails from the Moss/Clark dynasty, as prodigious a musical family as there is, and from Detroit, no less, a city that knows a thing or two about music dynasties. Moss is also an integral part of the talented production team PAJAM.

Most of all, James' sophomore release, V2, was a masterpiece of urban contemporary gospel music. Whether his fans liked the new sound or not, V2 gave him a better pole position in the gospel music world.

So the burning question was: would his third project, Just James, top V2, just as V2 topped 2004’s The J Moss Project?

Just James may not top V2 – I’m not sure that’s possible or whether it would even be a fair comparison – but the new project is still excellent. It delivers lovely, memorable melodies overlaid with techno fireworks and polyrhythmic orchestration courtesy of PAJAM. James’ singing ranges from quiet crooning to vocoder-infused balladeering to no-holds-barred shouting.

The album's gentle, introspective ballads include “So Into You,” Moss’s self-described “love song” for God; “Rebuild” and “Anointing.” “Anointing” is about the inexplicability of the power of God's anointing, and is set to a nimble jazz combo that pays musical homage to Moss’s favorite singer, Nat Cole.

On the more energetic side is the opening track, “I Gave It Up,” which comes strong out of the gate. Its hop-skipping beat and ferocious electronica give aural confirmation of Moss’s lyrical conviction that he’s a changed man and won’t turn back. The album’s current single, “Restored,” is a power anthem, rhythm and tempo marching in lock-step time to a majestic melody and solid singing. Lyrically, it is Moss’ testimony about God repurposing his life after a year and a half of tough trials.

There’s not a weak spot on the ten-track CD. In fact, it could have used a few more tracks. One thing is certain: Just James is a more serious collection of songs than those on V2. Whereas V2 had its lighthearted and even humorous moments, Just James focuses on personal challenges and overcoming them with grace and new-found confidence. Once again, J Moss challenges himself and his audience to embrace risk and change as mountains to climb rather than walk around or, God forbid, to avoid altogether.

Five of Five Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week: July 20, 2009

“Inna the Ghettio”
Papa San
From the Habakkuk Music/Beloved Records album Higher Heights (in stores July 28)
www.habakkukmusic.com

Borrowing from Dave Withers’ 1971 hit single “Ain’t No Sunshine,” former Jamaican dance hall hitmaker, Stellar Award-winner and ordained minister Papa San raps reggae on “Inna the Ghettio.” The song is about the trials of life in the inner city and the changes needed – externally as well as internally – to make it a better place to live.

Although traditionalists will bristle at the brute force of the beat, I like this track for that reason: Papa San is a train smashing through a brick wall but once he has your attention, he settles into that comfortable, laid-back reggae groove. The familiarity of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and the rapid-fire power of Papa San’s rap lines are compelling. And if that wasn’t enough, Canton Jones appears, bringing his own invigorating energy to bear on the performance.

"Inna the Ghettio" is also destined to become the most misspelled gospel track of all time. Already I’ve seen four different spellings of the title, all from trusted sources, and the album isn’t even out yet!

By the way, that album, Higher Heights, from whence this track comes, is Papa San’s fourth Gospel Reggae project. It features appearances by a number of stars, including Jones, Marvin Winans, Jr. and Toby Mac.

Mildred Madison Miller Howard

Special thanks to Shane Steward for passing along this article from Greg Garrison of the Birmingham News, and for making available these photographs.

Mildred Howard, a member of the Original Gospel Harmonettes of Birmingham, died Sunday [July 12] in Cincinnati.

She was believed to be about 89 years old, although a family member declined to reveal her age.

Mrs. Howard was a 1938 graduate of Parker High School who came up with the idea for the Gospel Harmonettes, a musical group formed in the early 1940s that disbanded in 1977.

One of the first all-women gospel singing groups to sign a national recording contract, the Harmonettes were fronted by Dorothy Love Coates and toured the country for more than three decades, played at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater and Madison Square Garden, recorded on RCA and Specialty Records, and left a legacy of classic songs that are still sung in churches around the world.

"She had a voice like a mockingbird, beautiful, strong, full of soul," said pianist Evelyn Hardy, the last surviving member of the original Harmonettes. "I sure am going to miss her."

LaTressa Cobb, a niece of Mrs. Howard, said Mrs. Howard had moved from Birmingham to Cincinnati about five years ago. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Arrington Funeral Home, and a service probably will be held next week at Mrs. Howard's home church, Trinity Baptist Church in Birmingham, Cobb said.

Mrs. Howard, second soprano in the Harmonettes, was a native of Dallas County and moved to Birmingham as a child. She was director of the mass choir at Trinity Baptist for many years.

"Singing had always been what I wanted to do," Mrs. Howard said in a 2007 interview with The Birmingham News. Mrs. Howard, whose maiden name was Mildred Madison, said she and Odessa Edwards approached their friend Hardy about joining. "From then on we were Harmonettes," Mrs. Howard said.

Within the group, Howard was known for her sharpness in dress, style, and manners, and helped build up the professional reputation of the Gospel Harmonettes into that of one of the most respected groups on the Gospel Highway.

The Gospel Harmonettes made a living for years touring and playing at package show concerts, such as the famous 1955 Shrine Auditorium Concert, and often charged only $1 admission so that more fans could attend, especially in poor areas. "You couldn't get blood out of a turnip," Mrs. Howard said in 2007. "We ALWAYS had huge crowds."

Songs Howard were famous for, were "Peace Be Still", "Glory Hallelujah", "Peace In The Valley", "In my Home Over There", and "He's Calling Me" where she shared a fiery lead with Dorothy Love Coates.

Selections from "Live at the Palais Royale' / Soulsville 3" - Danny Brooks

“No Turning Back,” “Righteous Highway,” “Carolina,” and “Carry Me”
Danny Brooks
From Live at the Palais Royale' / Soulsville 3 (release scheduled for September 2009)
www.dannybrooksmusic.com

TBGB has reviewed several projects by Canada’s Danny Brooks over the years, having first heard him when he appeared on the 2002 Northernblues Music compilation Saved! Northernblues Gospel Allstars.

Later this summer, Brooks will return with a brand new release, part of his celebrated “Soulsville” series: Live at the Palais Royale’ / Soulsville 3. A live album makes sense, too, because Brooks plays the kind of music that revels in audience enthusiasm.

Although his album won’t be out until September, Brooks previewed some of its tracks for TBGB. First is “No Turning Back.” Brooks does some raucously righteous blue-eyed soul shouting on the infectious song about getting religion and not backsliding. The performance features bluesy harmonica, courtesy of Jerome Godboo, and a chugging rockabilly beat. Brooks notes that he wrote the song “with the Five Blind Boys of Alabama in mind.”

On “Righteous Highway,” a Brooks track originally featured on the Northernblues Saved! compilation, Papa John King solos on slide guitar/resonator like a saved George Thorogood, while Brooks handles the fuzz slide, summoning up the ghost of Elmore James in the stinging metallic chording.

Brooks also plays slide guitar on “Carolina” and “Carry Me.” The latter sounds like an updated version of a 1920s guitar evangelist street corner performance. All in all, Soulsville 3 promises more rootsy religious music, but this time with high-octane electric gusto, no doubt propelled to higher heights by an appreciative audience.

In early October, Danny Brooks will be appearing at the Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, Texas. I can totally see him performing his distinctive gospel music in that environment. And word has it he is spending more time in Austin these days. Canada’s loss is Austin’s gain, but his singing and playing suggests that Texas has been running warm in his veins for quite some time.

More on the Death of John "Boots" Carter

As TBGB reported earlier, John "Boots" Carter, member of Troy Ramey and the Soul Searchers, died last Sunday, July 11.

Read Steve Visser's lovely article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution below. It also includes information on Mr. Carter's homegoing service, which is today:

John Carter, 73, 'Music was his life'

Mandela Day!

From a press release:

Mandela Day www.MandelaDay.com was created to inspire people to embrace Mr. Mandela's values and make an imprint through service to their communities.

Aimed at bringing together people around the world to fight poverty and promote peace and reconciliation, Mandela Day celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world and the ability to make an imprint. But boy, do we still have work to do!

Mandela Day 2009 will conclude with a very special star-studded concert in New York City at Radio City Music Hall hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. Inspirational performances of the night will include Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper and so many more wonderful supporters of this great initiative. More information about the concert and tickets can be found by visiting: http://www.mandeladay.com/events/concert/

Watch and share this moving video to check out some more familiar faces already making their impact. You even have the ability to cut yourselves into the film and choose celebs to make your own fun, unique version! Simply sign up, log in, and start creating your own video! http://mandeladay.com/participate/inyourhands/

Monica Lisa Stevenson - Selections from Finally...In God's Time

“Lord Keep Me,” “I Can’t Give Up,” and “Fall Fresh”
Monica Lisa Stevenson
From the Puretonez Productions CD Finally…In God’s Time 2009
http://www.monicazmuzik.com/

Monica Lisa Stevenson is a firebrand of a gospel singer. I saw it for myself while watching her no-nonsense performance at a taping of a Bobby Jones television program earlier this year. Cut from the mold of old-school gospel singers, this young hard-singing artist worries blue notes until they need beta blockers.

On her CD Finally…In God’s Time (possibly named in honor of fans who kept asking, “So, when is your project coming out?”), Stevenson contributes a Caravans favorite, “Lord Keep Me” (aka “Lord Keep Me Day By Day”). A duet with Minister Nigel Andrews, “Lord Keep Me” is gut-wrenching, as Stevenson sells the song with the passion of a Beverly Crawford.

“I Can’t Give Up” is a hard-sung message of persistence and faith despite the odds, and as such is radio-appealing, as is the sprightly and contemporary “Fall Fresh,” a call for a latter rain of blessings.

Gone Home: Mildred Miller Howard, John "Boots" Carter

Bernd Grimmel from Germany provided this sad news to TBGB:

"Gloryland Gospel announced the passing of Mildred Miller Howard, former member of Birmingham's great Gospel Harmonettes. Mildred Howard joined the Harmonettes before Dorothy Love Coates did and stayed with them until 1969. Maybe Evelyn Starks Hardy now is the only surviving member.

John "Boots" Carter was a member of Troy Ramey & The Soul Searchers. Minister Addison posted his passing on Gloryland Gospel. Carter also recorded with Tommy Ellison and the Singing Stars."

Our hearts and prayers pour out to the families, friends and fans of Ms. Howard and Mr. Carter.

"Leak in this Old Building" - Eddie Ruth Bradford

“Leak in this Old Building”
Eddie Ruth Bradford
From the CD Reflections (street date: July 14, 2009)

www.eddieruthbradfordmusic.com

Clarksdale, Mississippi is a great address for a blues singer and apparently for a traditional gospel singer, too, because that’s where Eddie Ruth Bradford lives. The Stellar-nominated Bradford, with her deep, expressive alto, is a Gospel Singer (capitalization intentional) well educated in the old-school ways of church wrecking.

It makes sense, then, that Bradford’s third CD, Reflections, contains a hymnbook full of traditional fare. “Leak in this Old Building,” Bradford’s current radio single from the new album, is a neo-traditional arrangement of an old standard. The beat lumbers forward with a heavy blues strut as the background vocalists harmonize like an early seventies quartet in answer to Bradford’s calls.

The track fades just as Bradford really warms up, so I wish it would have continued for much longer. I suspect it is extended in live performance, and I'll bet that's phenomenal to behold.

Delandria Mills - Manifestation

Delandria Mills
Manifestation
Demi Music 2008
www.myspace.com/kingdomflutist

Despite her youth, inspirational jazz artist Delandria Mills sounds like a product of the 1950s and 1960s era of the small jazz combo.

As a result, Mills’ new album Manifestation has a timeless quality, as if it could just as easily have been recorded in 1960 as this morning. The meaty retro feel comes, no doubt, from Mills’ introduction to the recordings of Bird and Trane while at Houston’s High School for the Visual and Peforming Arts.

Recorded in February 2005 but released only recently, Manifestation is a cleanly produced, solid, well-crafted work by an artist with a real talent for melding classical and jazz performance technique. The album’s thirteen songs are sophisticated, elegant and graceful, propelled by Mills’ butterfly-like flute trills and runs.

The flutist’s musicians are equally accomplished and creative, exuding the easy swing and shuffle of a late-night jam session. Although most of the tracks are instrumental, some include snatches of vocals that are atmospheric but still in step with the album’s ambience.

Mills holds a master’s degree in music from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and was the National Flute Association’s Jazz Flute Competition Winner in 2003. She is also a member of Tye Tribbett’s backing band Soundcheck. In addition to playing the flute, Mills sings and writes. She does all of these on Manifestation.

As I’ve noted before on TBGB, it is hard for me to get my head around why some jazz is considered “inspirational” and other jazz is not, especially when lyrics are not involved. Or perhaps all of jazz is inspirational in that it inspires imagination, dreams, wonderment and contemplation. I don’t know, and there are as many opinions on the subject as there are inspirational jazz enthusiasts.

But whether you consider Manifestation “inspirational jazz” or just “jazz,” or Delandria Mills a “kingdom flutist” or simply a “jazz flutist” – and believe me, the average listener doesn’t know the difference – you can’t help but enjoy this lovely CD. It is a musician’s album, oozing with impressive, quality performances.

Four of Five Stars

Historic Music Partnership Formed

From a press release:

July 14, 2009 - (New York, NY) Central South Distribution, Inc., which has been the number one independent faith based record distributor in the world for the past decade, has formed a partnership with Lataillade Entertainment, headed by independent contemporary gospel label/publishing/marketing guru Vicki Mack-Lataillade, and her husband, Claude Lataillade, and Ruff Town Entertainment Group, an entity founded by Grammy nominated and noted songwriter/producer/recording artist Rene Moore.

The multi-million dollar stock purchase marks the first time in history that three African Americans will have a principal stake and partnership in a major contemporary music distribution company. Randy Davidson, founder and CEO of Central South, Inc., made the unprecedented and milestone announcement today, which is effective immediately.

Vicki Mack-Lataillade, Claude Lataillade, and Rene Moore will serve on Central South’s Board of Directors along with Davidson, Chuck Adams, co-founder and President of Central South, and Greg Davidson, the company’s Vice-President of Finance.

TBGB Pick of the Week: July 13, 2009

“Give U Praise”
Alkendria
SGR Music Group 2009
www.sgrmusicgroup.com

My, my, my! Houston is certainly producing a significant number of gospel artists these days. Here’s another: Alkendria.

On her latest single, “Give U Praise,” the lovely Alkendria praises God during tough financial and emotional times, all to a tick-tock beat and the I-VIm-IV-V chord progression favored by early sixties girl groups such as the Chantels and Marvelettes (think “Please Mr. Postman” with a spiritual message).

At first it seems unusual that Alkendria would relate her troubles with a doo wop shoo bop, but then you realize that’s the point. It’s easy to say hallelujah when times are good, but when the going gets tough, the tough say hallelujah anyhow.

From Navasota, Texas: The Mighty Sincere Voices

“Sing, Sing in Glory” and “Hello, Y’all”
Mighty Sincere Voices
From the OverBoard Records CD Sing, Sing in Glory (album release date: Sept. 1)
www.overboardrecords.com

From Navasota, Texas, home of country bluesman Mance Lipscomb, comes the Mighty Sincere Voices. Brothers Tyrone, Terrance and Tremayne Creeks founded the group under the tutelage of their father, veteran quartet singer Willie Elvin Creeks. Musicians include Xavier Creeks on drums, Douglas Franklin on bass, Rev. Christopher Bell on keyboards, Jeston Andrews on guitar, and Chad Turner on organ.

Their project for Darrell Jay Jones’ OverBoard Records is called Sing Sing in Glory. “Hello Y’all” is the CD’s opening number, a friendly, uptempo greeting, saint to saint, perfect for starting a live performance. The backbeat and enthusiasm telegraph to the listener that he or she is in for an enjoyable ride.

The seven-minute drive-tempo title track borrows its hook formula from the mnemonic chorus of “Old Macdonald,” which, believe it or not, was in quartet repertory eighty or ninety years ago. Revved up by the accelerated chorus of “When I get in glory, I’m gonna sing, sing here; sing, sing there,” the Mighty Sincere Voices launch full-throttle into the vamp, which is unleashed lead-trading hard-singing guaranteed to get the audience out of their seats and hand-clapping to the end.

International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum Names 2009 Inductees

From a press release:

Detroit, MI - Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bill (The Mailman) Martin, Willie Mae Ford Smith, Myrna Summers, Wyatt T. Walker, and BeBe Winans are this year's inductees to the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum© (IGMHFM).

The 2009 inductees, nominated from around the world and selected by the IGMHFM board, were announced by founder David Gough. This year marks the thirteenth anniversary of the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum Induction Celebration and Fund Raiser.

This year's induction and awards celebration will be held at the Max M. Fisher Music Center on Saturday, October 31. The program will be preceded by a Red Carpet Extravaganza with live entertainment and photo opportunities with gospel greats.

"For over a decade, we have successfully achieved our goal - the furtherance of gospel music worldwide," said Gough. "The awards event is our annual fund raising centerpiece, but our work to celebrate the contributions of influential individuals and groups, and to increase awareness of gospel music, takes place year-round."

Nominees to the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum© must have been involved in gospel music activities for at least 25 years. Individuals, groups, choirs, quartets, broadcast personalities and promoters are among past years' inductees.

Among the previous inductees are Aretha Franklin, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dr. Bobby Jones, Della Reese, CeCe Winans, The Fairfield Four, Shirley Caesar, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Luther Barnes & The Sunset Jubilaires and Dr. Myles Munroe. Brief bios of all inductees can be found at www.igmhf.org.

Ticket Information:
13th Annual Induction and Awards Celebration tickets are $75 in advance and $100 at the door. Call 313-592-0017 or visit www.igmhf.org to purchase tickets.

(For overnight hotel accommodations by mentioning (IGMHF) at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, contact Marriott toll-free, 1-800-352-0831 or visit www.marriott.com), at the Hilton Garden, 1-866-STAY-HGI and the Athenaeum Suites 1-800-772-2323

Media Opportunities:
Saturday, October 31
Max M. Fisher Music Center
3:00 p.m. - Press Conference
6:00 p.m. - Red Carpet Extravaganza
with live entertainment, photo and interview opportunities with gospel greats
7:00 p.m. - Formal induction and awards ceremony

About the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum©
Founded in 1995 as a non-profit organization by DoRohn Entertainment's president and gospel artist David Gough, the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum© preserves and celebrates the work of the world's legendary and influential gospel music artists and entertainers. It is supported by individual donors and corporate contributors.

The museum, open for tours by appointment, is now housed in the studios of DoRohn Entertainment. Its collections include recordings, documents, photographs and memorabilia. Archivists and music experts are also available to assist students and researchers. In 2005, IGMHFM launched "Club 52" a fundraising campaign to build a permanent home for the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum©
18301 West McNichols Rd.
Detroit, Michigan 48219
Phone: 313-592-0017
Fax: 248.552.0154
www.igmhf.org

Claude Deuce, The Young Elder

Claude Deuce
Claude Deuce, the Young Elder
Livin’ It Productions 2009 (scheduled for release July 14, 2009)
www.myspace.com/claudedeuce

After listening to “It Ain’t Over,” the opening track on Claude Deuce’s eponymously titled studio debut CD, I shook my head in wonder. “Where on earth has this guy been?”

The answer, of course, is Claude Deuce has been everywhere, even if he’s not a household name…yet. Writing and producing for innovative urban gospel artists such as Deitrick Haddon, Canton Jones, Izzy, Tonex and Sean Simmonds, Claude Deuce (born Claude Harris, Jr.) has played no insignificant role in today’s gospel scene. At 28, he’s an elder in COGIC. And although his CD isn’t released on a major label, Deuce very much belongs in the majors.

First, the production of Claude Deuce, The Young Elder is top-grade, with urgent electronica, blasts of otherworldly Take 6 harmonies, hip hop, and RnB (“reality and beats,” describes Deuce) supporting the artist's confident, melismatic singing.

J Moss springs to mind as one superb high-energy track follows another in rapid fire succession, blending one with the other.

Performances such as “The Word” is musically complex, like a Deitrick Haddon song, while “You” ends with a trance beat, uncommon in gospel. The aforementioned “It Ain’t Over” is an exceptionally good song, a post-modern pondering on the “trouble don’t last always” theme (singing “foreclosures are at an all time high,” Deuce brings the message to the present day). Complementing the opening track, “Got That Stuff” suggests that the saved have everything they need to overcome what comes their way.

To the list of odes to California Girls, Russian Girls, Bad Girls, Diamond Girls, Disney Girls, Uptown Girls and the Girl from Ipanema, Deuce adds “Holy Ghost Gyrl.” It’s the first song I’ve heard that sings the praises of a relationship with a straight-up church girl.

On the subject of relationships, Deuce’s lyrics often call upon Jesus as a friend and personal confidante, one of the key differentiators between gospel music and the hymns and anthems of old.

Claude Deuce, The Young Elder is one of those pleasant, brow-raising surprises that reviewers like me live for. It's one of the best projects I've heard this year. Claude is one young elder I hope gets elevated soon.

Five of Five Stars

Stepping Up and Stepping Out - Clarence Fountain, Sam Butler and the Boys

Clarence Fountain, Sam Butler and the Boys
Stepping Up and Stepping Out
Tyscot Records (release scheduled for August 25, 2009)
www.tyscot.com

The story is well known among gospel quartet enthusiasts. Clarence Fountain has left the Blind Boys of Alabama. For the second time.

This time, however, it seems final. In a 2008 article written by Lee Hildebrand for Living Blues, five-time Grammy winner Fountain is reported to have said about the quartet he co-founded in 1939, “I wouldn’t sing with ‘em if they were the last group in the world.”

Sam Butler, who joined the Blind Boys in 1972 as singer and guitarist after fronting his family’s group, Little Junior and the Butleraires, has also stepped away from the quartet. Together, guided by the crystal-clear production of legendary soulman Solomon Burke, the two Blind Boys alumni have collaborated on a new album, Stepping Up and Stepping Out.

From the opening moments, the album takes the listener on a funky, bluesy, rootsy ride, not dissimilar to the productions of T-Bone Burnett. It’s traditional gospel steeped in spicy, fragrant mojo, what one might hear if Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans music were blended together thoroughly and topped with hot sauce.

Yes, years of being one of the hardest quartet singers on the planet has taken its toll on Fountain’s voice. When the 80 year-old is not letting loose one of his trademark vibrato shouts, he’s sowing notes in a far lower register than in his early days – so low, in fact, that the earth rattles when he sings. His deep basso is a perfect foil to Butler’s smooth-as-satin quartet-style tenor.

The songs are sacred cool. “Between Darkness and the Light of Day” has an unsettling Blind Willie Johnson eeriness. “It’s a Different World Now” is a memorable piece with crossover potential on the headshaking pace of change and the common denominator that neither modern days nor the old-time ways can live without.

The second half of the CD has a churchier feel, due largely to the enhanced presence of a warbling, chirping organ and the inclusion of sacred classics such as “Stand By Me” and “I Shall Not Be Moved.” “Me and Jesus” is a fine uptempo number that quartet fans will especially appreciate. “I Commit,” the last track on the CD, features a marvelous hard gospel duet between Fountain and Butler.

Guest artists on the project include jazz harmonica virtuoso Corky Siegel and Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen on melodica, an instrument also known as a wind piano or blow organ. Sam Butler’s icy-sharp guitar is ever present, too, adding more than a touch of blues and swamp rock to the mix.

Fagan contributes the album’s liner notes, noting that Fountain’s bass register “can scare the devil right out his skin.” I couldn’t agree more. Stepping Up and Stepping Out stomps on and swaggers all over the devil’s head, grinning confidently doing so.

Four of Five Stars

Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson Sings at MJ Memorial

Chicago is proud of her daughter, Jennifer Hudson, who sang for the late Michael Jackson's memorial service today in Los Angeles. She gave his song, "Will You Be There," even more of a gospel feel than it already had.

TBGB mourns the loss of Michael Jackson, a life cut short way too soon. He is now resting with the angels. At peace. At last.

Photo: MTV

"Hold On" - Minister Sean Hardin & Obadiah

“Hold On”
Minister Sean Hardin & Obadiah
From the Nu House Records CD Been Good
www.nuhouserecords.com

Sean Hardin is a product of Detroit’s active and multi-faceted gospel scene. An alumnus of the Deitrick Haddon camp, Hardin cut his gospel teeth singing background for Haddon and then worked in A&R for the artist’s ManHaddon Entertainment company.

Now it’s Hardin’s time to go solo. “Hold On,” a single from Hardin’s debut solo album, Been Good, is a live track – and Hardin’s favorite – with a thumping bass line and steadily rolling tempo. The performance moves the hometown audience to hand-clapping from the first note, even before the artist has a chance to encourage them to make noise. Once into the meat of this sing-along paean to perseverance, tenor-voiced Hardin weaves in and out of Obadiah's antiphonal lines, all the while taking time to interact with the audience.

Rev. Joe Williams and Romance Watson (Roberta Martin Singers)

Ed Hall of Fairfield Four Dies

Jerry Zolten informed TBGB that Edward Hall, current member of the Fairfield Four, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee.

Zolten noted that Hall was "a pioneering African American radio personality," and sang formerly with the "Fireside Singers, the Fairfield Four’s auxiliary 'juniors.'"

Photo: Keith Case

August 14 LA Sparks vs. Sacramento - Gospel Night!

"Before They Were Famous" - A Gospel Memories July Fourth Special

Listen to the "Gospel Memories" radio program on Chicago's 88.7 WLUW Saturday morning, July 4, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Central Time for a special treat:

Before They Were Famous!

Enjoy rare, early recordings by...

Gospel legends, such as James Cleveland (Gospelaires), Mahalia Jackson (1937), Alex Bradford (Willie Webb Singers) and the Staple Singers...

Today's stars, such as Yolanda Adams (with the Southeast Inspirational Choir), Vanessa Bell-Armstrong (w/Mattie Moss Clark), Evelyn Turrentine-Agee (with the Gospel Warriors), J Moss, the Winans (as the Testimonial Singers), Dr. Charles G. Hayes and the Warriors ("Father Hayes Specials," pre-Checker and Righteous), and the Williams Brothers!

Opening with a July 4 Gospel Tribute!

Gospel Memories is on Chicago's 88.7 WLUW - live webcast on www.wluw.org.

More information is available at www.gospelmemories.com.

Washington Phillips - What Did He Play?

Current scholarship suggests that the lithe, celestial, tinkling notes Washington Phillips played to accompany his singing on 1927-29 Columbia recordings were not produced by a dolceola.

What, then, did he play?

Was it a phonoharp? A celestaphone? Was it a homemade instrument, as some claim? Possibly an amalgam of two fretless zithers that enabled "Wash," an itinerant preacher, to extend the range of the instrument beyond its usual two octaves?

Sadly, the original instrument Phillips played for the recording sessions seems not to have survived, or at least nobody knows where it is.

One thing experts agree on: it wasn't, as has long been reported, a dolceola.

Check out the research and arguments for yourself by visiting Gregg Miner's fascinating website pages, which link to other equally interesting discussions:

The Instruments of Washington Phillips

Washington Phillips CD Study

The photo, from a 1927 issue of Louisiana Weekly, was discovered by historian and author Lynn Abbott.

Calvin Bridges - Gospelphyed

Calvin Bridges
Gospelphyed
Pneuma/Spirit Recordings 2009
www.calvinbridges.org

If you don’t think you know who Calvin Bridges is, I’ll bet you know his songs. “I Can Go to God in Prayer.” “So Much to be Grateful For.” The list goes on.

In his hometown of Chicago, Bridges is a fixture, known for gospel music composition and arranging, singing and performing, and for being one heck of a nice guy. Gospelphyed is his latest release, and while it does include the work of a couple other songwriters, it is essentially a showcase for Bridges’ own songs and arrangements, old and new. He is backed by the Chicago Praise All Stars, a group as tight as a troupe of session singers, and a cadre of equally capable musicians, including local hero Richard Gibbs on organ and bass.

The performances on Gospelphyed are marked by traditional singing with contemporary musical voicing, which results in a funky, easy-going feel throughout. The best examples of the traditional-contemporary blend are Bridges’ arrangement of the age-old “Revive Us” and the moody spiritual “Walk With Me” (aka “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”). These and other tracks get a jazzy, soulful updating for today’s gospel audience while Bridges and guest lead singers layer saint-satisfying, church-wrecking vocal performances on top.

Bridges salutes fellow Chicago songster Kenneth Morris with a lovely rendition of “Yes God is Real,” one of Morris’ most popular songs and an opus with a painful reminder of the inhumanity of Jim Crow America etched into its first verse. Following Morris’ philosophy of keeping gospel songs real and relevant, Bridges’ “Come Back” places the importance of faith and belief in the context of today’s chaotic economy and its unfortunate impact on human hopes and dreams.

“This is the Day,” a congregational favorite, benefits from a quickened beat and fine quartet-style electric guitar, courtesy of Chicagoan Phillip Seed. “So Much to be Thankful For” is the sole 1980s-era recording, one Bridges made with the Faith Tabernacle Voices. Nevertheless, it blends well with the remainder of the tracks, all of which are new recordings.

Of course, the song everyone will want to hear on Gospelphyed is Bridges’ own version of his classic “I Can Go to God in Prayer,” which was a smash hit in 1981 for Albertina Walker and the Evangelical Choir of Rev. Jerry Goodloe’s Lighthouse Baptist Church. This is the first time Bridges has recorded the song himself, and he doesn’t disappoint, either, as it is the highpoint of the CD.

Gospelphyed is a chance to become reacquainted with Calvin Bridges’ songwriting and arranging. This “…and then we wrote” project is one that really works.

Four of Five Stars

Pam Morris, Chicago Gospel Fest Director, Resigns Post

Today starts a new chapter in Pam Morris’ life.

After two decades of helping the city to bring some of the biggest names in the gospel industry to Grant and (later) Millennium Parks downtown, Morris has left her post in the Mayor’s Office of Special Events.

Read more in the Chicago Defender article by Rhonda Gillespie:

Pam Morris