A Chicago Watchmeeting Service: Seventy Years Ago

Seventy years ago today, December 31, 1939, Pilgrim Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Rev. J.C. Austin, hosted a Watchmeeting Service that brought together a "constellation of stars," the old and the new in religious music:

The three-hour service (9 p.m. to 12 midnight) featured…

The Wings over Jordan Choir (below), directed by Worth Kramer

The Pilgrim Baptist Church Senior Choir, directed by George Gullatt

Senior Choir Guest Directors:
Prof. Edward H. Boatner (spirituals)
Prof. James Mundy (Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”)

The Pilgrim Baptist Church Gospel Chorus, directed by Prof. Thomas A. Dorsey (below, left)

Soloists: Sallie Martin (below, left) and Roberta Martin (below, right)

Message: Rev. Junius C. Austin: “A Forward Look”
Conclusion at 12 midnight: “Blasting Guns and Shrieking Whistles Announce the Birth of a New Year.” Happy New Year, 1940!

Happy New Year, 2010...from The Black Gospel Blog!

(information source: Chicago Defender, 30 Dec 1939; from research collected in preparation for my forthcoming book on the history of gospel music in Chicago.)

Death of Marie “Ma” Draper, Mother of O'Landa Draper

From a Press Release, sent to us by Gregory Gay:

The Draper family regretfully reports that Marie “Ma” Draper, age 69, passed away Sunday, December 27, 2009 at St. Francis Hospital from complications stemming from hypertension.

Marie, the mother of gospel artist O’Landa Draper, is survived by her daughter, Teresa Draper; grandson, Kenon Walker; and a host of extended family, friends, and loved ones.

O'Landa Draper ("My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord") precedes his mother in death, passing away on July 21, 1998.

All cards and letters of condolences should be sent to:
PO Box 753141
Memphis, TN 38175

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in the name of Ruth Marie Draper to the charity of your choice. A public memorial service will be held in her honor. Details are pending.

The family sends their sincerest appreciation for the great outpouring of love and concern that has been shown during this difficult time. They solicit your prayers and request a time of privacy as they cope with the loss of their loved one.

"Jesus is Knocking" - Rev. James G. Grimes

“Jesus is Knocking”
Rev. James G. Grimes
From the CD Jesus is Knocking
Private Release 2009

When it comes to singing gospel music, Rev. James Grimes of Mount Olive, North Carolina admits to being a "late starter."

He began singing after his military discharge, worked with a number of quartets in the Southeast and organized his family into a gospel group. Now an evangelist at Wilmington, NC’s Guiding Light Ministries, Rev. Grimes dreams of becoming a professional gospel artist. He has released an EP, Jesus is Knocking, to test the waters.

The title track hearkens back to Rev. Grimes’ quartet days. It’s a 70s-style retro piece ("Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart/Why don't you let Him in?") on which Rev sings in a feathery light, high tenor with a touch of Sam Cooke’s yodel and Aaron Neville’s reverb. The vocal group providing Violinaires-style falsetto background turns out to be a multi-tracked Curtis Brown.

For more information, contact Rev. Grimes at (919) 658-5792.

Monae Miller - I'm On My Way (EP)

Monae Miller
I’m On My Way EP
The Gospel Jam 2009
www.monaemiller.com

Earlier this month, TBGB featured the bouncy, tuneful and infectious title track from Kansas-born and Texas-based singer-songwriter Monae Miller’s EP I’m On My Way.

In addition to the title cut, I’m On My Way includes three other songs, two of which are also Miller originals. “Broken” is a smooth, contemporary ballad about God’s healing power over those who lie before Him, broken emotionally and physically. “I Love You” is a simple, piano-dominated praise and worship song co-written with T. Nalls. The song gives Miller space to stretch out her gospel chops while background vocalists keep the riff going, seemingly to infinity.

Miller also adds a jazzy version of Fanny Crosby’s chestnut “Blessed Assurance.”

Monae Miller is a capable vocalist who possesses a very comfortable and lovely voice that fits well with her contemporary songwriting. I’m On My Way is a brief but fine debut with a prophetic title: Miller is clearly on her way.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “I’m On My Way,” “I Love You”

Sam Cooke on PBS this January

From PBS.org:

THIRTEEN’s American Masters celebrates the wonderful world of music game-changer and definitive soul singer Sam Cooke in Sam Cooke: Crossing Over, airing Monday, January 11 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS.

Check out a brief preview video by clicking below:

Sam Cooke: Crossing Over

TBGB NOTE: The only concern I have is the comment in the preview that "[Cooke] became lead vocalist for the popular gospel group The Soul Stirrers, heard in churches and jook joints and night clubs all along the Chitlin Circuit...."

The way this sentence is written suggests that the Soul Stirrers, not just Sam Cooke, sang in jook joints and night clubs. The Stirrers did no such thing. They appeared in churches, auditoriums, stadiums and theaters, but not jook joints or night clubs.

Henry J2 - Fill Me

Henry J2
Fill Me
Platinum New Alpha Records 2009
www.myspace.com/henryj2

Chicago’s Henry Johnson II, aka Henry J2, is a triple-threat: musician, singer and songwriter. His music falls squarely within the category of urban contemporary with touches of jazz, soul and R&B. Henry J2 reminds me a little of cutting-edge artists Claude Deuce of Detroit and fellow Chicagoan Aaron Sledge (without the rapping).

Fill Me, Henry J2’s full-length project, is tuneful, captivating and hard hitting musically. That’s no surprise when you consider that Henry is equally at home on keyboards, horns and wind instruments, and is assisted by top-shelf musicians such as Michael Weatherspoon on drums and Joey Woolfalk on guitar. The background vocalists include Maurice Griffin, winner of the 2007 GMWA Gospel Treasure and a finalist on BET’s “Sunday Best” competition.

Henry has a confident, muscular tenor and delivers a gospel ballad such as the title track with great earnestness. There’s not a dud track on the album; even the introduction is far more interesting than most project intros because it establishes the CD’s overall mood in its first few seconds. “Celebrando” is an example of the album’s musically-rigorous compositions, with Weatherspoon thumping out complex polyrhythmic lines like a 1970s fusion drummer.

The album is also a family affair, as Henry’s brothers – Dr. Chaun and Pastor Chris – and wife Loretta contribute prelude narrations to songs. Mother Carolyn joins Henry on the album's sole traditional workout, “Joy Down in My Soul.”

One could justifiably accuse me of favoritism in this review because my late wife was Henry's high school choir director. I remember Henry J2 back in the day, accompanying a female quartet and harmonizing with them on the St. James Choir of Detroit’s classic “I Really Love the Lord” (I have a cassette recording of that performance somewhere). But that is not the case: I was extremely impressed by the musical confidence of Fill Me on its own merits. As with Aaron Sledge’s self-produced debut, it deserves greater attention.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Celebrando,” “Fill Me,” and “Joy Down In My Soul.”

TBGB Pick of the Week: December 28, 2009

“Oxyclean”
GLO
From the Arrow Records CD It’s Official: Hip Hop Remixed (2009)
www.arrow-records.com

This song never fails to put a smile on my face. It’s rapid-fire, positive music for the dance floor with lyrics drawn straight from 21st Century popular culture. Instead of being “washed whiter than snow,” holy hip hop artist GLO is “oxyclean” and encourages others similarly spotless to “get your hands up.”

“Oxyclean” is another catchy, hook-laden track for which Creflo and Taffi Dollar’s Arrow Records imprint is well known.

Wynona Carr Remembered

Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms tells the story of gospel singer-songwriter and R&B songstress Wynona Carr.

Read here:
Sister Wynona Carr

Hear Gospel Christmas Classics!

Click on the link below and wax nostalgic with vintage Christmas recordings by gospel and spiritual artists, courtesy of "Gospel Memories."

The program is hosted by TBGB's own Bob Marovich.

Listen to "Gospel Memories" - Ninth Annual Christmas Caravan

Among the recordings showcased on this year's Christmas Caravan is the first known commercial recording of a Christmas carol by an African American vocal group: "Silent Night! Holy Night!" by the Elkins Mixed Quartette (recorded Dec. 1926).

The Black Gospel Blog wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

James Cockerham - Reflections of the Heart

James Cockerham
Reflections of the Heart
Copro Record Company 2008
www.coprorecords.com

James Cockerham is a Berklee College of Music graduate who sings, composes, produces and plays piano. His Reflections of the Heart, a full-length CD released on his own Copro label, distills the musician’s talents into a tranquilly pleasant, well-produced listening experience.

The album’s ten songs tie praise and worship lyrics to a smooth jazz/R&B soundtrack supported by a coterie of talented vocalists who back Cockerham as a group but also take turns individually as lead vocalists. Notable among them are Tiffany Anderson and Josiah Martin for their contributions to “For He is Good,” Tiffany White on “Thinking of You,” and Michelle Carter on “Thank You Jesus.”

Two tracks on the album are particularly paradigmatic of James Cockerham’s classically-influenced musicianship, which, if you can imagine it, comes as close as I’ve heard to a sacred Steely Dan. “Rejoice” and “My Prayer for You” feature interesting lyric lines and confirm that Cockerham’s soft, crooning baritone works best when participating in call-and-response with the vocalists.

"Joy in the Presence" is a simple, repetitive melodic piece tailor-made for a church choir.

The best written composition on Reflections of the Heart, “Oh That Men Would Praise the Lord,” is presented as a Cockerham piano and vocal solo with strings. With such a thin arrangement, the dynamic, anthemic track comes across as a songwriter’s demo crying out for swooping choral lines, female leads, and instrumental crescendos. Had the piece been arranged more fully and dramatically, it would have been comparable to some of Richard Smallwood’s finest work. I would encourage Mr. Cockerham to re-record this song at some point with full choir and orchestration so the world can hear it in all of its magnificent glory.

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Rejoice” and “My Prayer for You”

Researcher Seeking Information on Johneron Davis

Joseph Middleton is asking anyone with biographical information on Ms. Johneron Davis, early member of the Famous Caravans, to hit him up at The Golden Era Gospel Blog.

"Seventy-Five Percent of Black Gospel Recordings...Gone..."

...but not so fast, says Professor Robert Darden of Baylor University.

Under Darden's direction, and thanks to the generosity of many record collectors, the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project (BGMRP) at Baylor University in Waco, Texas is digitizing as many black gospel recordings as possible.

The project staff receives the items on loan from collectors at no cost to them, digitizes and returns the recordings to their owners promptly. Already, Baylor has saved thousands of gospel music recordings from the genre's Golden Age (1945 - 1965) from extinction. They are being saved for research and preservation, not for commercial purposes.

Up until now, the BGMRP has survived on a very generous start-up grant. It is now in the possession of its very first gift of endowment. The Lev. H. Prichard III Traditional Black Music Restoration Endowed Fund will help provide permanence to the BGMRP so its work can continue in perpetuity.

During a special concert in October 2009 recognizing the establishment of the endowment, Professor Darden takes a few moments to articulate why preserving black gospel recordings is not only important but imperative.



For more information on the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project, visit:

www.baylor.edu/lib/gospel/

TBGB Pick of the Week: December 21, 2009

“As Good as it Gets”
Kim Ruff
From the Mackim Records CD Ready to Live
www.kimruff.com

Georgia singer-songwriter Kim Ruff offers the gospel singer’s perspective from the stage, in front of a supportive audience, on “As Good as it Gets.”

The lyrics recall Philippians 3:13: “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

Coming from a new artist whose album is nominated for a Stellar Award, the song sounds downright autobiographical. The singer, realizing she has finally reached her destiny, takes time to soak up the dazzling moment. At the same time, she wonders: “If it’s a dream, please don’t wake me yet/’Cause this may be as good as it gets.”

“As Good as it Gets” is one of the most poignant songs I’ve heard this year. My guess is that, pangs of self-doubt aside, things will only get better for Kim Ruff.

Melvin Couch Dies in Douglasville, Georgia

Zadella "Mama" Curtis informed TBGB that Mr. Melvin Couch, CEO of Meltone Records and NuSound Entertainment, passed away today, Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. ET in Douglasville, Georgia.

Mr. Couch was an indefatigable promoter of traditional gospel artists and quartets. We will miss him dearly.

TBGB will pass along more information on Mr. Couch's homegoing services as it is forthcoming. In the meantime, please keep the family, friends and other loved ones of Mr. Couch in your prayers.

JDJ - In Due Season

JDJ
In Due Season
Janayra Music Group 2009
www.cdbaby.com/cd/jdjtunes

Betcha didn’t know there are gospel musicians in Bermuda.

In fact, the island that sits approximately 1,100 miles northeast of Miami, Florida fosters a thriving music industry. When it comes to gospel, John Duncan and the husband-and-wife team of Jackie and Darryl Simons are in the thick of it.

Jackie, Darryl and John’s sophomore CD, In Due Season, brings them together as “JDJ” on a dozen songs. The group’s style comes straight from the Hawkins/Smallwood contemporary school of crisp, tight, swooping harmonies, though they do pump out a couple of island-flavored tracks. The latter – including the Carib-urban “I’ve Come to Give You Praise” and the spiritual, “Jacob’s Ladder” – feature Bermudian male vocalist Septimus. Originally from Jamaica, Septimus settled in Bermuda to work as a chef, began cultivating his musical gifts, and is now an award-winning sacred artist and evangelist in the Bethlehem Reform Church of God. His accented rhymes provide the album with its moments of rootsiness.

“Nothing Shall Separate Me” is the highlight of In Due Season, featuring a shouting lead by Jackie Simons. Darryl Simons provides outstanding lead vocals on “Thank You for the Mothers” and the praise and worship ballad “Wilderness.” “He’s an On Time God” reminds me of Kirk Franklin’s “Why We Sing” and is an easy piece to teach a church choir. A team of strong musicians supports the singers throughout. Gospel music is truly a global phenomenon.

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Nothing Shall Separate Me”

"I'm On My Way" - Monae Miller

“I’m On My Way”
Monae Miller
From the EP I’m On My Way
www.monaemiller.com

Born in Wichita, Kansas and now living in Dallas, Texas, Monae Miller is a singer/songwriter and classically-trained musician who has served as a church music minister.

“I’m On My Way” is the first single from her debut EP of the same title. It is an onomatopoeic mid-tempo bouncer perfectly suited to her straight-forward alto voice. She interpolates a few measures from the Biblical Gospel Singers’ classic “I Come to Praise Him” towards the end, which fits hand-in-glove with the song’s upbeat mood.

Monae may be singing, “I’m walking up the King’s highway,” but in your mind’s eye, she’s hopping and skipping.

Various Artists - The Pitch/Gusman Records Story

Various Artists
The Pitch/Gusman Records Story
Big Legal Mess Records 2009
www.biglegalmessrecords.com/pitch.htm

We must have been very good boys and girls this year to merit yet another multi-CD collection of out-of-print indie gospel recordings.

Truth is, The Pitch/Gusman Records Story might never have happened at all if it weren’t for the passion and dedication of John Glassburner. Glassburner is one of the friendliest and most generous gospel record collectors out there. He called on a coterie of collector friends from around the world to pull together as many Savannah, Georgia-based Pitch and Gusman 45 and LP releases as possible. After cleaning, the collection was organized into a three-CD set complete with an informative, illustrated booklet written by author and gospel music historian Alan Young. Thanks to Big Legal Mess, the compilation is available commercially.

In 1967, Waymon “Gusman” Jones opened a record store in Savannah and soon after began recording local gospel quartets, family groups, church soloists and singing evangelists. He purchased the Pitch label, which had already released a half-dozen quartet recordings, including by the Golden Stars of Greenwood, SC, whose lead singer, Norris Turner, is the best-known artist represented in the collection. From this base, Jones released dozens of 45s and a few LPs on his Pitch and Gusman imprints.

The first CD is the most striking because it includes the pre-Jones Pitch recordings as well as Jones’ earliest productions. The songs on this disc crackle with the raw, palpable energy of dynamic, hair-raising quartet singing by groups such as the Golden Stars, Six Voices of Zion, and the True-Tone Singers. The Pitch/Gusman Records Story collection also includes slow, soulful, more modern gospel ballads, such as “Jesus is Coming Again” by the Fantastic Melodyaires of SC, and the Six Voices of Zion’s later offering, “He’ll Help Me Along the Way.”

Evangelist Loretta Myles delivers frenetic Pentecostal preaching and singing on “God is Not Dead,” and The Phillip’s Special sings the COGIC classic “I’m a Soldier” in characteristic uptempo fashion.

In the liner notes, Young points to difficulties in fixing exact dates to some of the recordings. His challenge is aurally evident when most of the recordings, including those identified as from the 1970s, sound fifteen to twenty years older in style and sound fidelity. Some are, in fact, older; others are examples of how some groups stayed true to their old-school sound well after the Hawkins Revolution.

The Pitch/Gusman Records Story is a splendid example of the variety and quality of recorded performances that even a small proprietor could capture back in the day, before videos (all but) killed the radio star and small labels. It is also ample proof for why John Glassburner and his co-producers deserve to be write-in candidates for a Grammy Award.

Four of Five Stars

Kim Ruff - Ready to Live

Kim Ruff
Ready to Live
Mackim Records 2009
www.kimruff.com

While enjoying Kim Ruff’s singing on her debut CD, Ready to Live, I discovered something even more striking than her pleasant, pop-influenced voice:

She’s one heck of a songwriter.

The Georgia native and 2010 Stellar-nominated artist has Diane Warren’s touch with a melody: simple, lovely, memorable. Singers in the sacred and secular arenas would give their eye-teeth to wrap their chops around some of the compositions on Ready to Live.

In addition to her songwriting skills, Ruff sings with the silky smoothness of Tonya Hairston Ware or Joann Rosario. She credits Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Whitney Houston among her musical inspirations, and you can hear a touch of both artists in her singing. It is no surprise, then, that Ruff’s finest performances are on the album’s gospel ballads, and there are several. “Source of My Strength,” “Until You Come” and the title track are good examples. The latter is an inspirational song about shaking off the past and becoming all you can be, a song tailor-made for a youth choir.

The singer-songwriter saves the best for last with "As Good as it Gets.” While based on Philippians 3:13, it sounds autobiographical: a singer, realizing she has finally reached her destiny, takes time during her performance to soak up the dazzling moment. Then the humbling thought: “If it’s a dream, please don’t wake me yet/’Cause this may be as good as it gets.” Anyone at the top of his or her game will appreciate this bracing dose of honesty. Add background vocals, a dramatic key change on the final chorus and a thunderous coda, and “As Good as it Gets” is a crossover hit on the adult contemporary charts. Still, it is one of the best songs I’ve heard in 2009, and if Ruff wins a Stellar Award in January, I'm sure the song will be running through her mind as she ascends the stairs to receive her honor.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “As Good as it Gets,” “Source of My Strength,” “Until You Come.”

TBGB Spotlight: C.D.W. Music Group

TBGB Spotlight: C.D.W. Music Group
www.cdwmusicgroup.com

C.D.W. Entertainment and Recording Studios (“Christ Doing Wonders”) is also a record label and songwriting concern based in St. Louis, Missouri.

The C.D.W. label’s current roster of gospel artists features an amalgam of sacred styles: from the neo-soul vocals of singer-musician Cherie Whitt (photo, left) and Holy Hip Hop artist N.O.T.E. (Not Of This Earth) to the contemporary crooning of singer and playwright Kenneth Kibby.

The title track of Cherie’s Beautiful, her sophomore album due out in January 2010, is a smooth groove reminder that each one of us is perfectly and wonderfully made.

N.O.T.E., a well-known at-risk youth counselor and coach from St. Louis, rhymes about God’s saving power over easy beats on “Magnificent.”

Kibby’s “I’m Determined” from his album The Verdict, is the best of the bunch. The singer cries out his commitment “to do your will…do whatever you say” in old school soul fashion, complete with a pleading, down-on-your-knees-with-hands-clasped falsetto. Guaranteed to bring the congregation to its feet in encouragement and admiration.

TBGB Pick of the Week: December 14, 2009

“Nobody”
Shirley Caesar and J Moss
From the CD A City Called Heaven
(Light/Shu-Bel Records 2009)
www.lightrecords.com

Traditional meets contemporary on “Nobody” from Shirley Caesar’s new album, A City Called Heaven. Shirley and J Moss share their fierce convictions in an equally fierce, fiery duet.

The singers have at least two things in common: they made their first recordings as pre-teens, and they have a vast fan base. On “Nobody,” the familiar gospel song theme of “Jesus can make a way for you” is given an urban contemporary beat and peppered with examples torn from today's news: domestic violence, household finances gone south, homelessness and critical illness.

Forever Jones - Get Ready

Forever Jones
Get Ready
EMI Gospel (release scheduled for early 2010)
www.emigospel.com

In gospel music, family groups are as plentiful as singing preachers and go back just as far. Most gospel artists will tell you that their first singing experience was with their siblings, whether professionally, for their home church, or harmonizing in the living room. And as far as a family band, the Ross Family of Chicago formed a mini combo of young Rosses who, as the eponymously named Instrumentals, recorded jazzy versions of gospels and hymns in the 1960s.

Continuing in this tradition is Forever Jones, a self-proclaimed “family band” of musicians and vocalists whose debut CD on EMI Gospel, Get Ready, is scheduled for release in early 2010. Their singles, “He Wants It All” and the title track are already available digitally.

The group is comprised of parents DeWitt III and Kim Jones with their children D'Jeniele', Dominique, DeWitt IV, Judah and Mya. Kim and Mya are the lead singers while the rest of the family plays the instruments and contributes background vocals.

Get Ready is a superb debut. “He Wants It All” is a lovely poppish, piano-led gospel ballad, characteristic of Forever Jones’ way with a good melody, as is “Time to Believe,” “Adoration,” and “All the Way.” The family is equally capable of hard hitting, funky bass thumping, sweaty energy, as “This is the Day,” the disco-flavored title track, and the country-church gospel waltz “Bless the Lord” demonstrate. “Privilege” might well be the Jones’ anthem, as it articulates the importance of being part of a loving family.

Like the Murrills, introduced by Donald Lawrence about this time two years ago, Forever Jones has a bright, cheery sound fueled by strong singers, tight musicianship, and plenty of production savvy.

The year 2010 may well be a year to keep up with the Forever Joneses.

Five of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “He Wants It All,” “Get Ready,” “Time to Believe,” “All the Way.”

List of GRAMMY Nominees in Gospel Category

Congratulations to the following gospel artists who have been nominated for a GRAMMY Award!

The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. For more information, go to http://www.grammy.com/.

Best Gospel Performance

• Free To Be Me
Francesca Battistelli
[Fervent Records/ Word Entertainment]

• Jesus Is Love
Heather Headley Featuring Smokie Norful
Track from: Audience Of One
[EMI Gospel]

• I Believe
Jonny Lang With Fisk Jubilee Singers
Track from: Oh Happy Day
[Vector Recordings/EMI Gospel]

• Wait On The Lord
Donnie McClurkin Featuring Karen Clark Sheard
Track from: We All Are One (Live In Detroit)
[Verity]

• Born Again
Third Day
Track from: Revelation
[Essential Records]


Best Gospel Song

• Born Again
Tai Anderson, David Carr, Mark Lee & Mac Powell, songwriters (Third Day)
Track from: Revelation
[Essential Records; Publisher: Consuming Fire Music.]

• City On Our Knees
Cary Barlowe, Toby McKeehan & Jaime Moore, songwriters (TobyMac)
[Forefront Records; Publishers: Achtober Songs, Emack Music, Jamnu Music, Castle Bound, Bummerman Music.]

• Every Prayer
Dayna Caddell, Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey & Ricardo Sanchez, songwriters (Israel Houghton & Mary Mary)
Track from: The Power Of One
[Integrity Music; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing, Aaron Lindsey Publishing, Integrity's Praise! Music, Sound of the New Breed, gnidybab music, Ricardo Music Dot Com.]

• God In Me
Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell, songwriters (Mary Mary Featuring Kierra "KiKi" Sheard)
Track from: The Sound
[Columbia Records; Publishers: EMI April Music, Wet Ink Red Music, That's Plum Song, It's Tea Tyme.]

• The Motions
Jason Houser, Sam Mizell & Matthew West, songwriters (Matthew West)
Track from: Something To Say
[Sparrow Records; Publishers: Word Music/Songs For Lulu/Simple Tense Songs/Wyzell Music/Songs of Extreme/Cedar Sides.]


Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album

• The Big Picture
Da' T.R.U.T.H.
[Cross Movement Records]

• Crash
Decyfer Down
[INO Records]

• Innocence & Instinct
Red
[Essential Records]

• Live Revelations
Third Day
[Essential Records]

• The Dash
John Wells-The Tonic
[Cross Movement Records]


Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album

• Speaking Louder Than Before
Jeremy Camp
[BEC Recordings]

• The Power Of One
Israel Houghton
[Integrity Music]

• The Long Fall Back To Earth
Jars Of Clay
[Gray Matters/Essential Records]

• Love Is On The Move
Leeland
[Essential Records]

• Freedom
Mandisa
[Sparrow Records]


Best Traditional Gospel Album

• God Don't Never Change
Ashley Cleveland
[E1 Music]

• The Law Of Confession, Part I
Donald Lawrence & Co.
[Quiet Water/Verity]

• Oh Happy Day
(Various Artists)
Bill Hearn, Ken Levitan, Ken Pennell, Jack Rovner & Cedric Thompson, producers
[EMI Gospel/Vector Recordings]

• The Journey Continues
The Williams Brothers
[Blackberry Records]

• How I Got Over
Vickie Winans
[Destiny Joy Records]


Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album

• Audience Of One
Heather Headley
[EMI Gospel]

• Renewed
Sheri Jones-Moffett
[EMI Gospel]

• Just James
J Moss
[GospoCentric/ Verity]

• Smokie Norful: Live
Smokie Norful
[EMI Gospel]

• Bold Right Life
Kierra Sheard
[EMI Gospel]

Steve Arrington - Pure Thang

Steve Arrington
Pure Thang
God Factor Records 2009
www.stevearringtonministries.com

On the title track of his latest release, Pure Thang, funk meister Steve Arrington declares, “Just like Thelonious [Monk], I’m known to be different/It’s just the way I am, in this I’m consistent. No time for foolishness ‘cause I’m on a mission.”

Truer words were never spoken.

Former singer for the funk group Slave as well as the leader of his own funk ensemble, Steve Arrington moved from the secular to the sacred several years ago. He takes praising the Lord in all things to the nth degree by pouring the full force of his formidable musical arsenal into Pure Thang. Called a progenitor of gospel funk, Arrington lays down tracks that are complex, mood-altering, polyrhythmic, psychedelic and, yes, you can dance to them. Just like the metaphorical object of his track, “Soul Food,” there are lots of flavors here to savor.

The seventeen songs on Pure Thang are like a dazzling electric parade that is scored by the Ohio Players, Prince and Outkast working in collaboration. Arrington’s distinctive voice functions as a musical instrument or sample, as he croons, growls, raps, scats, shouts and hollers lyrics which sound like they are based on a prayer book written by Beat poets. In fact, his vocals come in powerful blasts as often as in extended lines.

On “The Devil Can’t Sing Amazing Grace,” my vote for most inventive song title of 2009, Arrington taunts the devil with “Jesus didn’t die for you” in a tone that suggests the subtext is, “Stick your pitchfork where the sun don’t shine.” Given where the devil resides, however, that could mean just about anywhere.

“I’m On Fire” is the current single and representative of the album in its sonic energy.

Steve Arrington’s Pure Thang isn’t pie-eyed praise nor is it tough-guy street-credo but somewhere in between. More than anything, it presents an artist bursting to tell the Word in his own fantastic musical language. You may need to listen twice to get the full impact because the first time around, trust me, you will be too dazzled by the musical fireworks to focus much on the words.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “I’m On Fire,” “The Devil Can’t Sing Amazing Grace,” “Soul Food.”

Charlie Horner on the Swan Silvertones

Check out Charlie Horner's illustrated article on the Swan Silvertones. It can be found on the Classic Urban Harmony website, an excellent resource Charlie and his wife Pam have created:

Swan Silvertones

"Emmanuel" - Norman Hutchins

"Emmanuel"
Norman Hutchins
From Norman Hutchins & JDI Christmas (JDI/Universal Music Group, 2009)
www.cdbaby.com/cd/jamesroberson

“Next time you’re riding down the road in your car, sing this to the Lord. You’ll get where you’re going much faster.”

JDI Records hitmaker Norman Hutchins makes this declaration at the opening of “Emmanuel,” a full-throated choir outing with a place at the Christmas gathering, but it’s appropriate any time of the year. “Emmanuel” is not a reworking of the ancient and familiar carol, though it interpolates a line from it. Rather, it’s a new song that encourages the listener to be encouraged and worship through the troubles of life.

Chris Bryant - All I Need To Know

Chris Bryant
All I Need to Know
www.chrisbryantmusic.com

Inspiration is a funny thing. You never know where or when it will strike.

Just ask Chris Bryant. The Durham, North Carolina artist tells this story on his website:

“A couple of months ago, I woke up singing a song that I don't remember hearing before. The refrain went something like, ‘The Lord is my shepherd and that's all I need to know.’ I asked my mom and a few more relatives if they'd heard it before, and they hadn't (I grew up in COGIC churches).

“I'm sure I heard it somewhere in passing, and it came back to me while I was sleeping. The next day, I came across an old book of ‘American Negro Spirituals.’ ‘All I Need To Know’ wasn't in the book, but I ended up recording an 8 track CD with selections from the book and the song I woke up singing.”

The CD Bryant references gets his title from the song that he woke up singing, which may well be divinely inspired, because I'm with his relatives: it doesn’t sound like any spiritual or gospel song I’ve heard before. The album features the singer accompanying himself on acoustic guitar with electric guitar riffs, tambourine and other instruments making appearances here and there.

As Bryant indicates, the remainder of the songs are familiar spirituals channeled through the artist's own musical interpretation. For example, his "Motherless Child” rocks like a slower version of Richie Havens’ fiery performance of the spiritual at Woodstock. “No Hiding Place” has a funky backdrop and “Free At Last” interpolates portions of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The recording session has the aura of a laidback, late-night folk jam.

The best part is that All I Need to Know is available for free on Bryant’s website: www.chrisbryantmusic.com. If you are afraid the Download SWAT Police are lying in wait for you, Bryant assuages your fears. He says if you download the music, you (and he) will be happy. So go ahead, hit that download button. How often can you find free anything anymore?

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Free at Last”

Ariel Prater & the Notes of Harmony - I Will Praise Thee Oh Lord

Ariel Prater & the Notes of Harmony
I Will Praise Thee Oh Lord
ArielSoul LLC 2009
www.arielprater.com

Though their name sounds like that of a quartet, Ariel Prater & the Notes of Harmony is actually a six-member mixed voice gospel group from Georgia.

Ariel Prater started out in the Prater Brothers singing group with his brothers Amond and Anton, but he now devotes much of his time to the saxophone. In fact, on the group’s debut CD, I Will Praise Thee Oh Lord, Ariel’s saxophone is like a seventh member of the group, improvising here and there like a lead singer.

The album is quite exquisite, especially considering that it is an independent release and the combo’s first recorded effort. The praise and worship-oriented songs, most written by Ariel and Amond, make for extraordinarily pleasant listening. The young singers deliver the songs with a cool, poised, tuneful sound and strong harmonies, like a serene Earth, Wind and Fire. One of the lead vocalists, Takeita Wilkerson, has the perfect edgy-smooth gospel voice for the group. The musicians provide a funky undercurrent, with Ariel’s sax and Greg Mitchell on keyboard punctuating the jazz-rock arrangements.

Ariel’s production is clear and robust, perfect for a group that doesn’t shout but just sings to where you can listen to them all night. The sensual saxophone is something you don’t hear that often in gospel music, at least not as a lead instrument, but Ariel demonstrates that it works.

‘Nuff said. Ariel Prater & the Notes of Harmony have tremendous potential.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Just Praise,” “Have No Fear,” "All I Need Is You."

TBGB Pick of the Week: December 7, 2009

“Nobody Like You Lord”
Fred Hammond
From the CD Love Unstoppable (2009)
Verity Gospel Music Group 2009
www.verityrecords.com

“Nobody Like You Lord” is another infectious, joyous and tuneful praise party from Fred Hammond. He calls and background vocalists respond like they’ve been friends since knee pants.

I don’t know whether “Nobody” has been tagged to be a single, but for my two cents' worth, it is a perfect follow up to “They That Wait.” It speeds along at the same brisk, handclapping tempo, building momentum as it goes. It’s a good song to boot.

Nobody is like the Lord, sings Hammond, “not your closest friend, not your newborn baby, not your man, not your lady.” And nobody is like Fred Hammond. He just gets better and better.

Video: JProjek - "Ready fi da War"

“Ready fi da War”
JProjek
www.crossrootsrecords.com

Jamaican gospel artist JProjek spits lines with machine gun persistence in “Ready fi da War.” The video, directed by Simon YOSETH Thompson, finds JProjek, clad in shirt and tie, rapping in the midst of the Riverton City Dump, a part of Jamaica the tourist commercials conveniently exclude but everyone knows exists.

Legions of zombie-like figures surround the artist, faces painted, growling and carrying sticks. Good overcomes evil when JProjek gets on his knees and communicates with his Supreme Commander. It’s JProjek’s challenge for Christians to become active warriors for good in a world turned upside down with temptation and wrongdoing.

Cadillac James - It Must Be Christmas

Cadillac James
It Must Be Christmas

The major label gospel artists are not the only ones releasing holiday albums this year.

“Cadillac” James Cotton is a member of the famed Cotton Brothers singing family from Macon, Georgia. This year he has released his first Christmas album, It Must Be Christmas.

To give you a sneak preview: James wraps his bluesy-gospel voice around familiar carols such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” the latter featuring an interpolation of “Over the Rainbow.”

The album also features James with the Cotton Brothers on “Another New Year,” a remix of a New Year’s Day favorite down south since 1985, when it was recorded on the family's Having Church in Georgia LP.

I was pleased that “When Was Jesus Born” is included on the album. Once a perennial in the Christmas repertory, the spiritual just isn’t heard as much today as it was, and that's a shame.

Copies of the CD are available for sale at:
Queen's Management
PO Box 3191
Macon, GA 31205
or Call 478-978-8628
or 478-228-3714

Forever Forward - All Is Well

Forever Forward
All Is Well
Blessed-A-Plenty Productions &
One Change Entertainment 2009
www.foreverforward.com

Forever Forward is a New York-based ensemble led by Kevin Brightman and Derek Gibbs, professional musicians and choir directors. Brightman’s interest in “the golden age of 70’s R&B spirituality and harmonic grace” as blended with more contemporary sounds is as good an explanation as any of their project, All Is Well.

Ten years in the making, All Is Well is a collection of gentle, inspirational songs sung by an ensemble of men and women accompanied by a smooth jazz combo. Executive producers Brightman and Gibbs are also the songwriters, designing pieces that offer restful, devotional affirmations for living a more purposeful life.

On the two-part “Running Over,” female soloist Tisha Hunter does a fine job as first lead on the simple melody and intricate arrangement. In fact, most songs on All Is Well feature several lead singers in addition to the stable of background vocalists. Voices weave in and out of each other while the keyboards and drum programming deliver complex jazz riffs reminiscent of '70s jazz-rock ensembles.

Another cut from All Is Well, “Experience,” argues that what you wish for – the singers posit grace, love, trust as good examples – can become your center. The song and arrangement are good fits for a youth ensemble. “Peace Be Still” is not based on the famous James Cleveland arrangement of the timeless hymn but a mantra of the title for individuals who feel powerless over the nature of their circumstances.

All Is Well is a “cool down” after a long day of work or worship.

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Running Over – Part 1”

Indianapolis Continues Gospel Legend's Tradition

Demetrius West of Indianapolis contacted TBGB recently about a longstanding Christmas tradition in Indiana's capitol.

Founded by the late gospel legend and radio announcer Robert Turner (Silver Hearts), the Christmas
Musical is one night where all gospel singers and musicians can get together in one place and fellowship through the medium of music.

Local gospel stars making appearances at past Christmas Musicals include Rodnie Bryant and Lamar Campbell, but West explains that the event is a chance for all gospel artists to take their respective turns in the spotlight.

An estimated 2,500 to 3,000 are anticipated to be in attendance this year.

For more information on how to participate or simply attend and enjoy, read the flyer (right) or contact Sara Highbaugh at (317) 413-3113.

TBGB wishes Mr. West and all participants a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Mystery Continues....Who Was Harvey?

Phil Thomson of Cross Rhythms explores the mystique behind Savoy Records' album cover artist known only as "Harvey."

Read the article here: Cross Rhythms

TBGB Note: During an interview with Rev. Lawrence Roberts, who produced many of Savoy's gospel albums, I learned that Harvey was a young man who lived in New York when he worked as a supplier for Savoy. The record company would provide Harvey with the theme of the album, he would go to his studio and complete the oil painting, and return it to the company in exchange for payment. Roberts said that he only knew the man as "Harvey," but that because he was a young man at the time, he could still be alive.

I contacted the Newark Historical Society for information on the Modern Box Co. of Newark that printed the Savoy album covers, wondering whether the original oil paintings are sitting in storage somewhere, but the company is no longer in business and the historical society did not have any information.

I trust Roberts' story about Harvey and doubt the artist was Herman Lubinsky, who would not have had any reason to be secretive about his artistic abilities. My suspicion is that the secrecy continued because of the way in which Harvey was paid. Still, given the passing of time and the influx of interest in his work, I'm surprised Harvey has not surfaced. So the mystery continues...

We'll probably find out who Harvey is someday...right after we capture Osama Bin Laden.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - Declare Your Name

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Declare Your Name
Integrity Music 2009
www.IntegrityMusic.com

Declare Your Name, the latest release by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, is about as close to perfection as you can get this side of Heaven.

The Grammy and Dove Award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is one of the original praise and worship choirs. For nearly thirty years, it has melded together contemporary Christian melodies with the spine-tingling dynamism of gospel music. Founder Carol Cymbala and her team of writers, principally choir leaders Onaje Jefferson and Jason Michael Webb, churn out one unforgettable worship song after another that the 300-voice choir renders with anthemic majesty and dramatic sweep. Brooklyn Tabernacle is second only to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in its robust, thrilling, wall-to-wall sound.

Declare Your Name, a live recording, features cameo appearances by top-shelf soloists such as Israel Houghton (“I’ll Sing of Your Love”) and Jonathan Butler, who sings with the effortlessness of Stevie Wonder on the Afro-pop flavored “Coming Back.” Christian singer TaRanda Greene of North Carolina leads the intricate “New Jerusalem” with a voice as big as a Broadway stage. "Helpless," featuring Paul Baloche, is an acoustically-driven paean to God's helping hands. “Made to Live for You,” the album’s most strikingly beautiful song, is drummed along with rock propulsion.

Listening to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, whose members represent a blend of economic and ethnic backgrounds, reminds us where more recent P&W assemblages such as Shekinah Glory Ministry found part of their musical inspiration.

According to the album’s press release, “the church is giving away 6,000 flags [like the three on the front cover] with the purchase of the CD at its bookstore.” The idea is for the consumer to plant his or her flag somewhere in the world to declare “the Lord’s rule,” take a picture of the flag and send the photo to be posted on a website, where a committee will “pick a winner for the most unique flag placement.” So what are you waiting for? Get out there and plant your flag!

Five of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Made to Live for You”

The Preacher Kids: Jesus is their Rockstar

The Preacher Kids
www.pkallday.com

To Kris Kristofferson, Jesus was a Capricorn. To the Art Reynolds Singers, Jesus was just alright. Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers sang that Jesus was a friend until the end.

To The Preacher Kids, Jesus is their rock star.

The Preacher Kids is an ensemble of young adult men and women who blend electronic beats, rap, hip hop, rock, new age, R&B and dance music into their own distinctive sacred expression. “Rockstar” metaphorically summarizes the group’s credo: “Jesus is my rock star and I am his groupie.”

Explains the group’s leader Brian Taylor, “The formula and motto for our music is ‘God's Word + Today's Sound.’ We want to make up-to-date music that competes with everything (secular and religious) that is out today.”

What distinguishes The Preacher Kids from many other urban Christian groups that use similar musical contrivances is that the lyrics are relevant, the melodies are bright, and the arrangements and production are fresh, brisk and compelling. Each of the five tracks I heard was equally strong and powerful, though “Pray” had the most potent combination of melody and ambience and cries out for a house-style remix.

Taylor manages the Atlanta-based group from Los Angeles, which can complicate things, but he says they take a “divide and conquer” approach: “We all perform the same songs individually, but come together for some performances.”

The Preacher Kids sing with such urgency you might think the fate of the world rests on their shoulders. Maybe it does.

You can find their music on iTunes.

gPod Picks: “Rockstar,” “Pray,” “Feed the Faith,” “I’m Blessed,” “Rescue Me.”