Blue Chip & Specialist - Ground Zero

Blue Chip & Specialist
Ground ZeroArete Music Group (2008)
http://www.chipandspec.com/

On “Clear the Air,” a track from their 2008 CD Ground Zero, Christian hip hop artists Gerard Henning (aka Blue Chip) and Rudy Ramos (Specialist) announce, “If you don’t know my story, you won’t understand my praise.”

That line could have opened the duo's second official CD.  The album is packed with stark testimonies about going “from the street to the pulpit.”

Also known as BOANERGES, the Louisville, Kentucky duo Blue Chip & Specialist have been involved in Christian hip hop since 1999. They were part of the Righteous Riders tour and have shared the stage with artists from Pettidee to Kirk Franklin.

I don’t know if the the duo’s rhyme-stories are autobiographical, but their tales are distinctive because they don’t begin with the protagonist knee-deep in the thug life. Rather, they show how he or she got there in the first place.

For example, “Freedom” suggests the tipping point could be a parents’ mean-spirited divorce. With jarring Middle Eastern-sounding beats as its soundtrack (the duo favors exotic beats), “Who is He to You” is about a young boy whose direction is set “in middle school, when I started packing a weapon.” But on the latter track, the hero accepts Christ after learning that the Son of God was not “weak” but endured unimaginable torture and cheated death.  Here was someone who could be the "leader of my squad."

For those whose testimonies are not so extreme, “Freedom” describes how everyday problems can make or break a person's destiny. “Nothing” and “Runaway” talk about common temptations of the flesh and the struggle to stay faithful and saved when bedroom eyes are smiling.

“I Want to Trust You,” with its familiar melody, is the most radio-friendly selection. It suggests a relationship with Christ is like any other relationship: based on trust.

If kingdom warriors stomp on the devils’ head, on Ground Zero, Blue Chip & Specialist call him out and beat him down with brute lyrical force.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “I Want to Trust You,” “Clear the Air.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

"Power in the Blood" - Pastor J. Jasper Wilkins, Jr. & the Voices of WCC

“Power in the Blood”
Pastor J. Jasper Wilkins, Jr. & the Voices of WCC
From the CD/DVD Hymns for HimWake Chapel Church (2010)
www.cdbaby.com/cd/PastorJJasperWilkinsJr

While Pastor J. Jasper Wilkins, Jr.’s debut CD Hymns for Him gives old church songs a contemporary touch – “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” has a slow swagger, Bill Withers-style – “Power in the Blood” is one hundred percent traditional.

Mother Virginia Gary serves as singer-evangelist, leading the Voices of WCC on a pulse-racing version of the congregational “blood hymn.” Gary’s raw vocal, reminiscent of the iconic Mama Burks of Mississippi Mass, gives the selection a straight outta church feeling, while the hard-charging chorus section solos alternate from the left and right channels.

Pastor Wilkins and the Voices of WCC are from Wake Chapel Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

"The Power of God" - Bishop Samuel R. Johnson, Sr.

“The Power of God”
Bishop Samuel R. Johnson, Sr.
From the forthcoming CD The Sounds of Living Water
Royalton Records/In Season Records/Universal Music Christian Group
Single available on iTunes.

When Bishop Samuel R. Johnson, Sr. sings “The Power of God,” he seems to be having a good time.

As if to prove it, Johnson, his sandy voice a deeper version of Rance Allen's, scats the intro.

“The single really speaks to how people find themselves lost in life and are searching for an answer,” the Bishop explains, “and it’s the power of God that will bring you out every time.”

The musicians support the song’s message of patience and hope with an easy loping bass, hot brass section, viscous chord changes and an antiphonal chorus.

Bishop Johnson is pastor and founder of Living Water World Ministries in Dayton, Ohio and the spiritual father of 27 churches of Alpha Omega Bethel Churches of India. “The Power of God,” the debut single from the forthcoming The Sounds of Living Water, is available on iTunes.

"Unmerited Favor" - Rhonda Thomas

“Unmerited Favor”
Rhonda Thomas
From the CD Listen (2010)
Rhonvocals Productions/HNL Records
www.rhondasings.com

“People sometimes ask me, do I have a problem with the music that I sing?”

When Rhonda Thomas posits this question at the outset of “Unmerited Favor,” you know she’s heard it plenty of times before.

The Atlanta-based soul songstress uses the selection to explain that you don’t have to wear a choir robe or sit in church to receive favor. The most important thing you can do, she concludes, is to use the gifts He gave you (in her case, music and singing) to give back to the kingdom. And since favor is unmerited, who’s to say what kind of music God likes or doesn’t like?

Or as Elder Utah Smith once stated, all music is God’s music. So there.

Thomas includes this contemporary inspirational piece on her new neo-soul album, Listen.

Totally Dedicated - QuarTemporary

Totally Dedicated
QuarTemporary
http://www.totallydedicated.net/
Available on iTunes (2010)

The name of Totally Dedicated’s new album, QuarTemporary, is evocative of the music within.

The members of this Louisville, Kentucky-based group are Charles "Noo" Simmons, Ben "Black" Bush, Raymond "Three" Noah, Steve "Stuff" Frazier, Demarcus Everett and Ricky Wiggington.

Like Commissioned and the Soul Seekers, Totally Dedicated fuses old-school quartet soul – the sweat-soaked sound of the B3 and acrobatic guitar licks – with tuneful songs artfully arranged to resonate with a contemporary gospel audience.

Their high tenor harmonies are sweet, soulful, smooth and classy. At the same time, they can be powerfully polyrhythmic, as on "Me and Jesus" and the techno-infused “Victorious.” At the other extreme, “Holding On” is a slow, moody, piano-accompanied ballad of encouragement on which the quartet renders complex harmonies in a Take 6 style.

Totally Dedicated can also deliver drive-tempo songs, literally true on “Ridin’.” Here, the lead sings “I’ve got Jesus ridin’ with me” while the group chants a hypnotic vamp in the background. “In Spite of Myself” is another driver, with the guitarist firing off hot licks like a modern day Howard Carroll.

Lyrically, the guys “from the ‘Ville” know that things aren’t always hunky dory. On “Pride of Life,” they take on “preachers and singers talking about everything but the Word.” The group admits they themselves aren’t perfect on “Still Got Work.”

Christian rapper God’s Man intones rhythmic rhymes on “In Jesus’ Name” and “Me and Jesus.”

All of the selections on QuarTemporary are top-notch in terms of melody, lyricism and production. Totally Dedicated is a group deserving of major label attention.

Five of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Pride of Life,” “Ridin’,” “In Spite of Myself.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Gospel Quartet & Soul Singer James Phelps Dead at 78

Julien Crue', a radio announcer and journalist in France, alerted TBGB to the sad news below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gospel and R&B singer James Phelps, who performed with soul greats including Lou Rawls and Sam Cooke, has died in Los Angeles. He was 78.

Elder Lee M. Harris, who co-wrote an autobiography of Phelps, said the singer died Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital, apparently from complications of diabetes.

Phelps was born in Shreveport, La. In his late teens he moved to Chicago, where he performed with several gospel groups including the Gospel Songbirds, the Holy Wonders and the Soul Stirrers. It was with the Holy Wonders that Phelps performed with Rawls. He met Cooke while a member of the Soul Stirrers.

Phelps was a founder of the group Clefs of Calvary and had a hit single "Love is a Five-Letter Word" in 1965 with Chess Records.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

SGM Refreshed By Fire Contest!

Greetings, readers!

The first five individuals to email TBGB at bob@gospelmemories.com with the correct answer to this question will win a copy of Shekinah Glory Ministry’s new CD, Refreshed By Fire, courtesy of Kingdom Records and The Black Gospel Blog.

Q: What Shekinah Glory Ministry song title is also the name of a 1970s progressive rock group?

HINT: The song has been reviewed on The Black Gospel Blog.

Jai Reed - Jai Reed

Jai Reed
Jai Reed
TLR Entertainment (2010)
www.tlrentertainment.com

Near the conclusion of his recently-released sophomore project, the New Orleans native and Stellar-nominated Jai Reed sings “Everything Must Change.” It’s a lyrically imaginative evocation of change as the one constant in life, but a constant to inspire optimism and wonderment, not fear or anxiety.

Indeed, Reed's self-titled CD is an evocation of change. The project changes in musical hue as the running time rolls forward. Power P&W shifts to traditional, then to urban contemporary gospel, R&B, and even a gentle touch of jazz.

The constant throughout the album is Reed’s expressive, elastic tenor voice, which also has a palette of hues. For example, Reed powers up on the single, “Praise,” but turns smoky and introspective on “Everything Must Change.” In his vocal runs, one hears shades of Stevie Wonder and Al Green.

Guest vocalists include Bishop Lester Love, who on “Secret Place” is the only one on the project who hits higher notes than Reed. Chicagoan Maurice Griffin, 2007 winner of GMWA’s Gospel Treasure competition and a singer whose voice is really maturing, joins on “How Much You Mean to Me.” Female vocalist Yessa Nessa Williams duets with Reed on “Love Ya” a composition she co-wrote with Jamal Batiste. Williams' voice is another constant on the album, firming up the always-fine background ensemble singing.

While “Praise” and “How Much You Mean to Me” are the album’s singles, the sacred love ballads “Have I Told You,” “Love Ya” and “Secret Place” are more striking tracks simply because they are melodic and, more importantly, allow Reed room to stretch out and improvise on the vocal line. Similarly, Reed gives the gospel hymn, “Farther Along,” a good, old-fashioned flatfooted gospel singer treatment. These kinds of songs are his sweet spot.

Jai Reed is a remarkable singer who is just plain satisfying to listen to.  He makes singing sound effortless, and the more space he has to improvise, the more satisfying it is.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Everything Must Change,” “Secret Place,” “Have I Told You.”

Here are the 26th Annual Stellar Award Nominees

From a press release:

Nashville, TN - Signaling the countdown to Gospel music's biggest night of the year, the Stellar Gospel Music Awards returned to Music City with a first-ever special one-hour live telecast of this year's nominations, "The Stellar Awards Nomination Concert and Announcements Hosted by Donnie McClurkin" on Atlanta-based GMC Network.

Nominees for the 26th Annual Stellar Awards were announced during the live telecast on October 23 from Nashville's Mt. Zion Baptist Church. A special encore telecast is slated to air on Tuesday, October 26 at Midnight (EST)/11PM (CST).

With nominations revealed in twenty-seven categories, gospel music powerhouse James Fortune & FIYA led this year's nominees, earning an impressive eight nods. Veteran superstars BeBe & CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond and Marvin Sapp drew seven nominations each. BeBe & CeCe Winans also received three solo nominations.

The 26th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Show will be taped before a live audience on Saturday, January 15, 2011 and is scheduled to air in syndication from January 22 to March 13, 2011. The show will also broadcast on Saturday, March 6 at 8 p.m. EST on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC).

The telecast is open to the public and tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster (http://www.ticketmaster.com/). Ticket prices range from $35 - $200. For additional details, visit the Stellar Awards website (http://www.thestellarawards.com/).

The 26th Annual Stellar Awards Nominees are:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- FRED HAMMOND, LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- MARVIN SAPP, HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

SONG OF THE YEAR
- BEBE WINANS, CLOSE TO YOU - STILL, B&C/MALACO
- FRED HAMMOND, CALVIN RODGERS, PHILLIP FEASTER, ERICKA WARREN, MICHAEL BETHANY, & DYNNA WELLS, THEY THAT WAIT - LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- JAMES FORTUNE, C. FORTUNE, & T. VAUGHN, ENCORE - ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- MARVIN SAPP, THE BEST IN ME - HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- BYRON CAGE, FAITHFUL TO BELIEVE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- FRED HAMMOND, LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- J MOSS, JUST JAMES, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- MARVIN SAPP, HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
- CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- KAREN CLARK SHEARD, ALL IN ONE, KAREW RECORDS
- LUCINDA MOORE, BLESSED, BROKEN & GIVEN, TYSCOT RECORDS/JOYFULA RECORDS
- TAMELA MANN, THE MASTER PLAN, TILLYMANN MUSIC

GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- FOREVER JONES, GET READY, EMI GOSPEL
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- THE ANOINTED PACE SISTERS, ACCESS GRANTED, TYSCOT RECORDS

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- FOREVER JONES, GET READY, EMI GOSPEL
- KRISTINA HALLOWAY, FREE, SERUM/PSALMS GROUP UNIVERSAL MUSIC CHRISTIAN GROUP
- TRAVIS GREENE, STRETCHING OUT, PENDULUM RECORDS, LLC
- VICTORY CATHEDRAL CHOIR, SMOKIE NORFUL PRESENTS VICTORY CATHEDRAL CHOIR, TREMYLES MUSIC/EMI GOSPEL

CD OF THE YEAR
- FRED HAMMOND, LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- J MOSS, JUST JAMES, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- MARVIN SAPP, HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

CHOIR OF THE YEAR
- BROOKLYN TABERNACLE CHOIR, DECLARE YOUR NAME, INTERGRITY/COLUMBIA
- JAMES HALL & VOICES OF CITADEL, WON'T IT BE WONDERFUL, MUSIC BLEND
- VICTORY CATHEDRAL CHOIR, SMOKIE NORFUL PRESENTS VICTORY CATHEDRAL CHOIR, TREMYLES MUSIC/EMI GOSPEL
- WILMINGTON CHESTER MASS CHOIR, HE'S BEEN GOOD, EMTRO GOSPEL

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
- AARON LINDSEY, HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- DONALD LAWRENCE, THE EXPERIENCE, EMI GOSPEL
- FRED HAMMOND, LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- JAMES FORTUNE, TERRANCE VAUGHN & AYRON LEWIS, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE

CONTEMPORARY GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- FOREVER JONES, GET READY, EMI GOSPEL
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- TRIN-I-TEE 5:7, LOVE, PEACE, JOY AT CHRISTMAS, MUSIC WORLD GOSPEL

TRADITIONAL GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
- JAMES GREAR & COMPANY, DON'T WASTE ANOTHER DAY, HABBAKUK MUSIC
- THE ANOINTED PACE SISTERS, ACCESS GRANTED, TYSCOT RECORDS
- THE CHRISTIAN ANGELS, BRING IT TO THE ALTAR, 4 WINDS/MALACO
- THE MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY, AT THE REVIVAL, EMI GOSPEL

CONTEMPORARY MALE OF THE YEAR
- BYRON CAGE, FAITHFUL TO BELIEVE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- FRED HAMMOND, LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- J MOSS, JUST JAMES, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- JAMES FORTUNE, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE

TRADITIONAL MALE OF THE YEAR
- ALVIN DARLING, YOU CAN MAKE IT, EMTRO GOSPEL
- DARRELL HINES, DARRELL HINES LIVE, WHITE CANVAS RECORDS
- MARVIN SAPP, HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- MARVIN WINANS, TRIBUTE TO BISHOP G.E. PATTERSON, WORLD CLASS GOSPEL

CONTEMPORARY FEMALE OF THE YEAR
- CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- KAREN CLARK SHEARD, ALL IN ONE, KAREW RECORDS
- LISA PAGE BROOKS, STRONG, HABBAKUK MUSIC
- TAMELA MANN, THE MASTER PLAN, TILLYMANN MUSIC

TRADITIONAL FEMALE OF THE YEAR
- FREDERICKA FAISON, BRING IT TO THE ALTAR, 4 WINDS/MALACO
- LUCINDA MOORE, BLESSED, BROKEN & GIVEN, TYSCOT RECORDS/JOYFULA RECORDS
- SHIRLEY CAESAR, A CITY CALLED HEAVEN, SHUBEL/LIGHT RECORDS
- VANESSA BELL ARMSTRONG, THE EXPERIENCE, EMI GOSPEL

CONTEMPORARY CD OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- FRED HAMMOND, LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- J MOSS, JUST JAMES, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE

TRADITIONAL CD OF THE YEAR
- JAMES HALL & VOICES OF CITADEL, WON'T IT BE WONDERFUL, MUSIC BLEND
- MARVIN SAPP, HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- SHIRLEY CAESAR, A CITY CALLED HEAVEN, SHUBEL/LIGHT RECORDS
- VANESSA BELL ARMSTRONG, THE EXPERIENCE, EMI GOSPEL

URBAN/INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, CLOSE TO YOU - STILL, B&C/MALACO
- FOREVER JONES, HE WANTS IT ALL - GET READY, EMI GOSPEL
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE - ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- MARVIN SAPP, THE BEST IN ME - HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, CLOSE TO YOU - STILL, B&C/MALACO
- KIRK WHALUM FEATURING KEVIN WHALUM & LALAH HATHAWAY, MAKE ME A BELIVER - THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAZZ CHAPTER III, TOP DRAWER/RENDEZVOUS
- SHIRLEY CAESAR, PLAYGROUND IN HEAVEN - A CITY CALLED HEAVEN, SHUBEL/LIGHT RECORDS
- THE ANOINTED PACE SISTERS, IF I BE LIFTED UP - ACCESS GRANTED, TYSCOT RECORDS

TRADITIONAL CHOIR OF THE YEAR
- BROOKLYN TABERNACLE CHOIR, DECLARE YOUR NAME, INTERGRITY/COLUMBIA
- JAMES HALL & VOICES OF CITADEL, WON'T IT BE WONDERFUL, MUSIC BLEND
- VICTORY CATHEDRAL CHOIR, SMOKIE NORFUL PRESENTS VICTORY CATHEDRAL CHOIR, TREMYLES MUSIC/EMI GOSPEL
- WILMINGTON CHESTER MASS CHOIR, HE'S BEEN GOOD, EMTRO GOSPEL

CONTEMPORARY CHOIR OF THE YEAR
- GOD'S LITTLE SOLDIERS INTERNATIONAL,SOLDIER STORY, MOTOR CITY PRAISE/DETROIT INTERNATIONAL RECORDS
- MYRON BUTLER & LEVI, REVEALED LIVE IN DALLAS, EMI GOSPEL
- YOUTH FOR CHRIST, THANKS IN ADVANCE, EMTRO GOSPEL
- YOUTHFUL PRAISE FEATURING JJ HAIRSTON, RESTING ON HIS PROMISE, EVIDENCE GOSPEL/LIGHT RECORDS

SPECIAL EVENT CD OF THE YEAR
- BEBE & CECE WINANS, STILL, B&C/MALACO
- KIRK FRANKLIN, ARE YOU LISTENING, GOSPOCENTRIC/VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- VARIOUS ARTISTS, COCO BROTHER LIVE PRESENTS STAND 2010, TYSCOT RECORDS
- VARIOUS ARTISTS, WOW GOSPEL 2010, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

RAP HIP HOP GOSPEL CD OF THE YEAR
- DJ OFFICIAL, ENTERMISSION, REACH RECORDS
- EVERYDAY PROCESS, OUTTADISWORLD, CROSS MOVEMENT RECORDS
- SHO BARAKA, LIONS & LIARS, REACH RECORDS
- TRIP LEE, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, REACH RECORDS

CHILDRENS PROJECT OF THE YEAR
- GOD'S LITTLE SOLDIERS INTERNATIONAL, SOLDIER STORY, MOTOR CITY PRAISE/DETROIT INTERNATIONAL RECORDS
- KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE, KINGDOM KIDS WORLDWIDE VOLUME 1, HEADSTRATE ENTERTAINMENT
- THE VELASQUEZ FAMILY SINGERS, WHILE WE STILL HAVE TIME, Z.A.V.E. RECORDS
- YOUTH FOR CHRIST, THANKS IN ADVANCE, EMTRO GOSPEL

QUARTET OF THE YEAR
- REV. F.C. BARNES & COMPANY, THE OLD TIME WAY, AIR GOSPEL/MALACO
- THE CHRISTIAN ANGELS, BRING IT TO THE ALTAR, 4 WINDS/MALACO
- THE GOLDEN WINGS QUARTET, KEEP BLESSING ME, 4 WINDS/MALACO
- THE MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY, AT THE REVIVAL, EMI GOSPEL

RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING OF THE YEAR
- CAMERON HILSON & MARK NEUBAUER, FOREVER JONES - GET READY, EMI GOSPEL
- DENISE TROTMAN, MARVIN SAPP-HERE I AM, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP
- DEREK BLANKS & KEN BARBOZA, BEBE & CECE WINANS - STILL, B&C/MALACO
- JEFF GILLIGAN, FRED HAMMOND - LOVE UNSTOPPABLE, VERITY GOSPEL MUSIC GROUP

PRAISE AND WORSHIP CD OF THE YEAR
- DARWIN HOBBS, DARWIN HOBBS LIVE: CHAMPION, IMAGO DEI
- JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, ENCORE, BLACKSMOKE MUSIC WORLDWIDE
- PHIL TARVER, PLACE OF WORSHIP, KINGDOM RECORDS, INC.
- THE ANOINTED PACE SISTERS, ACCESS GRANTED, TYSCOT RECORDS

SPECIAL AWARDS -- HONOREES / NOMINEES

THOMAS A. DORSEY MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Kirk Franklin

AMBASSADOR DR. BOBBY JONES LEGEND AWARD
Vanessa Bell Armstrong

JAMES CLEVELAND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Donald Lawrence

SMALL MARKET RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
- WHLW-FM 104.3, Montgomery, AL
- WFMV-FM 95.3, Columbia, SC
- KOKA-AM 980, Shreveport, LA
- WSOK-AM 1230, Savannah, GA

MEDIUM MARKET RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
- KPZK-FM 102.5, Little Rock, AR
- WJYD-FM 106.3, Columbus, OH
- WCGL-AM 1360, Jacksonville, FL
- WRJD-AM 1410, Durham, NC

LARGE MARKET RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
- WFMI-FM 100.9, Virginia Beach, VI
- WBBP-AM 1480, Memphis, TN
- WJMO-AM 1300, Cleveland, OH
- WCAO-AM 600, Baltimore, MD

MAJOR MARKET RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
- WPPZ PRAISE 103.9, Philadelphia, PA
- WGRB-AM 1390, Chicago, IL
- WEXL-AM 1340, Detroit, MI
- KHVN-AM 970, Dallas, TX

Kevin LeVar & One Sound - Let's Come Together (Deluxe Edition)

Kevin LeVar & One Sound

Let’s Come Together – Deluxe Edition

Habakkuk Music (2010)

http://www.habakkukmusic.com/

Another deluxe edition is due out tomorrow: Kevin LeVar & One Sound’s Let’s Come Together. 

The enhanced version of LeVar’s fine praise and worship project from 2008 includes all the songs from the original CD plus four new songs.  The companion DVD includes music videos, live concert and television footage, and more information on Kevin LeVar and his ministry.

You can read my review of the original project here and my interview with Kevin here.

Listening to Let’s Come Together - Deluxe Edition with fresh ears, I remain impressed by the quality of LeVar’s vocal delivery – commanding but soothing and always sincere – and the musical fusion that accompanies the P&W selections.  The ballads “A Heart that Forgives” (one of TBGB’s top songs of 2009) and “You Are Not Alone” are the album’s standout selections, but “I’ll Say Yes” is also a winner.  It’s LeVar’s breathlessly passionate acceptance of God’s calling.  For those who like worship songs with teeth, try “What-Cha Know about Jesus.”

Let’s Come Together features guest vocalists Chante Moore on “Atmosphere of Faith” and LeVar’s “godmother” from Refreshing Spring COGIC, Evangelist Myrna Summers, on the pleasant “Just Like You.”

One of the new songs, “I Love You So Much,” has an island flavor to it, which is completely fitting with the original’s musical eclecticism.  An acoustic version of “A Heart That Forgives,” also new, is even more poignant in its simplicity than the original.  The two other new songs are "Atmosphere of Faith," re-recorded with Chante Moore singing the duet; and "What-Cha Know About Jesus," which was rearranged and re-recorded especially for the new edition.

The Deluxe Edition DVD provides more information on LeVar’s project of social significance, the “Forgive and Live Campaign.”  It’s an initiative to “inspire one million acts of forgiveness” and it kicked off last month. 

Like Brian Courtney Wilson’s deluxe edition, also released this month, LeVar’s new package is a chance for late adopters of his artistry to learn more about the man and his music.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “A Heart That Forgives,” “You Are Not Alone,” “I’ll Say Yes.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.   

TBGB Pick of the Week: October 25, 2010

“You Hold My World”

Israel Houghton

From the Columbia CD Love God. Love People. (2010)

http://www.israelhoughton.net/

The first single from P&W star Israel Houghton’s new Abbey Road-recorded CD, “You Hold My World” is a super-sized praise and worship song about God’s constant care.

A one-song sampler of sounds, it fuses a wind-chime world music intro, melodic verses and a pounding contemporary gospel chorus climax with an overall effortlessness that only Israel could pull off.  The tension-release is extraordinary. 

And the delicate thud of the tonic chord at the end: was that a subtle nod to "A Day in the Life" by another famous Abbey Road denizen?

"You Hold My World" is new fashion from an artist who thrives on new fashion, and succeeds with every change of season.

Mary Alessi - Pressing On

Mary Alessi
Pressing On
Miami Life Sounds (2010)
http://www.maryalessi.com/

Having experienced the flowing, atmospheric praise and worship style of her twin sister, Martha Munizzi, I was totally unprepared for, but pleasantly surprised by, the opening moments of Mary Alessi’s fourth release, Pressing On.

On the first few tracks of her fourth album, released last month, Mary jams out like Martha’s headphone-wearing rock star sister. The arrangements join sweet praise and worship lyrics with CCM melodies and pulse-pounding power pop. Michael Hodge’s electric guitar sizzles and stings while the beat sounds plucked from the Cars songbook.  Alessi attacks the lyrics like a saved and sanctified Joan Jett.

Munizzi makes a cameo appearance on one of the power pop pieces, the electrifying “More Than Conquerors.” The sisters ought to release an album together, performing songs that harken back to their roots as children in a family of traveling evangelists.

Midway through the project, and at just the right juncture, Alessi turns down the heat – she would have boiled over otherwise! – to render mellower praise ballads. Her estimable songwriting skills and command of melody and song structure stand out at this point, especially on the gorgeous ballad “Saturate Me” and the equally heartfelt title track.

About the title track: Alessi came up with the concept for "Pressing On” after her husband, Stephen, suffered a heart attack while the couple was vacationing.  The song is given an informal acoustic treatment here but would be a masterpiece if sung more slowly and to an orchestral arrangement with a heartbeat of a rhythm. Like most songs written from a deep well of emotional turmoil, “Pressing On” has legs and I suspect will be covered by other artists in time.

While most of the songs carry CCM melodies and rhythm, “Great Day” contains a touch of contemporary country.  The medley, “I’ll Come Running to You/Have Your Way in Me,” has more than a dash of contemporary gospel, with Alessi vamping bluesy at the end.

Songs such as “I Will Bless the Lord,” “I Love You,” and “I Surrender All,” the latter co-written with Aaron W. Lindsey, are more typically P&W in their embrace of drama and hypnotic introspection. The audience is singing along at this point in the service.  One can visualize a sea of arms waving in worshipful assent.

Pressing On is a well-crafted and superbly paced project with plenty to like about it. It was recorded live at Mary and Stephen Alessi’s Metro Life Church in Miami and signals Mary's debut as a producer. The album was released last month on the couple’s new Miami Life Sounds imprint.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “More Than Conquerors,” “Pressing On,” “Saturate Me.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Bishop Arthur Brazier Dies - Noted Pastor and Civil Rights Leader

TBGB learned from Veronica Williams this morning that Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, Pastor Emeritus of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, has passed away Friday, October 22 at the age of 89.

A note from Dr. Byron T. Brazier on the Apostolic Church of God website outlines the homegoing services:

Dear Congregation:

The arrangements for Bishop Brazier are as follows:

The body of Bishop Brazier will lie in state Thursday, October 28, from 12 noon to 6:30 p.m. at the church.

We will hold the homegoing service for the congregation on Thursday, October 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. This will be our time as a church family to celebrate Bishop Brazier's life.

On Friday, October 29, community, civic, and national leaders will honor Bishop Brazier. This viewing will occur from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. The service will begin at 11 a.m.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

According to his biography on the website, Bishop Brazier became pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in 1960 and served until 2008, when he retired.  While pastor he founded The Woodlawn Organization, "one of the most successful community organizations in the country."  He was the voice of those with no voice and worked hard to ensure equitable housing, jobs and living standards for the poor.

The bio also notes that, "For more than 30 years, [Bishop Brazier] served as Diocesan of the 6th Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, which included oversight of more than 80 churches in the state of Illinois." 

Apostolic Church of God, under Bishop Brazier, was known for its outstanding chorus, which sang in churches and institutions such as Orchestra Hall.

We join with Bishop Brazier's family and many friends, and the estimable congregation of the Apostolic Church of God, in mourning his passing and celebrating his entrance through the golden gates of Heaven and eternal happiness therein.

"Share Your Light With Me" - Angela

“Share Your Light With Me”

Angela

Available on iTunes

What I like about this single, written by Seth Tuffour and sung by female vocalist Angela, is that it features something akin to the Phil Spector Wall of Sound experience.

The opening strains of singsong piano and percussion give way to a dense cloud of instrumentation and choral singing that surrounds and eventually envelops Angela, whose voice is reminiscent of Ronnie Spector: equal parts confident and vulnerable. By the end, as Angela welcomes the light into her life, one can feel the cloud parting and the rays breaking through.

Tuffour, originally from Ghana, West Africa and now living in Denver, is an emerging gospel songwriter.

"He Cares" - Unique Sounds of Praise

“He Cares”
Unique Sounds of Praise
(private release, 2009)
www.showcaseyourmusic.com/usop

In the 1970s, Henry Branson, Dennis Taylor and Darrold Smith formed a vocal group called Black Sunrise. Smith shares, “We thought we were the next Delphonics or Temptations…well, you know, we had a dream, but life had something different for us.”

Henry, Dennis, Darrold are back and, with Samuel Johnson, have reformed as Unique Sounds of Praise.

Their group name and purpose may have changed but their sound has not. “He Cares” is a sweet, swaying soul ballad in the classic 70s style of the Chi-Lites and Whispers. It is Dennis’ testimony after being healed from throat cancer, and sounds as if it came off a 45 rpm record, sans scratches.

When the group chants, “I should have been dead, sleeping in my grave/But Jesus spoke to death and made him behave,” you can visualize the quartet’s choreographed moves.

Unique Sounds of Praise is from the Indianapolis, Indiana area and just signed with a label this month, so watch for more details.

Catina Rosemond - Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken

Catina Rosemond
Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken
Selah Jah Records, LLC (2010)
www.catinacrosemond.com

Nearly ten years ago, gospel singer Catina Copeland Rosemond was in a car accident that left her horribly disfigured and nearly blind. Take a look at the back cover of her CD, Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken, and you will see several of the shocking before photos. Gaze again at the front cover, and you will think nothing ever happened.

Talk about a testimony.

Not surprisingly, the CD’s theme is about not giving up, realizing who is really in charge of your life, and the importance of prayer, praise and being thankful.

Rosemond was raised in the COGIC church under the musical tutelage of Mattie Moss and Twinkie Clark. She is a versatile vocalist, one of gospel’s new wave of multi-talented and eclectic female singers. Capable of lung-expanding gospel singing on the atmospheric “Perfect Peace,” Rosemond can also deliver Damita-style R&B swagger on “Neva Give Up” and combine a pillowy neo-soul texture with evangelistic fervor on a number of other album tracks.

“Give Me Your Heart,” a song featuring sharply-constructed rhymes from Kingdom Diplomats, turns up the heat to techno-dance intensity as it instructs the lost to return to Jesus, like a child to a parent, for direction, because He’s waiting. A bonus remix is included on the album, but it should also be given an extended version for gospel DJs or gospel skate nights (skate nights, do they still exist?).

Several guest vocalists complement Rosemond’s creamy style and bring out her best, too. Fiery duets with Shawn Bigby on “I Wanna” and Brandon Groves on “The Worship Never Ends” unite soulful crooners who open the performance in a mellow mood and close with luminous explosions of impassioned hard singing. “The Worship Never Ends” is especially interesting lyrically, as it tackles the perplexing question of how to make the Sunday praise experience last all week long.

Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken is expertly produced, thanks to a team of pedigreed producers including husband (and Selah Jah label owner) Alfred Rosemond, former Atlantic Records artist James Owens, and Stellar-nominated Alphaeus Anderson (Pure-N-Heart).

The incomparable title track features Chiccy Baritone’s spoken word chronicle of Rosemond’s auto accident and recovery. With lines such as “a misplaced eye/That was visibly hanging on securely to an optic nerve,” it’s not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, by the time Rosemond is singing her thanks to God for the miracle in becoming “whole and complete” again, you are shaking your head in awed disbelief and joining in her gratitude.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Give Me Your Heart,” “Perfect Peace.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Stellar Awards Nominees to be Announced on Live Telecast October 23

On Saturday, October 23, 2010, Central City Productions will present the first-ever live telecast of the Stellar Awards Nomination Concert and Announcements.

The telecast will be aired live on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC) at 7:00 p.m. Saturday from the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Antioch, Tennessee.

Stellar and Grammy Award-winning gospel music artist Donnie McClurkin will host the live one-hour telecast, with a special 5:30 p.m. pre-show hosted by NBC's WSMV-TV weekend anchor Jonathan Martin.

The telecast will provide details on the nominees, performers, presenters, taping information, red carpet arrivals, ticket prices and "Fan Favorite" voting. The press conference will also announce award recipients for the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award, the Thomas A. Dorsey Most Notable Achievement Award and the Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones Legends Award.

Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones and gospel artists Lucinda Moore, Joe Pace, VaShawn Mitchell, Bishop Neal Roberson, and Jessica Reedy will appear, along with other special guests.

Gospel Choirs Create "Unique Global Vision," Courtesy of CNN

Talk about a mass choir!

CNN asked church choirs across the country to do their version of Andrae Crouch's classic "The Blood Will Never Lose its Power."  They combined the results for one unified performance.

Check out the result below, reported by Dominique Ardoin of the Houston Examiner.

CNN Video: "The Blood Will Never Lose its Power"

The LoveTones - Jubilee

The LoveTones
Jubilee
Myracle Records (2002)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS9U0gu_dpw

With a name like the LoveTones, you’d think this New England–based group would be singing street corner vocal harmony classics such as “Lily Maybelle,” “A Thousand Miles Away” or “In the Still of the Night.”

Instead, they sing hymns and spirituals.

In fact, their 2002 release, Jubilee, is a rarity today: a CD dedicated completely to old hymns and spirituals or, as the front cover proclaims, “American songs that are a spiritual legacy to all people.”

Walter Cooper of the LoveTones reports that the a cappella group has been together for twenty years and has established a large following in the process. The group performs in a variety of venues, “from homeless shelters to grand ballroom events,” Cooper said, “and in secular as well as faith-based programs.”

On Jubilee, the LoveTones ensemble sometimes sings with the formality of jubilee singers (“Give Me Jesus”) and other times with the vocal flexibility of a quartet ("Amen"). Some selections get an a cappella treatment and others are backed with keyboard, bass and percussion.

The group is busy working on a new project to be released soon, and is promoting Jubilee in the meantime. Jubilee includes spiritual staples such as “Wade in the Water,” “Steal Away,” and “Deep River.” Despite their proclivity for hymns and spirituals, the LoveTones inject gospel techniques into their work. For example, the hymn “Near the Cross” includes some hard-singing by the lead, and “Glory, Glory” is an out-and-out congregational sing-along.

Most of the songs feature a lead vocalist, and some leads are stronger than others. You can see and hear the group ministering live on YouTube via the link above.

Three of Five Stars


gPod Picks: “Give Me Jesus,” “Glory, Glory.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Trin-i-tee 5:7 Goes from 3 to 2

From a press release:

Music World Gospel recording artists Trin-i-tee 5:7 announced on Monday their transition from a trio to a duo.

New Orleans natives and original group members, Chanelle Haynes and Angel Taylor will move forward as a duo and Adrian Anderson will pursue other career opportunities.

Chanelle Haynes and Angel Taylor have performed together since their days as high school classmates and have been best friends for nearly 20 years. As part of a group, they have professionally recorded together for 14 years.

“The evolution of Trin-i-tee 5:7 has come with many beautiful seasons, and great accomplishments,” said Taylor and Haynes. “We've been tremendously blessed to have been given the opportunity to inspire so many through our music. A new season has come upon us, and we realize by embracing this change, the best is yet to come. Now as a duo we look forward to sharing our hearts and souls with you through our music on our newest project, A New Day.”

The duo will release their forthcoming project, A New Day, in the first quarter of 2011.

Adrian Anderson officially joined Trin-i-tee 5:7 ten years ago in 2000, replacing former group member Terry Brown. “The season of transition has presented itself,” said Anderson. “I move forward to a new season, launching my beauty company, ‘Halo Tu' Beauty,’ which celebrates kindness, love and glamour, and working corporately in the entertainment/music industry. To all of our fans, I love you and will continue to share my artistry and creativity in various ways. I partner with you in my new journey.”

The Stars of Heaven - Wait On the Lord

The Stars of Heaven
Wait On the Lord
MSR Group (2010)
www.myspace.com/starsofheaven

Chicago’s hometown favorite the Stars of Heaven is a hard-singing female quartet in the tradition of the Gospel Harmonettes, Caravans and the Davis Sisters. They can be heard regularly on quartet programs in and around the Chicago area.

Wait on the Lord is a no-frills live recording of the quartet ministering to an appreciative audience at the Victory Temple Church of the Living God, Temple #1, where the pastor is Overseer T. Cooper. The recording captures what quartets can do when they have an entire program to themselves: perform extended versions of their songs, such as the title track, which on the CD is given an eleven-minute extension.

The album’s two drive songs, “Just in Time” and “Help Me Lord,” are the CD’s best selections. “I Need the Lord” is a slower selection that gives the group ample space to sing, minister and shout hard. Similarly, “All of My Appointed Time” has a bluesy tempo that enables the ladies to stretch out and deliver their message like evangelists at a tent revival, unencumbered by the time limitations of a multi-artist program.

Speaking of the tempo, the drummer Isaac “Mella” Steward hits his toms so hard you swear he is going to bust right through the skins.

For those who have heard the Stars of Heaven on a quartet program, Wait On the Lord will be a welcome opportunity to relive their performance. For those who haven’t heard this quartet, the CD is a chance to get a feel for them live, which is the best way to hear gospel music anyhow.

The Stars of Heaven are Shelly Williams, Marilyn Liggins, Tenesha Hoskins, Denita Sanders Jackson and Lisa M. Spies.

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Just In Time,” “Help Me Lord.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Dr. James Abbington to Lead Baylor Presentation on Gospel

From a press release:

Black sacred music -- spirituals, gospel, Freedom Songs -- is the foundation for all American popular music. We wouldn't have rock, pop, rap, R&B, hip hop or soul without it,” said Robert Darden, associate professor at Baylor University’s department of journalism and media arts.

People will have a chance to learn more about that foundation at Spirits that Dwell in Deep Woods on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Paul Powell Chapel in Truett Seminary, located at the corner of 3rd and Dutton.

Dr. James Abbington, associate professor of church music and worship at Candler School of Theology at Atlanta’s Emory University, will lead the musical presentation on black gospel music.

“[Black gospel music’s] significance is that it is the music of a people and a culture that has developed throughout 20th century history that has formed, sustained and identified the Black Christians’ faith and experience,” Dr. Abbington said.

This musical presentation is part of an ongoing effort to promote the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project—started by Darden—that preserves black gospel music for future generations.

The event will include gospel spirituals, short lectures and demonstrations. Two pieces will be performed by The Heavenly Voices, a student gospel choir that started in 1988 and is the only gospel choir currently at Baylor.

The event is open to the public. A reception will be held following the event.

For more information go to:  www.baylor.edu/lib/index.php?id=77736

Joe Pace Presents Praise for the Sanctuary

Joe Pace Presents
Praise for the Sanctuary

Tyscot Records (2010)

www.tyscot.com

Tyscot Records has been busy releasing full-length albums of emotionally-charged praise and worship services.  Among these are Bishop Leonard Scott Presents My Worship Experience; Lucinda Moore’s Blessed, Broken and Given; and Joe Pace’s Praise for the Sanctuary, the latter to be released tomorrow.

Praise for the Sanctuary is the best of the lot.  Pace’s first album in three years is well executed with tuneful songs and a relentless vigor.  Recorded live at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio, where Rev. Mike Slaughter, Sr. is pastor, the album sequence follows the order of a Christian worship service with the inevitable gaps and energy lapses edited out.  

The album is packed with special guests, including several pastors from the Dayton, Ohio area who take turns delivering the Word before and after the musical selections.  Guest vocalists include Isaac Carree (Men of Standard), whose mighty voice expands the P&W ballad “Fill this Place” like air in a balloon.  Sunday Best champ from 2008 Crystal Aikin wails on the pounding choral outing, “Just Like He Said He Would,” an ode to God’s promises kept.  Norman “Jimmy” McDuffie leads the effusive classic congregational sing-along, “What a Mighty God,” while the musicians add a dash of spicy New Orleans jazz to the accompaniment.

The fetching and talented vocalist Tonya Baker provides the album’s finest moment when she gives “Speak a Word” a lovely and congregation-stirring reading.  When the choir delivers an old hymn, “Down at the Cross,” the chirping of the B3 in its opening moments telegraphs the traditional sound to come.  The album's first single, "And We are Glad," is a bouncy selection led by Pace and Koerry Mitchell.  

Praise for the Sanctuary not only extends Minister Pace’s line of church worship products, it may also be the line's best offering.

Five of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Speak a Word,” “And We are Glad,” “Down At the Cross.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

TBGB Pick of the Week: October 18, 2010

“Real True Love”
Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson
From the CD Kerry Douglas Presents Gospel Mix Vol. IV
Blacksmoke Music Worldwide 2010
www.myspace.com/blacksmokemusicworldwide

It appears as if, in addition to the smash “I Believe,” Gospel Mix IV has produced yet another hit. This time, it's “Real True Love” by Keith "Wonderboy" Johnson.

An enthusiast and preservationist of the old time quartet sound, Johnson summons for "Real True Love" the tanginess and grit of Memphis Soul in arrangement and with hard shouting vocals borne straight from the gut. 

He preaches that real true love cannot be found on the Internet, in books, or material things: “true love can only come from one place – it starts with Jesus, Mary’s little baby.”

Brian Courtney Wilson on Just Love - Deluxe Edition

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Earlier this month, Music World Gospel released the Deluxe Edition of Brian Courtney Wilson’s solo debut CD Just Love.

The Deluxe Edition includes all of the songs from the Billboard-charting album plus five songs not on the original. In addition to the CD, the package includes a DVD of Brian's live performances at Bethany Baptist Church in New Jersey, where Bishop David G. Evans is pastor.

Wilson took time from his tour schedule last week to talk with TBGB about the Deluxe Edition.

“We decided to do a Deluxe Edition of Just Love as a thank you to our supporters,” Brian explained. “We've added more songs and a DVD, so I call it Just Love on steroids!"

He's hoping that the Deluxe Edition also expands his base of support. "We have three songs on the radio right now: ‘Already Here,’ ‘Just Love,’ and ‘All I Need.’ But people are still putting a name and a face to what we’ve been doing. This is our opportunity to connect the dots for them."

Of the five new tracks, three were released on other projects over the past couple of years. This is the first time they are together on one CD.  Wilson gave TBGB a description of each:

“Awesome God”
"It’s the new single. It was first recorded years ago when I was with the Windsor Village Choir in Houston. It was a regional hit in Houston for a very long time. When we did the first record, I decided to go a different direction and did not include the song, but when we had the opportunity to add more music, I knew we had to include it. There had been a lot of people looking for that song on the first record."

“Monday’s Pain.”
I love this song! It’s my attempt to give voice to the disconnect we sometimes feel between the emotional highs we experience on Sundays, with all the pageantry, the choirs and the preaching, and what happens on Monday when all that’s gone and you have to go back to real life."

“The Only Way”
"This song talks about the marriage between purpose and pain. A lot of times, there’s discomfort when you are chasing after purpose, and some people think that means you are going in the wrong direction. But many times it means you are going in the right direction. Sometimes it’s easy to stop loving when you are dealing with the fence, or feel like you have to go into a cave and hide, but you have to keep standing, you have to keep loving, and you have to trust in God to see you through."

“The Word”
"It’s just a really simple song, especially for people who are not in church. It’s just something everybody can relate to. ‘I heard a word one day/God spoke to me and this is what I had to say.’"

“This Christmas”
"Donny Hathaway is a huge inspiration. I had a crush on a girl in college and she told me I sounded like Donny Hathaway, but I hadn’t heard of him. So I looked him up immediately, and I listened, and I found that there was so much emotion in what he’s singing. His music is technically sound, and he’s emotionally rich as well. That’s what I love about him."

Has life changed since Wilson’s success on the Billboard charts?

"I find that more people celebrate you now, they anticipate your arrival," Wilson answered. "They tell you how your songs changed their lives, and I love that part of it. But I’m also gone more from my family, so that’s a challenge. That’s the nature of the business: you have to get out there and continue to promote and sing, and provide a way to continue your ministry."

What would he say to someone trying to get into the gospel music industry?

"The first thing is to find a community where you can serve and develop things of value that people need. I started volunteering at church and coming up with the right songs for that community. I did things over and over again. Some Sundays I failed miserably, but I kept going and was able to come up with an approach that was authentic to who I am.

"You have to let your ministry take root," he continued. "I just worked at church on Sundays and kept doing it and doing it, even when I didn’t feel like it. That is what this record is about."

Wilson also talked about the 25-city tour on which he has already embarked. "We are reconnecting with media outlets that have shown us love and introducing ourselves in other cities where they are playing the record but haven’t been able to put a face and name with it."

The American Heart Association tour is mixed in as well. "It’s called the 'Most Powerful Voices' tour, and it is headlined by Marvin Sapp," Wilson said.

"They asked me to be an ambassador for the 'Power to End Stroke' in the African American community. We are three times more likely to experience stroke over any other demographic. It’s the number one contributor to disability in our community as well, and largely preventable through lifestyle choices. I’m excited about [the program] because we are going to do what the church has always done, and that is to quickly disseminate some great information to a group of people. We’re going to sing some songs and spread the word out there for the American Heart Association."

Meanwhile, Wilson is at work “writing and listening for songs and tweaking the ones we have. I don’t consider myself a prolific songwriter.  Songs don’t just roll off my tongue. But I believe God will provide more, and when He doesn’t, I’ll stop."

Photo: Brian Courtney Wilson with Bob Marovich

Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild Celebrates Fifteen Years

Congratulations to President Dennis Cole and the Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild on a successful Fifteenth Year Anniversary Celebration this weekend.

Goldstreet Gospel Music (http://www.goldstreetgospel.com/) sponsored the Saturday luncheon, bringing its roster of talented artists to minister to anniversary summit attendees.

Among the Goldstreet artists who sang Saturday were Asalena Elliott (above, left) and Jamie Simond (above, right). Both are singers to watch in 2011.

At left, LaVarnga Hubbard shouts down the aisles during the evening's musical program.



Enjoying the music are gospel royalty Dr. Charles G. Hayes (below, left) and the Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer's Warriors longtime choir director Chedwick Allen Cathey (below, right).

Quartets Honored at Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild Anniversary

Five quartets were honored last night at a special quartet program that was part of the Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild annual summit weekend.



The event, held at Greater Harvest Baptist Church on Chicago's south side, recognized the Soul Stirrers, Pilgrim Jubilees, Inspirational Charms, Christland Singers and Victory Travelers for their excellence in quartet singing.  Tyrone Porter (left), GMWA Quartet President, served as master of ceremonies.



Representing the various groups were some of their legendary lead singers such as Willie Rogers (Soul Stirrers), Clay Graham (Pilgrim Jubilees) and Deacon Reuben Burton (Victory Travelers).

Evelyn Turrentine-Agee (above) was the headline performer on a program that included the Douglas Sisters and Victory Travelers (below). Graham shared harrowing stories about what the Pilgrim Jubilees encountered on the road during the days of Jim Crow.



TBGB's Bob Marovich was honored and humbled to help present the honors to the quartets.

Hats off to Tyrone Porter; Dennis Cole, Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild President; and Zadella "Mama" Curtis for organizing last night's celebration.

Photos: Bob Marovich

Puchi Colon - Salsa Praise 2

Puchi Colon
Salsa Praise 2
LGR Records (2008)
http://www.puchicolon.com/

Psalm 150 instructs us to praise God with the sound of the trumpet, the lyre and harp, the tambourine, flute, and cymbals.

To this list of instruments, Puchi Colon adds congas, timbale, bongos, maracas, and a hot brass section.

He calls it “Salsa Praise.”

If you are not familiar with Puchi (pron. poo-chee) Colon, he is a Christian artist who blends Latin music, jazz, tropical sounds, CCR and gospel into his distinctive style of praise and worship. He began recording in 1996 and just released another Spanish-language album, Que No Pare (Don’t Stop the Praise).

Salsa Praise 2 is the follow-up to Colon’s 2002 Salsa Praise, his first salsa album in English. On the first album, Colon spiced up well-known gospels such as the Winans’ “Tomorrow” and old hymns such as “At the Cross,” making each sound as if it were destined for salsa treatment.

The follow-up finds some of that – there's a cover of MercyMe’s smash “I Can Only Imagine” – but Colon writes a fair number of tracks, too, either alone or with his wife, JoAnn (incidentally, JoAnn’s lead vocal on “Stubborn Love,” from the first Salsa Praise, is pure delight).

While the first album was more melodic, the second favors rhythm and brass, as if Miami Sound Machine were recording an inspirational album, with Colon subbing for Gloria Estevan. In many ways, Colon’s gently flowing vocals sound like a male Estevan.

“We Wanna Worship” is the choice track on Salsa Praise 2, and it is offered twice: as a salsa performance and as a pop version. The salsa performance is superior to the pop version because of its polyrhythmic tempo and muscular musicianship. The comparison demonstrates how much firepower a Latin arrangement, skillfully rendered, can add to a song.

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “We Wanna Worship.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

"Serenity" - Kenny Wesley; "He Did It All for You" - Marshall Badger

“Serenity” – Kenny Wesley

“He Did It All for You” – Marshall Badger

From The Contemporary Soul Songbook Vol. 3

Soul Unsigned Records (2010)

www.soulunsigned.com

Soul Unsigned Records is a UK-based label dedicated to supporting unsigned and independent soul, funk, and jazz artists from around the world.  The label has a weekly radio show that airs on FM and Internet stations in the UK, US, Sweden, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Lithuania, Canada, and Brazil.

Soul Unsigned also provides exposure to promising new artists through its popular various artists compilations.  The latest comp, The Contemporary Soul Songbook Vol. 3, features inspirational tracks by Kenny Wesley and Marshall Badger. 

Wesley, an urban inspirational artist, delivers “Serenity.”  It is an easy rolling piece with an ever-so-slight disco bass line that demonstrates the singer's conscious or subconscious emulation of Stevie Wonder in musical style and vocals.  Wesley also assumes the role of Christ, reassuring his people to "stop worrying, the victory is already won."

Badger is an inspirational jazz musician, his deft guitar styles reaching back to Wes Montgomery.  His “He Did It All for You” is smooth, calming and atmospheric.  Silky female vocals remind the listener of how Christ “took your place” to save you, “even though you didn’t deserve it.”  It's a bitter pill, but it goes down easy.

"Reign" - Eric Carrington

“Reign”
Eric Carrington
From The Eric Carrington Project, Vol. 2 – Amplified Prayze
Divine Line Records (2010)
http://www.ericcarrington.com/

Urban contemporary gospel artist Eric Carrington of Houston, Texas is back with the follow-up to The Eric Carrington Project, Vol. 1. – Relationship. This time the topic is “Amplified Prayze.”

“Reign” the first single from the new project, is a self-acknowledged head-bobbing praise outing. The background singers make full use of the play on words, asking God to send the rain/reign while chanting “I need your anointing/fall fresh on me.”

Eric weaves in and out of the mix, encouraging the singers and offering interjectory commentary. He then announces, “where I’m from, we do it a little something like this” and charms out the song's inner polyrhythms like snakes from a bottle.

"Electrified by Jesus" (Gospel Radio Mix) - Grandpa Crunk feat. Tracy Clark

“Electrified by Jesus” (Gospel Radio Mix)
Grandpa Crunk feat. Tracy Clark
From Project Electrified by Jesus (2010)
http://electrifiedbyjesus.tripod.com/

You might say that Grandpa Crunk (aka D.J. Seko VArner) is a line dance connoisseur. His first release was 2008's The Hula Slide. The current release, “Electrified By Jesus,” is another line dance, but with a Christian foundation.

DJ Seko explains that “Electrified by Jesus” was birthed out of the 2004 Praise Parties events performed by Positive Vibes DJs. The events featured gospel music as a playlist and secular soul line dance songs to ensure that the partygoers had fun. To make it more interesting, DJ Seko began creating versions of songs such as “The Electric Slide” with Christian aspects mixed in the songs. Voila!

His “Electrified by Jesus” definitely riffs on the classic “Electric Slide,” complete with '80s stepper vibe, but lead vocalist Tracy Clark's directive is to “get your praise on.”

Terry Frazier & the Tears of Joy - Keep Lookin' to the Hills

Terry Frazier & the Tears of Joy
Keep Lookin’ to the Hills
Firstlite Records (2010)
www.myspace.com/terryfrazierthetearsofjoy

Terry Frazier declares his personal testimony at the start of the title track: “I’m from the old school, I love old school, and I’m always gonna be old school."

Carlos Gregg then strikes up the “old key” on his guitar, and the Tears of Joy join Frazier on a bluesy, languorous medley of wooden church songs.

It’s not surprising that Frazier is old school. He and the Tears of Joy hail from Hartsville, South Carolina, deep in the heart of traditional quartet territory. Their EP Keep Lookin' to the Hills speaks to their musical proclivities, sporting soulful songs such as the title track and the optimistic and drive-tempo “God Can,” the latter featuring a fistful of hard-shouting during the vamp.

The EP concludes with “Heaven Is Just Down the Road," a wistful discourse on the land beyond the river and how one must live to get there. It concludes with a remembrance of quartet singers who have been an inspiration to the group, men such as Willie Neal Johnson, Robert Blair and Tommy Ellison who have gone on down that very road recently.

In addition to Frazier, the Tears of Joy are Michael Grady, Joseph Ricks, Cornelius Bush, Min. Bernard Stevenson, Brandon Brown, and Chad Frazier.

Keep Lookin’ to the Hills is short but to the point.

Three of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “God Can.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

TBGB Pick of the Week: October 11, 2010

“Awesome God”
Brian Courtney Wilson
From the Music World Gospel CD Just Love - Deluxe Edition (2010)
http://www.musicworldgospel.com/

Brian Courtney Wilson originally presented Luke Mercer’s worship anthem “Awesome God” with the choir at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston. It is one of the new recordings Wilson included on the Deluxe Edition (CD & DVD) of his debut album, Just Love. It is also one of his finest vocal moments since “All I Need.”

Stan Jones and Castro Coleman are among the musicians, and Brandon Mitchell and Singers with a Purpose provide additional vocals for the new single.

“Awesome God” is an achingly beautiful and majestically arranged testimony that demonstrates the depth of the singer-hymnist’s passion and power. In an era of sound-alike worship songs, this one stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Remembering Albertina Walker...

One way to keep Queen Albertina Walker in your heart is through her music. 

Enjoy this hour-long program dedicated to the music of Albertina Walker.  It aired live yesterday morning on WLUW's "Gospel Memories," the home of the pioneers and legends of gospel music.

Click here to listen:  Gospel Memories Salutes Albertina Walker

Hear Albertina from the beginning of her recording career: as a new member of the Caravans with Robert Anderson (1952) and the Caravans' debut solo recording for States (1952).  Listen and remember some of her memorable lead vocals during the 1950s and 1960s, and "I Can Go to God in Prayer" from 1981.

Photo courtesy of the Robert Marovich Gospel Music Collection.

Bishop Kenneth Robinson & Chosen - Looking Out for Me

Bishop Kenneth Robinson & Chosen
Looking Out for Me
New Season Records 2010

Looking Out for Me, the new CD by Arkansas’ Bishop Kenneth Robinson & Chosen, not only captures the essence of the group’s live performance, but of gospel quartets in general. It is clearly the product of a seasoned group with a well-tuned and time-tested live program.

The opening track, “After Awhile,” stamps the project as staunchly traditional with its quartet backbeat and bluesy electric guitar riffs. Henceforward, one track blends with another as the quartet improvises, testifies, teases the audience with its penchant for repeated codas, and delivers extended vamps. The album moves along at a crisp pace, keeping the audience captivated.

Bishop Robinson & Chosen, whose hard-shouting leads and muscular harmonies are reminiscent of the Mighty Clouds of Joy and Slim and the Supreme Angels, are particularly effective on up-tempo tracks such as “Marching” and “Ticket.” The latter is a variation on the quintessential gospel train inquiry: “I’ve got my ticket, can I ride?” The quartet performs the spritely spiritual “Standing in the Need of Prayer” (as “It’s Me Oh Lord”) in an uncharacteristic languorous blues mood, but it works.

Quartet audiences are legendary for their fealty to, and support of, their favorite groups, and Chosen’s audience doesn’t disappoint. While you cannot always hear the crowd on Looking Out for Me, when you do, they are encouraging and devoted.

Looking Out for Me is an enjoyable listen. By the conclusion, you feel as if you have just attended the group’s live program. If you have, Looking Out for Me is a true-to-life souvenir of the experience.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Marching,” “Ticket.”

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Various Artists - Texas Gospel Vols. 6 and 7

Various Artists

Texas Gospel: I Am Alpha and Omega (Vols. 6 & 7)

Acronym Records (2010)

http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/

Alas, all good things must come to an end. This includes the marvelous Texas Gospel collection.

Gospel historian Opal Nations released the final two-disc installment of the Peacock Records gospel singles collection that he has been compiling for UK-based Acrobat Records.

Volumes Six and Seven take their title from the Alpha and Omega Singers’ theme song, “I Am Alpha and Omega” (included on the set) and lead us on an aural journey through gospel music from 1958 (Peacock 1782) and 1959 (Peacock 1807).

Technically, Peacock was an indie label, but as far as gospel was concerned, it was a major. With the sobriquet “World’s Greatest Spirituals” stamped on its black label, Peacock Records had under contract some of the biggest artists of gospel’s Golden Era. Although the collection’s title implies that the music comes from Texas, it refers to Peacock's Houston headquarters. The artists hailed from across the U.S.

This latest installment demonstrates what a powerhouse Peacock was. In an era when quartets and groups reigned supreme, Don Robey’s label had workhorses such as the Dixie Hummingbirds, Original Five Blind Boys and Sensational Nightingales on its roster, and impressive newcomers to the label, such as the Gospelaires of Dayton and the Spirit of Memphis (feat. Joe Hinton).

Peacock was known to be quartet-friendly, but it released more than its share of discs from the era's solo gospel singers.  Artists such as Rev. Cleophus Robinson and Sister Jessie Mae Renfro, for example. The set includes samples of their work during this time period.

An especially interesting selection on I Am Alpha and Omega is the Dixie Hummingbirds’ follow-up to their novelty hit, “Let’s Go Out to the Programs.” On the former disc, the ‘Birds mimicked male groups, but on “Let’s Go Out to the Programs (#2)” they imitated the popular female-led groups of the day.

Early singles from the Brooklyn All Stars’ can be heard on the two-CD set, showcasing the remarkable lead singing of Hardie Clifton. Long out of print material by the Ever Ready Gospel Singers, Gospel Consolators and Alpha and Omega Singers are also welcome additions. The sound quality is excellent and, as always, Nations’ liner notes are informative and illustrative.

The only Peacock gospel single from this period not included here is #1799, a two-part sermon by Rev. Mary Hatchett and Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church Choir. This was presumably a Houston-based congregation.  The disc was probably released only regionally, as it is extremely rare today.

Something else has come to an end: Acrobat Records. That is why Opal Nations has released the set on his “Acronym” label. It is available through Nations (opalnations@yahoo.com) or from http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/.

What Acrobat Records and Opal Nations have given us in the seven volumes is a comprehensive review of the beginning of Peacock’s commitment to gospel, a commitment that would extend well into the 1970s.

Four of Five Stars

Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.