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Two Thousand Nine was another
good year for gospel quartet music from independent labels and artists.
Like 2008, many new artists ventured into releasing their
own product instead of relying upon a label. We received many
independently released CDs in 2009. Some that were not reviewed by us in
2009 may make it into a review during 2010.
As to the independent CDs we did review in 2009, we began with a review of
The Veal Brothers'
Crossroad. A few years ago they issued the well received
Feel The Spirit. They have followed up with a CD that should
garner lots of attention. The group is based out of Gloster,
Mississippi. As the name reflects, they are a family group. The members are
Rev. Robert Veal, Jr. (Lead Vocalist), Larry Veal, Sr. (Lead Vocalist), L.
C. Clark, Charles Veal, Sr., Jerry Veal, Robert Veal, Sr. and Charles Veal,
Jr. Also, contributing to this project were Antonio Turner, Jeffery Gibson,
Sr., Castro Coleman, and Ontaria Showers. Their 2006 release was
titled Feel The Spirit - Recorded Live In Alabama & Louisiana.
It represented the guys live performances in concerts in Alabama and
Louisiana. That project had all the trappings of a live recording.
Therefore, the guys displayed a lot of energy in each song. Their new CD is
all studio recordings. So, the intensity and excitement displayed in
Feel The Spirit is not present in Crossroad. That is
not to take away from the quality of Crossroad, it is indeed
will produced. And, the guys do deliver a timely message in each song.
In February we reviewed
Pressing On
Donnie, Darryl & The Joy Boyz.
Anybody that knows anything about gospel music, particularly gospel quartet,
has heard of The
Gospel Midgets from
Nashville, Tennessee. They have also used the name
The Joy Boyz
and The Joys of
Nashville. Now they
are known as Donnie,
Darryl & The Joy Boyz.
Their 2000 CD, Too Blessed To Be Stressed, was also recorded
under the name Donnie,
Darryl & The Joy Boyz.
There are ten tracks on this project. Only one of the songs, "Change
In Me," appears to have been previously recorded by the group. "Change
In Me" was on the group’s (Joys
of Nashville)
Thank You project. So, on the new CD you get nine new songs that
are sure to have you rejoicing.
In March we
ventured to the state of Florida
to take a look at the new CD by
NuTestament.
This group has been laboring in the gospel music field for many years. In
2005, they recorded the CD Time Ain't Long. Now they are back
with Workin 4 Jesus. The group began in 1995 when the
young Nu TestAment was called to spread their God-given talents with
. . . The Supreme
Stars. Nu
TestAment would perform popular music with
The Supreme Stars
at local churches and related events. As they matured with
The Supreme Stars,
they began to explore the gospel field and would later start to write and
arrange more and more of their own music.” So it is no surprise that the
members are now seasoned recording artists. They are extremely talented.
The members are songwriters, musicians and exceptional vocalists.
In April we returned to the state of Tennessee to review the new CD by
The EchoAires.
Imagine, if you will, having a group of guys that can sing, as well as write
songs and are great musicians. Add to that mix the ‘producer’ talents of
George Dean (of The
Gospel Four) and
guest appearances by
Pastor Roney Strong,
Lisa Knowles and Debra Mitchell. And, what you get is one of
the best recordings to be released, thus far, in 2009.
The EchoAires
hale from Moscow, TN. The group began in 1993. The current members are
John Chandler, Courtney Clark, Cedric Conner, Joseph Johnson, Stephen Lewis,
Gabrieal Mason, and Barry Turner. Joseph Johnson can be heard as the lead
singer on nine of the songs, and Stephen Lewis is the lead singer on the
remaining songs. As reflected in the title of the CD, this is a LIVE
recording. Meaning, you get to hear the group in concert. There is
something on this CD everyone. And, if you are just looking for good
gospel music, listen to the entire CD.
The Spiritual Voices of
Washington, DC were
the subject of our May review. Their 2008 release is titled
Satisfied. This group is no stranger to gospel music. The
“group was originally organized by the late Delores (Libby) Brace.” At that
time, they were an A Cappella group known as
The Supreme Voices.
With the death of Ms. Brace, it was necessary for the group to reorganize.
So, in 2001, the group was renamed
The Spiritual Voices.
The Spiritual Voices
have a very unique style to their singing. They contend it is “a mixture of
. . . neo-soul, country, jazz, traditional, quartet and even a little
calypso.” We would add bluegrass and southern gospel to the mix. Yes, they
certainly are rooted in the gospel quartet genre. However, their ability to
pull from the various sub-genres of gospel music, provides the listener a
refresh sound that still ministers the Word through song.
In June, Worthy Is He
by The Alabama
Spirituals was the
subject of our review.
The project contains one of the best praise and worship songs recorded by a
gospel quartet group in sometime. “The
Alabama Spirituals
have been singing God's praises for over 25 years. They won the Traditional
Gospel Group Award from the American Gospel Music Awards in 2003. In 2007,
they received a Dove Awards nomination for Traditional Group Album of the
Year. Previous CDs by this group included Satan is On My Track
and Church Hymns. Their arrangements to standard hymns like "Peace
In The Valley," "I’ll Fly Away" and "Amazing
Grace" remain favorites years after the release of Church
Hymns. This group members are Rev. Dr. Eddie L. Hunter, Pastor
Shawn M. Jones, Sr., Rev. Joe Hunter, Deacon Stan Hunter and Deacon Qunnion
Burns. Notice that the members are ministers or deacons. The group’s tie
to the Church is obvious. It is probably because of their involvement in
their respective churches that all of their recordings really minister to
the listeners.
For the month of July we returned to
Washington, DC and took a look
at The Heavenly Sons’
most recent release, Dedicated. These guys are a hidden
treasure. Their style has been described as “soulful and unique.” And, you
get to experience the uniqueness and the soulfulness of their sound with
Dedication. If their live performance is anything like the CD,
they are destined to be in great demand all over the country, not just the
east coast. The
Heavenly Sons are no
stranger to the gospel music industry. Dedicated is their
third project. The others are Troubles Don’t Last Always and
Second Chance. Dedicated is a ‘live’
recording. So, from the exuberant introduction from the emcee to the final
song you feel that you are actually sitting at the concert.
For August we
reviewed the new CD by
Precious Melton
titled God Will See You Through.
Precious
is a Middle School Student. She is an honor student. She is a member of
her school’s choir. She is also a member of her school district’s Middle
School Honor’s Chorus. And, she is very active in improving her community.
She is a songwriter. Five of the 10 songs on the new CD were written by
Precious.
She is, even at her tender age, an accomplished vocalist. This is her
sophomore project. Her first CD, released in 2006, was titled
Perfected Praise. The new CD, like her first, was produced by
Eric Shaper
of Dream Reality Productions. Eric was the keyboard player and arranger for
The Christianaires.
Therefore, it is no surprise that the CD is full of good gospel quartet
music delivered with the skills and finesse of a young person.
In September we reviewed the latest CD by
The New Pearly Gates,
titled Walking The Path. Old school quartet fans will
appreciate this CD. This group has been around for a long time. Like
many groups on the quartet scene they have enjoyed regional success.
Gospel quartet enthusiasts will remember
The Mighty Pearly Gates.
The group originated over 70 years ago in Tidewater, Virginia.
The Mighty Pearly Gates
recorded songs such as “Help Somebody Else” and “Holding
On.” In 2003, the group's name was changed to
The NEW Mighty Pearly Gates.
Thereafter, the group released the CD Starting All Over Again.
By 2008, the group’s name changed once again to
The New Pearly Gates.
The group’s new CD was recorded at the St. Timothy Baptist Church, Suffolk,
VA. They delivered a great concert. There are eight songs on the CD.
For the month of October we traveled to Texas to review
Bishop Fred A. Jones, Sr. &
the Jones Family Singers'
CD titled The Best of the Old & New, Vol. 1. As their
name reflects, this is a group consisting of FAMILY MEMBERS. This is
another group that has gone through several name change, from
Elder Fred A. Jones, Sr. &
The Sensational Zionaires,
to Elder Fred A.
Jones, Sr. & The Jones Family,
and now they are known as
Bishop Fred A. Jones, Sr. &
the Jones Family Singers
or just The Jones
Family Singers. As
The Sensational
Zioniares they
recorded the album titled Bones In The Valley. The new
CD is not the group’s first “Best of” CD. Several years ago
the group released The Best of The Old & New of The Jones Family
Singers.
In November we took a close look at
the sophomore project of the
Marble Twins & Company.
They are a hidden treasure in gospel music. The project, …Time is Now,
was actually recorded in 2008 at Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church,
Antioch, Tennessee. It was not released until 2009. Each song will
minister to the listener. In addition, the project also comes with a
companion devotional featuring 12 outstanding pastors with words (Biblical
nuggets) that match the titled songs on the CD. Fans of the
Marable Twins & Company
will probably remember their 2004 release titled Songs With A Message
Form The Heart. That was a good project, but the Twins did not want
you to think that …Time is Now was just a continuation of the
2004 release. So you are forewarned, this is a great project.
We closed the year with
A Change Is Coming by
The Mighty Travelers.
The Mighty Travelers
have been singing for 30 years starting out when they were just little kids.
They followed in the footsteps of their uncles
The Sensational Travelers
of Dallas, TX. They wanted to have a real traditional southern gospel
sound. Over the years they have sharpen their musical talent and vocal
skills. With their new CD, they have accomplished their goal. It is full of
that traditional gospel sound. There is literally something on this
project for everyone. We like this project. It is well produced. And, it
certainly will minister to you. You will disappointed in years to come if
you do not add this CD to your collection.
Overall,
It was indeed another great year for independent releases. We look with much
anticipation to 2010.
Below you will find Gloryland Gospel top 5 independent labels or artists
picks of 2009 and the top 15 independent groups to watch in 2010. This
list is in no way all inclusive, however if you're looking for the best of
the best you will definitely want to add these recordings to your music
collection. The order in which the projects are listed does not
necessarily represent their ranking. God Bless and we look forward to
an exciting 2010 for gospel quartet music.
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