2010 National Releases Overview

Last year was another banner year for gospel quartet music and the major labels.  Once again, MALACO, Worldwide, MCG and other major labels delivered great gospel quartet CDs to the marketplace in 2010. 

We began 2010 with a review of the most recent release by the Legendary Clarence Fountain and Sam Butler.  The project is titled Stepping Up and Stepping Out.  It should be no surprise that when two (2) members of the legendary group The Blind Boys Of Alabama decide to venture out and deliver a new project, they would not stray from the style of the Blind Boys.  Clarence Fountain, Sam Butler along with producer Jim Tullio fused masterfully the rich gospel sound of the singers with the talents of extraordinary musicians to give us a great project rooted solidly in traditional gospel music. It has been said that Fountain embodies the chrematistics of an anointed preacher that is able to deliver the message of the Good News in song.  With that we agree.

For February we celebrated Black History Month by taking another look at one of the memorable CD’s from the legendary Brooklyn All-Stars. The CD is titled Memory Lane was released in 1992.  This was the first CD released by the group after the passing of members Hardie Clifton (died 1990) and Sam Thomas (died 1991).  Memory Lane is not a compilation CD wherein recordings are taken from earlier masters. Although all of the songs had been previously recorded by the group. The guys actually went in the studio in 1992 and re-recorded each of the songs on the CD. In addition, they did not try to find ‘sound-alike’ singers for the members that had died. They used what members were left to recreate a masterful recording of some of their earlier masterpieces.  There are ten (10) songs on the Memory Lane CD.  Memory Lane is a good snap shot of the musical history of this legendary group. 
 

In March, we visit Freeport, New York - the hometown of the exciting Brown Boyz. Their new CD is titled Harvest Time.  The Brown Boyz were organized in 1982.  Several years ago, the group released the CD Jump For Joy. That was a good project and it established The Brown Boyz as one of the groups to watch in the quartet gospel genre. Since that time, the group has appeared on the CD Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson Presents The Spiritual Voices and Friends. T he new CD, Harvest Time, is the group’s best offering to date.  There are twelve (12) songs on this project. There is a good mix of ballads and upbeat tempo songs on the CD.

 In April, we reviewed The Southern Sons of Memphis new offering titled Another Dimension › Live.  There are some groups that are just professional in everything that they do. The Southern Sons embodies everything one would desire from a national recording artist. They are down to earth. When they are on a program you will see them rejoicing in other groups’ ministering before it is their time to take the stage. They love to minister in song to the people. And, the “Sons” always “let their light shine.”  On the new CD, the guys sound as smooth as ever. Listening to the harmony will definitely have you reminiscing about earlier projects from this group and reflecting on some of the other great gospel quartet groups. One reason why these guys connect so well while ministering to others is that they have been together for many years. They have been ministering through gospel music for more than 20 years. The Sons “love to sing and minister. Paradoxically, ministry is the most important part of their mission. They are committed to uplifting and exalting the name of Jesus, to encourage, renew, and revitalize the faith of Christians by bringing a message of hope and love.”

In May we we took a look at the newest project from one of gospel music's legendary groups, The Mighty Clouds of Joy.  When it comes to traditional gospel quartet music, no one does it better than The Mighty Clouds of Joy. After all, they have been singing praises to our Lord and Savior for over 50 years. If there is any one active group that can be considered a trend setter, it is The Mighty Clouds of Joy. They are the standard by which other groups in gospel music are often measured.  Their new CD is titled At The Revival. And, what a revival you will have while playing this CD. 

In June we reviewed newest project from one of the Legends in gospel music - Spencer Taylor. The CD is tilted Work A Miracle.  This is one of the first actual releases on MALACO’s 4 Winds Records’ label. D. A. Johnson and Darrell Luster together are building a catalogue of good gospel music with 4 Winds Records. What a way to ‘anchor’ the new label than with a new recording by Spencer Taylor & The Highway QC’s.  There are some great songs on this eleven (11) track project. The Legend masterfully moves from song to song with the ease one would expect. No disappointment here.  Radio Angels will probably gravitate towards "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart." And, why not? The song embodies everything you would expect from a group that handles ballads like none other.  Work A Miracle is a powerful CD, with a message in each song.
 

For this the month of July we took a look at we take a look at another CD from 4 Winds Records - (God Is God) He Won’t Change by Darrell Luster And Friends.   Fans of this genre and of Southern Gospel know that Luster is one of the lead signers for The Sensational Nightingales. He is also a producer and his signature style and vocals are clearly stamped on several of the recent release by 4 Winds Records referenced above.  The CD features Rev. F. C. Barnes on the title track "(God Is God) He Won’t Change," Jerome Williams (of The Evereadys) on “Nothing Shall Separate Me From His Love,” Evelyn Turrentine-Agee & Ben Cone III & Worship on “My God’s Got It,” Darrell Luster, II and Darrian Luster on “I Just Want To Say Thank You Lord,” Fredericka Faison & Ben Cone III & Worship on “All Things Work Together For Good” and The Legend, Spencer Taylor, on “It Won’t Last.”

In August, we reviewed Just Like Fire by Blest By Four.  The members of the group are Demetrius “Dodie” Smith, Felicia “Pooh” Smith-Polion, Terrence “Beauty” Smith Sr., and Marcus Smith. They are siblings who were raised in the church and began signing as toddlers. They were anointed from their youth, to be what they are today – powerful and effective ministers of the Gospel through the use of their vocal and musical gifts.  This project, as was their previous CD – Pressing On, was co-produced by Glenn Stevenson. Just Like Fire is likely to elevate this group to their rightful place as one of the true “up and coming” groups in the quartet gospel genre.  From the opening bars of the first selection the listener is treated to a lead singer that has developed into a great singer. Demetrius Smith showed on the Pressing On CD that he was ready to lead this group into prime time. Now, with Just Like Fire, he delivers for the group and their fans.

September is Music Heritage Month. Thus, we decided to take a closer look at some of the very early recordings. What better representatives of the early gospel music recordings than the projects How Can I Keep From Singing Volumes 1 and 2. The subtitle to each of the volume is Early American Religious Music and Song – Classic Recordings From the 1920’s and 30’s.  The CDs represent a “[p]owerful and deeply moving overview of Early American religious music and song form both the white and black communities.” Included on these historical masterpieces are “music styles from archaic fundamentalist modal hymns, to gospel quartets, to bands, to songsters accompanying themselves on guitars, banjos, and fiddles, to snippets of church services including some preaching.”   On these CDs are songs like The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet (Job), Wade Manner And Sons Of The Mountaineers (Lonely Tomb), Blind Joe Taggart (Goin’ To Rest Where Jesus Is), Roosevelt Graves And Brothers (Woke Up This Morning), Rev. H. B. Jackson (Everytime I Feel The Spirit), and Rev. And Mrs. Edward Boone (Will David Play His Harp For Me).  Whether you are a gospel music history buff or just someone interested in learning the origin of many of the songs you hear today, this collection is for you.  

For October we reviewed the new CD by Win Thompkins & The Stompers titled The Leaning Tree.  Win Thompkins & The Stompers are a family group based in South Florida. Although the new CD represents the group’s first signing with a major label, it is not their only project. They have been singing for many years and have released eight CDs and a DVD.  The group initially released The Leaning Tree as an independent project in 2009. The project was picked up in 2010 by Humility Music Group and MCG Records.  The CD consists of music that will certainly remind the listener of yesteryears. There is music with a Southern Gospel style. There is certainly a Country Music feel to some of the songs. And, there is also the down-home traditional gospel quartet flavor. As you listen to the CD, you may find yourself thinking about quartet gospel groups from the golden era of gospel music.
 

In November we reviewed we took a look at The Old Time Way  by Rev. F. C. Barnes & Company.  There are several unique aspects to this CD that just might be of interest to quartet gospel fans. First, the CD is on the Atlanta International Records (AIR) label. Many may recall that a few years ago AIR became part of the MALACO family. With the release of this project, MALACO confirms for the gospel music enthusiast that AIR is still an active label. Secondly, the project was produced by Deborah C. Barnes. She is a songstress, a songwriter, an arranger, and now a Producer. It is not the first time a national gospel recording artist has been produced by a female Producer. But, it certainly is refreshing to see female quartet gospel artists receiving exclusive credit as The Producer instead of being relegated to sharing (co-producer) credit. Thirdly, Darrell Luster, of The Sensational Nightingales, shares lead duties with Rev. Barnes on one of the songs – "(God Is God) He Won’t Change." 
 

We ended the year with the 2010 release by The Christian Angels. The project is titled Bring It To The Altar.  The group was formed in 1999. They have sharpened their vocals talents by performing with some of the best artists in gospel music. The project garnered the group three 2011 Stellar Awards’ nominations. There are eleven (11) songs on the project. They are “Get Ready, Get Right,” “What a Friend We Have In Jesus,” “I've Got To Move,” “Praise Your Name,” “Be Careful,” “Keep The Faith,” “If Anybody's Able,” “Born Again,” “Jesus You're All I Need,” “Hold On,” and “Bring It To The Altar.” According to the liner notes, most of the songs were written by the lead singer, Fredericka Faison. She is credited with the arrangements for the song “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” And, it should be noted that "I’ve Got To Move" was written by the late Margaret Allison.  Listen to the CD and you will understand why these young ladies have gained so much notoriety in such a short period of time.
 

As reflected from the reviews,  2010 saw many of the legends of the gospel quartet genre returning to the marketplace.  In addition to the CDs that were reviewed, there were others that deserved your attention.  Take a look at the Gloryland Gospel CD Store for a list of all of the gospel quartet projects released by the major labels in 2010.

We believe that 2011 will be another active year for the major labels.
 

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Below you will find the Gloryland Gospel's top 5 picks of the year 2010 and the top 15 national groups to watch in 2011.  This list is in no way all inclusive, however if you're really looking for the best of the best you will definitely want to add these recordings to your quartet library.  God Bless and we look forward to great releases from the major labels in 2011.

Top 5 National Releases of 2010

1. The Mighty Clouds of Joy "At The Revival"

2. Spencer Taylor & The Highway QC's "Work A Miracle"

3. Darrell Luster & Friends "(God Is God) He Won't Change"

4. Blest By Four "Just Like Fire"

5. The Christian Angels "Bring It To The Altar"
 

15 Groups to Watch in 2011

1. The Canton Spirituals - Time for another CD.
2. The Fantastic Violinaires – We need to see (and hear) something new in 2011.
3. The Christianaires - Get up fellas, to good to be on the sideline.
4. The Singing Disciples – Even if they return to their old name, it is time for a new 'song.'
5. The Legendary Singing Stars – Time to sail again.
6. The Gospel Four – Waiting on that CD and DVD.
7. The New Gospel Keynotes – Another group still on the sideline.
8. The Mighty Clouds of Joy – What about another Live In Charleston CD and DVD?
9. The Caravans  – One more project please.
10. The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi – Still waiting on that Augusta LIVE recording?

11. The Swanee Quintet – Time for a DVD.
12. The Swan Silvertones – Waiting on a new CD.
13. Rev. Andrew Cheairs & The Songbirds – Time to hear from 'The Noisy Crew' again.

14. Doc McKenzie & The Hi-Lites - Renewed was good, but what about another FULL Concert DVD.
15.  The Evereadys - They are still around.  Would like to see a DVD.

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