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My journey with Liberty Quartet started several years ago, when I started hearing good things about them from a number of west coast friends (particularly John S. in California and Elysse B. in Idaho). At the time, I chalked up the rave reviews to local pride. So when I met them at NQC 2007, and they gave me a copy of their hymns CD,I politely thanked them, and promptly put it in my stack of CDs to review . . . at the very bottom. It ended up being December 2007 before I got to that CD—and promptly gave it a five-star review (here).

But no matter their talent level (or if they are full time), it’s not easy for a group that is literally off the beaten path to attract top-notch songs from top-notch songwriters. Between producer Phil Cross and then-baritone/pianist Doran Ritchey, they managed to come up with a number of strong songs on each project, but not enough to equal that five-star rating.

Until now.

The Journey proves that creative and progressive don’t have to be synonyms in the Southern Gospel thesaurus. Instead of relying on soundtracks to create a fresh sound, Liberty does it with their vocal arrangements. When was the last time you heard someone put a fresh spin on “He Came Down to My Level?”

The project starts out with the title track, easily one of its most memorable songs. The song is kicked off by an “almost exotic” drum solo (hat tip, Aaron Swain), before piano and orchestra kick in to carry this uptempo track along.

Nine of the twelve tracks are new songs. Besides “He Came Down to My Level,” the other two classic tracks are “Till There Was Jesus” by W. Elmo Mercer and “Welcome to Heaven” by Phil Cross & Carolyn Cross English. The latter track is a straight-ahead big ballad featuring lead singer Dan Gilbert that isn’t remarkably different from the Singing Americans original. But in this case the old adage “if it ain’t broken don’t fix it” applies, and it should be a concert favorite for the group.

For a second straight recording, Liberty Quartet and a major east coast group both simultaneously cut a Rodney Griffin song. With Amazed and Triumphant Quartet’s Everyday, it was “Amazed at the Change.” For this project, Liberty and Tribute Quartet both cut “I Love Living In Grace.”

Former Liberty Quartet baritone / pianist Doran Ritchey was still a part of the group during the recording process; he contributed five of the project’s songs and did a guest solo on “The Welcome.” He has since left to be a part of Phil Cross’ musical endeavors (including the group “Crossing”), but hopefully he will continue to send some of his best tunes to Liberty.

This project introduces new Liberty Quartet baritone Jordan Cragun (who, as has been mentioned before, is Kim Collingsworths’ nephew). He is featured on “I Made it Mine” and “In the Day of the Lord.”

Keith Waggoner unfortunately only had one solo, on “He Came to Me.” Bass and manager Royce Mitchell is featured on three, “He Came Down to My Level,” “Till There Was Jesus,” and “Too Long.”

Lyrics are included in the CD booklet. One would think this would be default in a lyric-driven genre, but unfortunately, it’s not, so it’s worthy of mention.

This project easily earns Liberty Quartet another 5-star rating—their second on this site, and first for a recording of new songs.

Rather than just write about it, though, I have received permission from the group to feature several tracks in the flash player for the month. So , for the remainder of this month, enjoy “The Journey,” “In The Day of Our Lord” (featuring Jordan Cragun), “God Made a Way” (featuring Dan Gilbert), and “Till There was Jesus” (featuring Royce Mitchell).

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.33 stars. ♦ Group members: Keith Waggoner (tenor), Dan Gilbert (lead), Jordan Cragun (baritone), Royce Mitchell (bass). ♦ Produced by: Doran Ritchey, Phil Cross, Roger Talley. ♦ Available from: Group. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: The Journey; He Came Down To My Level; I Made it Mine; I Love Living in Grace; Till There Was Jesus; God Made a Way; He Came to Me; The Welcome; Too Long; He’ll Come Through; In the Day of the Lord; Welcome to Heaven.

When I interviewed Phil Collingsworth for this site’s April feature article, he explained why the Collingsworth Family only releases a project every other year:

It might be interesting for you to know that our cost of recording an album is almost triple what some of the other ones are. That’s what we put into it, because we put time into it, and time is money when you’re in the recording studio. We put a great deal of time into it because we want it to be a lasting product—something you listen to years down the road and say, “That’s still good quality.” We feel quality rather than quantity is the key issue here.

This attention to quality has paid off, since each of their projects has been a noticeable step up from the previous. Strength for the Journey (2003) was good enough to launch them into the national Southern Gospel scene. God Is Faithful (2005) was good enough to launch them onto the Gaither Homecoming scene. We Still Believe (2007) was a project worthy of a Gaither Homecoming tour artist. And, somehow, The Answer is even better.

Like every other Collingsworth project, The Answer includes a wide variety of vocal and instrumental configurations. Spreading six or seven configurations between fourteen songs—and that’s not even counting things like a Phil/Kim duet on a verse of “Oh the Thought that Jesus Loves Me”—gives the album the same variety their live programs feature.

The most noticeable change is a decreased reliance on the soprano/alto/baritone trio. In their earlier years on the road, many of their vocal songs featured Phil and Kim with their oldest daughter, Brooklyn, probably since she would have been the only child able to hold a part by herself. As the other siblings become capable vocalists in their own right, they have increasing liberty to reserve this lineup for the songs that it best fits. Only three songs use this configuration: “Jesus is Still the Answer,” the old Lanny Wolfe Trio classic, which has been getting a strong response at live concerts, a new Kyla Rowland/Dianne Wilkinson-penned ballad called “Within the Reach of a Prayer,” and a rare composition by Phil Collingsworth himself, “Bottom of the Barrel.” The latter track is the project’s first radio single.

Two other trios are featured. A trio of the Collingsworth teens (at the time of the recording; Brooklyn has since turned twenty) sings “Count Your Blessings Again.” It’s a new song penned by Daryl Williams and the project’s producer, Wayne Haun; it is also one of two tracks with a more progressive arrangement than they have used on past projects. The other, “I Shall Not Be Moved,” is the same song that Palmetto State recorded in 2006 on When it Pours, God Reigns. But the song is so completely reinvented that you’d have to compare the songs back to back to be fully convinced that it’s the same song.

Of all the various vocal configurations, the female trio of Brooklyn, Courtney, and Kim has the most unique and distinctive sound. It was the only lineup other than the entire family to be featured in the Collingsworth Family’s first appearance at a Gaither taping. During the two-day taping that produced Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Rock of Ages, Nashville Homecoming, and Joy in My Heart, the entire family sang “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You” and the ladies’ trio saing “God is in the Shadows.” Of that latter appearance, I said:

. . . Of all the vocal configurations the Collingsworth Family uses in any given concert, this female trio is possibly their best and certainly their most distinctive. The Collingsworth ladies are Southern Gospel’s female Booth Brothers. They match their enunciation and vocal placement more precisely than any other group in the genre (besides, perhaps, the Booth Brothers, the Isaacs, and Voices Won).

This lineup is featured on two of the projects’ best songs, “Fear Not Tomorrow” and “Ever Gentle, Ever Sweet.” The latter song is the same mid-tempo song that the Bill Gaither Trio recorded in 1974 on Because He Lives. But despite the (well-deserved) legendary status of the Bill Gaither Trio, their version can’t touch the simple beauty of this one.

With “Fear Not Tomorrow,” the ladies’ trio proves its abilities are not restricted to mid-tempo numbers. I saw the Collingsworth Family the weekend after their project came out (review here), and though this was the first time that the audience ever heard this power ballad, it brought down the house with one of the biggest responses of the night.

A new vocal configuration appears for the first time on this project: Phil, Kim, Brooklyn, and Courtney sing the project’s closing track, “More than Anything.” This quartet would be a strong default configuration for the group; adding Courtney to the mix gives the mixed quartet a much fuller, warmer tone than the mixed trio has.

Though the original plan for the project called for no instrumentals, evidently plans changed before the project was complete. Phil does a trumpet solo on “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder,” while Kim is featured with a piano solo on “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

There are two other songs that the review wouldn’t be complete without a mention. “I Want a Principle Within” is a magnificent, sweeping rendition of a Charles Wesley hymn largely forgotten except in some holiness circles. The hymn deserved to be brought back, and this rendition does justice to the strength of the lyric and grandeur of the melody.

Since words fail me when discussing “Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me,” I’ll resort to statistics. About the time I started this site, I switched from Windows Media Player to iTunes. Since I don’t re-set play counts, my automatically generated top 200 list tracks each time a song has been played for the last three or four years. After just a month of having this CD, “Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me” is at #6 out of 19,319 tracks. It’s that good.

In closing, a few words need to be said about where this album positions the Collingsworth Family. In addition to a strong assortment of new songs, the project has three hymns (one vocal, two instrumental), several familiar Southern Gospel selections, and two or three songs from Inspirational music. Specifically, that latter group of songs is “Jesus is Still the Answer” (Lanny Wolfe Trio), “I Want Jesus More than Anything” (Truth), and depending on if you count the Bill Gaither Trio (which, historically speaking, you should), “Ever Gentle Ever Sweet.”

The audience of aging music fans that loved Inspirational music back in the 1970s is a largely untapped market right now. Contemporary Christian music long since passed them by, and though many have some familiarity with the Gaither television specials, many more have no idea that anything like the style they used to love can now be found again. The Answer fuses the best of both genres in a way that, if properly marketed, will win many new fans.

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.3 stars. ♦ Group members: Phil, Kim, Brooklyn, Courtney, Phil Jr., and Olivia Collingsworth. ♦ Produced by: Wayne Haun. ♦ Available from: Label, Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: I Shall Not Be Moved; Fear Not Tomorrow; I Could Never Praise Him Enough; When the Roll is Called Up Yonder; I Want a Principle Within; I Know; Ever Gentle Ever Sweet; Jesus is Still the Answer; Count Your Blessings Again; Within the Reach of a Prayer; Oh the Thought that Jesus Loves Me; Bottom of the Barrel; Great is Thy Faithfulness; More Than Anything.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Average Song Rating: 4.3 stars

Executive Producer: Mark Trammell. Associate Producer: Dustin Sweatman.

Song list: Leave Your Sorrows and Come Along; Mansion Over the Hilltop; Hold Me; John Saw Me; Standing On the Solid Rock; While Ages Roll; Sweetest Song I Know; Sin Will Take You Farther; In the Sweet Forever; Hide Thou Me.

* * *

After Joel Wood joined the Mark Trammell Trio earlier this year, there evidently wasn’t enough time to turn around a CD of new songs featuring the new lineup by NQC. So the group decided to put out its second CD of classic songs. (Their first, Journey Thus Far, introduced Dustin Sweatman in 2006.) Much like Journey This Far, Vintage Gospel includes a mix of hymns, classic convention songs, and songs Mark Trammell was known for other with other groups.

Mark Trammell reprises his rendition of his Cathedrals hit song “Sin Will Take You Farther.” He also performs a song that originally featured George Younce, “Hold On.”

Uptempo convention songs like “Leave Your Sorrows and Come Along” and “Sweetest Song I Know” reinforce something I’ve said before: The Mark Trammell Trio is the best quartet without a bass singer on the road today. Other trios, like the Booth Brothers, Voices Won, and the Bishops, have (or had) a sound that was so trio a bass singer just wouldn’t fit. But this group is a mega-quartet waiting to happen.

Joel Wood is featured on “Mansion Over the Hilltop” and “Hide Thou Me.” Particularly on “Mansion,” his voice tone is enough like Eric Phillips that a casual observer might hear the song and not even notice that there’s a new tenor. His voice doesn’t seem to be quite as high, and seems to have a more power-tenor mid-range (should the group choose to employ it). But he should have little problem with the group’s repertoire.

Dustin Sweatman keeps improving as a vocalist. This is most notable on the song “John Saw Me,” where he has an impressively smooth yet powerful solo.

It took a member change to prompt Journey This Far—one of the group’s best CDs to date. It took another member change to prompt this project. If this keeps up, the group might soon find their fans doing something incredibly odd: Hoping there will be a member change … so the group puts out another table project of this caliber!

But, truth be told, it would be far more sensible for the fans to do something that would work just as well: Purchase so many copies of this project that it doesn’t take a lineup change for them to put out the next one.

Rating: 3.5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3.2 stars (of 5)

Members: Jerry Martin (tenor), McCray Dove (lead), Eric Dove (baritone), David Hester (bass), Jerry Kelso (pianist).

Song List: Hold On; I’m Gonna Rise; Leavin’ On My Mind; When I Wake Up in the Morning; He’s Gonna Smile on Me; A Little Good News; Back to Egypt; Little David; Jesus, He’s Everything to Me; He’s Sending Miracles.

Available From: Label, Artist.

* * *

When the Dove Brothers released Anything But Ordinary, Everything but Typical in 2005, fans and industry insiders recognized that the album was indeed exactly what its title suggested for the group. It was quite the departure from the group’s classic traditional-quartet sound that had brought them to the top in the genre. What wasn’t immediately clear was whether the experiment would catch on, and whether their fans would follow them and warm to the new style. Evidently, enough of their fans liked the new style for the experiment to be a success, because Hold On is the Dove Brothers’ fourth project in this style.

As always, the Dove Brothers include a few tracks that pay stylistic tribute to their roots. “When I Wake Up in the Morning” and “I’m Gonna Rise” are solid uptempo quartet songs. David Hester delivers a stellar rendition of the Rusty Goodman classic “Leavin’ on my Mind.”

The track on this project that has already sparked the most discussion is their cover of the 1970s Oak Ridge Boys song “He’s Gonna Smile on Me.” Lyrically, the song is a rather interesting choice for inclusion on a Gospel project: “If I just say my prayers at night / And keep living right / He’s gonna smile on me.”

In another nod to country music, the Dove Brothers cover Anne Murray’s “A Little Good News.” The song was the title track of a project that won Murray won Album of the Year in the 1984 Country Music Association Awards. Though the lyrics of the original song do not reference Christianity,  Dove Brothers preface and conclude the song by singing the line, “You know, the Gospel is the good news needed today.”

I would point to the project’s most obvious standout tracks as “Leavin’ On My Mind” and “Back to Egypt.” The latter, in particular, would probably make a good choice for a radio single.

After several years of bringing back the quartet classics of yesteryear, the Dove Brothers intentionally shifted course to start making their own mark. And in a genre where any given group frequently has a number of groups that have a similar sound, the Dove Brothers have been consistent enough over the last few years that their albums have an immediately recognizable sound. Anyone familiar with their last few albums could listen to practically any 5 or 10 second clip from this project and know it was the Dove Brothers—and this sort of distinctiveness pays off.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Average song rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Song List: Missing People; Someday; They Went to Pray; Mountain of Grace; When It’s All Said and Done; Cheer the Weary Traveler; God Saw a Cross; He Picks Up a Beggar on the Way; God Knows; He is the Only One; Reprise – Someday.

Members: Harold Reed (tenor), Phillip Hughes (lead), Bryan Hutson (baritone), Ray Dean Reese (bass), Cody McVey (pianist), Brandon Reese (sound engineer).

Available from: Label.

* * *

The Kingsmen’s last release, When God Ran (2008), picked up quite a bit of positive buzz, even earning a 5-star review here. It was the first project with new tenor Harold Reed and returning baritone/lead Bryan Hutson; it was also their first post-band release. But even with all the factors I could enumerate that made the project different, there was one factor that I couldn’t quite put my finger on that made all the difference.

With Missing People, that factor is a little more obvious.

First off, the basics: Missing People has a street date of September 15, but the digital download is available for purchase on Crossroads’ site now. The same vocal lineup featured on the previous project returns for this one. Pianist Cody McVey appears for the first time, but that doesn’t make much difference in the group’s sound, since groups typically use studio musicians to cut soundtracks.

The project has one nod to the past, a lively cut of the convention song “Cheer the Weary Traveler.” But—as on When God Ran—the highlight is the new material. “When It’s All Said and Done” (penned by Dustin Sweatman and Scotty Inman) and “Someday” (by Woody Wright) are strong quartet songs that should go over well in live concerts. “Mountain of Grace” (Dianne Wilkinson) and “God Saw A Cross” (Rodney Griffin) are big ballads with powerful lyrics.

The title track, “Missing People,” has some similarities to the 1997 Kingsmen song “Missing Children” (on Shelter). Both start with first verses about the loss of family and loved ones on earth. But while the earlier song, “Missing Children,” takes the idea down a Good Shepherd / evangelistic path, “Missing People” contrasts losses here on earth with the lack of loss in Heaven. (One minor side note. I hate to be nitpicky on grammar, since I’m far from perfect myself, but on the first line of the chorus, the singular “There’s”—there is—doesn’t match the plural “people.” It really should either be “There’s no missing person up in Heaven” or “There’re no missing people up in Heaven.”)

So what sets these two projects apart from the last few years of the Kingsmen discography?

Since getting the rights to the Kingsmen back a few years ago, the current lineups have been constantly compared to decades of strong recordings from one of Southern Gospel’s most popular groups. So they did their best to capture that classic Kingsmen big-and-live sound.

They really didn’t do all that badly. After all, pretty much every project from 2004’s The Past is Past picked up a few reviews that said “with this project, the Kingsmen are finally back.” But the aptly named The Past is Past was just a few years prescient.

Today’s Kingsmen have recognized that even if they can come closer than anyone else, they can never quite be the 1979 Kingsmen. So while their sound and arrangements still frequently bring to mind the classic Kingsmen sound, this lineup has found its own niche. When God Ran and Missing People show a Kingsmen lineup comfortable in their own shoes.

Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3.8 stars (of 5)

Group Members: Jerry Cole (tenor/lead, bass/rhythm/lead guitar), Cody Shuler (lead/tenor, mandolin), Dale Thomas (baritone, guitar/banjo), Bill McBee (bass, acoustic bass), Matt Flake (fiddle).

Song List: My Eyes Shall Be on Canaan’s Land; I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy; Blood Bought My Freedom; When We All get to Heaven; Where the Soul Never Dies; The Gospel Ship; Run On; Let’s Meet By the River; This World is Not My Home; How Beautiful Heaven Must Be; So High; The Old Rugged Cross; Over in the Gloryland; What Would You Give In Exchange; Rock of Ages; I’m Getting Ready to Leave This World.

* * *

Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad is a five-piece bluegrass group that has won a number of awards and has received a nomination for Best Bluegrass Album in the 2009 Dove Awards. They appear to be fairly popular in Christian bluegrass, but they also have deep Southern Gospel roots (as the song list makes clear).

The album contains quite a few hymns and Southern Gospel classics, as well as a number of new and more recent tunes. One of the strongest of these is the opening cut, “My Eyes Shall Be on Canaan’s Land.” The track, penned by Cody Shuler, could have passed for a classic ’30s or ’40s convention-style tune, and is ably rendered by the group. It was the first radio single from the project.

Another highlight is “I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy.” It’s seemingly the only recording of the song in the past 25 years where the lead vocalist is not making any attempt to be the next Michael English. Pre-English renditions of the song can be found here and there; these are typically fairly straight-ahead renderings. This rendition is unique. Even people sick and tired of the numerous English-influenced renditions will find something to enjoy in this arrangement. This breathes fresh air into a classic—no small feat with this particular song.

Other recent Southern Gospel influences can be seen in “Blood Bought My Freedom,” an original song by the Primitive Quartet’s Reagan Riddle, and “Let’s Meet By the River,” a hit for the Spencers in the 1980s.

The group also gives a nod to their bluegrass heritage with their cover of the Monroe Brothers’ “What Would you Give in Exchange.”

The project’s music tracks are solidly bluegrass, but the vocal arrangements are solidly rooted in Southern Gospel, albeit with a bluegrass twang. This is a group worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the Primitive Quartet and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Many Southern Gospel fans should enjoy this fusion of our genre’s music with a bluegrass twang.

Rating: 4 stars

Members: Karen Peck Gooch, Susan Peck Jackson, Devin McGlamery

Although Karen Peck and New River are already working on their next CD, I didn’t want to miss giving their latest CD a mention. If you like this group for their great sound and strong lyrics, you will not be disappointed with this recording.

The CD starts with the title song, “Ephesians Chapter One,” which is an uptempo number with a great message.

Karen Peck Gooch and Marcia Henry wrote “Waitin’ On The Lord.” That combination of writers should be an indication of how good the song is. John Darin Rowsey and Susan Peck Jackson wrote the rowsing song, “Everything You Need.” Karen does a great job on “There’s Somethin’ Goin’ On (When Momma Prays).”  Probably the most typical KPNR song and one of my favorites is “That’s When I Knew I Was Home” which features Devin.

The highlight of the project for me was having them bring back “We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown.” I loved listening to the Nelons sing that song years ago and have really enjoyed hearing Karen sing it once again. I’ve seen them do it in concert and it seems like there are others who like it as well.

Other songs on this project include their recent #1 song, “I Want to Thank You,” “It’s Gonna Have to Be God,” “The Cradle and the Grave,” “All You Need When You Need It,” and “Spirit of Jesus.”

I am really glad to see Karen and Susan doing more songwriting these days and look forward to hearing their next project.

~ Sony

Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4 stars (of 5)

Members: Susi Cox; Naomi Hicks; Ben Massey.

Song List: This Must Be Glory; Swing Lo’ Sweet Chariot; Heavenly Sunlight; Run Home; Fairest Lord Jesus; Just a Closer Walk; See a Dead Man Fly; Carry You On; Rocky Narrow Road; Just the Way; Golden Banjo; It is Well.

* * *

Shiloh Mountain Trio is a Christian bluegrass sibling trio. Ben Massey, Susi Cox, and Naomi Hicks were three of twelve siblings of a Southern Baptist preacher and grew up singing together. Massey plays banjo in their live performances, and Hicks plays guitar; Massey plays all instrumentals on their recordings.

This CD, their debut project, is two years old but is still their current project. Ben Massey wrote four original songs for the project, “This Must Be Glory,” “See a Dead Man Fly,” “Rocky Narrow Road,” and “Golden Banjo.” “See a Dead Man Fly” is a particular standout, a well-written lyric and melody that delivers on the promise of the unique hook in its title. Susi Cox wrote three more original songs for the project, “Run Home,” “Carry You On,” “Just the Way.”

Vocally and instrumentally, this project brings to mind the 90s era Isaacs. The tight sibling harmonies shine, particularly in acapella settings like the intro to “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and the final verse and chorus of “It is Well.” This is a solid, professional project, showcasing a group that has plenty of talent and potential.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Song List: Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee; A Mighty Fortress Is Our God / I Sing the Mighty Power of God; Old Rugged Cross; Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture; Come Thou Fount / There is a Fountain; Amazing Grace; Just As I Am; He Keeps Me Singing; Blessed Assurance; It is Well With My Soul.

Available From: Label, Artist.

* * *

It has been nearly two years since Roy Webb left Signature Sound. (He left in May 2007.) He has since performed both solo concerts and select dates with the Booth Brothers, the Ball Brothers, and the Hoppers. But from a recording standpoint, he has kept a fairly low profile till this project. His last major project, You Raise Me Up, was released while he was still with Signature Sound. (I reviewed it in April 2007, here.)

The announcement that he’d signed with Song Garden came out a number of months ago. (It was by March, but I forget the exact date.) Webb didn’t rush to get a project out the door, though; he spent months working on his debut major-label project, Timeless. He brought in master craftsman Lari Goss to produce the project. Goss’s touch is especially evident on the big ballads like “Amazing Grace,” “It is Well,” and “Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture.” (The latter is an arrangement Goss originally wrote for Anthony Burger. Webb makes the arrangement his own in what is possibly the project’s strongest performance.)

Most of the songs are fully orchestrated, and those that aren’t are placed at strategic points within the song list. “Old Rugged Cross” provides a meditative slow point before the fast-paced “Old Time Religion / William Tell Overture,” and “Just As I Am” provides a similar “selah” moment after the majestic crescendos of “Amazing Grace” and before the swing-influenced “He Keeps Me Singing.” (Side note: The swing influence is highlighted to interesting effect. The background vocals at several points actually say “keeps me swinging as I go.” I didn’t notice that the first time through the CD, but once I did, I had to listen to those phrases a number of times to be sure my ears weren’t playing tricks on me.)

I’m giving this five stars. There’s just no reason not to. Even though I personally prefer vocal projects, my criteria for a 5-star project is taking a CD I know is good (I had already been planning to give this 4.5 stars) and asking, “Is there any way in which this particular artist could have released a better CD?” And, as the final notes of “It is Well” faded, I decided the answer was no. There’s not a flaw on this project. It is an impressive piece of art.

Song List: I’m Living in Canaan Now; Won’t it Be Wonderful; I Believe He’s Coming Back; I Wouldn’t Take Nothin’ For My Journey Now; That Sounds Like Home to Me; When God’s Chariot Comes (with J.D. Sumner); What a Lovely Name; Tellin’ My Blues Goodbye; Hallelujah; Clear Title; Will the Circle Be Unbroken (previously unreleased); I’d Do it All Over Again.

Available From: Label.

* * *

Over the years, New Haven Records has had a few Southern Gospel artists in their roster; currently, the only Southern Gospel artist with New Haven is Gold City. The primary thrust of New Haven’s recent efforts in the genre has been with compilations; they have released greatest hits for the Rambos, Hinsons, Oak Ridge Boys, Kingsmen, Stamps, Imperials, Speers, Florida Boys, and Happy Goodmans.

For all the groups except the Happy Goodmans, New Haven has released one compilation CD. Songs from the Journey, though, marks their fourth Goodmans release. Previous releases include Greatest Hits (The Goodmans), The Essential Collection (Rusty Goodman), and A Lifetime of Favorites (Vestal Goodman).

But despite the proliferation of New Haven Goodmans compilations, this compilation manages to cover some new territory. Most if not all of the songs on the compilation are from the 1990s comeback lineup. Fans looking for songs from the Howard/Vestal/Sam/Rusty years would be better off purchasing the Greatest Hits title.

Particularly valuable to Goodmans aficionados is a previously unreleased track, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” The track sounds like it came from the 1960s or 1970s, and had to have a fair amount of cleanup work done before getting to the point where it is now.