The video opens with a behind-the-scenes montage of preparation for the film, with sound check, makeup, banter between group members, and greetings from fans waiting to get in.

When the group takes the stage, it’s mostly singing with very little talking. French seems to be a fan of letting songs speak for themselves—or perhaps of picking songs that can.

The audio quality is excellent, CD-quality. (In fact, the DVD comes packaged with a companion CD, bundled in the same $25 package.) There are a few points where room reverb (or overdubs on top of original vocals as picked up by other singers’ microphones) can be noticed, but those are minor and do not jump out.

Attention to detail is evident in the staging. Just as one example, not only does the stage set include a bright red-and-gold background with the Kingdom Heirs’ logo, but that logo can also be seen elsewhere, such as on the piano right above the keys.

The cinematography (image quality) is top-notch, especially for standard definition. There are at least four cameras, with one and possibly two booms. There are only a few shots placing the featured singer(s) in an odd corner of the screen; in nearly all of the hundreds of shots selected, the advantages of the widescreen format are utilized to full effect. Twelve to fifteen lights help ensure that nearly all shots are well lit. (It’s not clear whether the circular rainbows are an accidental artifact of the lighting or intentional effects.)

The song selection should delight any fan except a fan looking for a recap of their last video’s set list. (If you’re one of those fans, just buy the last one, too.) Songs like “I Want You to Know,” “He Locked the Gates,” and “What We Needed” show off the Kingdom Heirs’ strengths in the convention style.

As well they should, the group makes the most of the talent it has at the lead position. From the bluesy “Jesus Made a Believer Out of Me” to the big ballad “When You Look at Me” to feature lines on convention songs, Arthur Rice proves that he can sing practically anything well.

Tenor Billy Hodges shines on “Fire Away” and “The Empty Tomb Says it All.” Steve French only sings one solo, “As Good as I Can Be.” Besides solo lines on various songs, particularly on convention-style numbers, Jeff Chapman is featured on “Help Me Lord.”

The singing abilities of two band members are also highlighted; pianist Andy Stringfield sings on “When You Look at Me” and “I’ll Meet You By the River,” and drummer Dennis Murphy closes the film with the parody / comedy track “The Video Song.”

The review can’t go without mention of the songwriting team behind the project. Other than “He Locked the Gates” (Rodney Griffin), “The Empty Tomb Says it All” (newcomer Daryl Petersheim), Murphy’s self-penned comedy number, and a couple classic songs, Dianne Wilkinson wrote (or, in one case, co-wrote) the rest of the songs. Most Kingdom Heirs fans are already familiar with a number of these songs, most notably “What We Needed”; of particular note is Arthur Rice’s riveting rendition of “When You Look at Me.” It’s a song he feels is Dianne’s best since “We Shall See Jesus,” and he delivers it with a passion that brings the audience to its feet at the close of the second verse, and up again for a prolonged standing ovation at the close.

The Kingdom Heirs are easily one of the best two or three quartets on the road right now, and this is a video/CD product worthy of a group at its pinnacle.

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.6 stars. ♦ Group members: Billy Hodges, Arthur Rice, Steve French, Jeff Chapman, Andy Stringfield, Dennis Murphy, Kreis French. ♦ Produced by: Jacob Timmons. ♦ Available from: Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: On Gloryland Way; I Want You To Know; Fire Away; As Good as I Can Be; Jesus Made a Believer Out of Me; Rock’s Between a Hard Place and You; Help Me Lord; The Empty Tomb Says it All; He Locked the Gates; There is Power in the Blood (Instrumental); When You Look at Me; I’ll Meet You By the River; Beyond the Gates; What We Needed; The Video Song.

This is the third overall and second studio recording made with the Shelnut/Shelnut/Varnado lineup with Wesley Smith at tenor and Pat Barker at bass. It’s the first time they’ve had two consecutive studio recordings with the same lineup for six or seven years, and the first time they’ve had three consecutive recordings with the same lineup for over a decade.

Since it takes any lineup time to gel and fully utilize each member’s strengths, it can also be said that this lineup is the best the Dixie Echoes have been in years. Several of their lineups—the Rogers/Crouch pairing particularly comes to mind—had the same level of potential, but today’s lineup has stayed together for long enough to start realizing that potential.

As always, the Dixie Echoes have a few uptemo convention songs. Wesley Smith takes the lead on a rousing rendition of “He’ll Pilot Me,” and Pat Barker is featured on “I’ll Have a New Life.”

All ten songs are classics, and most of them were written before any of the members except Randy were born. Two exceptions come from the mid-80s, the Florida Boys’ signature song “When He Was On the Cross” (featuring Wesley Smith), and the Cathedrals’ classic “Plan of Salvation” (featuring Pat Barker).

Speaking of “Plan of Salvation,” I simply have to digress somewhat. They first sang the song on March 7. I was in attendance and posted a review here. Here’s what I said about the song:

A personal highlight was their rendition of  the Cathedrals classic “Plan of Salvation.” Knowing that I would be there, and how much I love Cathedrals music, they worked up the arrangement that afternoon. It was the first time they had ever sung the song on stage; I found out after the fact that Stewart Varnado pulled up the song on YouTube a few minutes before the concert to learn the Cathedrals’ piano licks.

It went over so well that they ended up staging it in other concerts, and ultimately put it on the CD. Thank you, Stewart, Pat, and the rest of the Dixie Echoes!

Barker is also featured on what may be the best rendition of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” recorded since the composer, George Beverly Shea’s, original rendition.

One other standout song was Scoot Shelnut’s rendition of a song his grandfather Dale used to sing, “Now I Have Everything.” Scoot’s unadorned straight tones bring out a delightful simplicity in the lyric.

Several production elements played a role in the overall rating being bumped up a full star from the average song rating. One is the excellent graphic design, which has a classic and classy look that fits the group’s sound well. The other is the extent to which the final result reflects group members’ own talents. Unlike other groups, which have a producer, hired studio musicians, and auto-tuning to make them sound good, much of what you hear on this project was recorded by the group members themselves. Stewart Varnado provided the piano parts; Scoot Shelnut Jr. played the bass guitar and drums. Two members of the Primitive Quartet, Mike Riddle and Jeff Tolbert, provided the guitars and specialty instruments (fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, banjo). But between producing, arranging, engineering, playing the instruments, and recording quality vocals that don’t need auto-tuning, the Dixie Echoes’ recordings reflect their own considerable talents. It’s an angle other genres stress more than ours, but it’s just another reason the Dixie Echoes’ name is synonymous with quality Southern Gospel.

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4 stars. ♦ Group members: Wesley Smith, Randy Shelnut Sr., Randy “Scoot” Shelnut Jr., Pat Barker, Stewart Varnado. ♦ Produced by: Randy Shelnut, Randy Shelnut Jr., Stewart Varnado. ♦ Available from: Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: Until Then; Wings of a Dove; When He Was On the Cross; I’ll Have a New Life; Now I Have Everything; He Keeps Me Singing; Plan of Salvation; Peace In the Valley; He’ll Pilot Me; I’d Rather Have Jesus.

Unlike the Mark Trammell Trio’s Home for Christmas project, reviewed last week, Mark Trammell’s recent solo Christmas project features all-new tracks. Legacy Five’s Tim Parton arranged the tracks and probably provided the piano (though uncredited). Reggie & Ladye Love Smith (of Gaither Homecoming fame) provided the background vocals. Milton Smith, who is better than anyone else at making a fake orchestra sound real, provided the orchestrations. Bobby Bradley provided percussion, and David Johnson played everything else.

Southern Gospel music tends to attract vocal freaks of nature. Quartet singers tend to be specialized at harmonizing in a certain vocal range, and this sort of talent—a much-need talent that carries a vocal harmony-driven genre—rarely carries over well to solo work. Most of the Southern Gospel quartet/trio singers who have done solo projects (even the best, like Gerald Wolfe, Christian Davis, and Michael Booth) still sound even better in an ensemble setting. Mark Trammell, who George Younce described as “the best quartet man that I ever worked with,” has the rare talent of excelling equally well as an ensemble singer and as a soloist.

The song selection is as original and varied as an album of Christmas classics can be. Several rarely recorded songs are included: “There’s a Song in the Air,” “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” and (at least on a Christmas project) “Tell Me the Story of Jesus.”

The songs that have been frequently recorded are given new life through fresh arrangements. The project’s highlights include Trammell’s authoritative anthemic renditions of “Angels From the Realms of Glory” and “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus.”

Lest one think the whole project was heavily orchestrated ballads, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” and “Go Tell it On the Mountain” have a folk/Appalachian touch. Overall, though, the project has a musical consistency that reveals careful thought and planning.

If someone unfamiliar with the genre asks for a list of the best Southern Gospel recordings, this project should make any short list.

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.5 stars. ♦ Produced by: E.T. Everett. ♦ Available from: Artist. Review copy provided. ♦ Song list: There’s a Song In the Air Medley (There’s a Song in the Air / Away in a Manger / What Chid is This); I Wonder as I Wander; Go Tell It On the Mountain; Let There Be Peace on Earth;  Angels From the Realms of Glory; O Come, O Come Emmanuel; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Medley.

Just Stand redefines just how magnificent a Legacy Five project can be. It raises the bar in such a literal way that if any of the three aforementioned projects were follow-ups to this release, they would be 4.5 star recordings. It’s that good.

It’s that good for two simple reasons—song selection and the master’s touch of Lari Goss.

Let’s start with the latter. Lari Goss had some hand in Heroes of the Faith; his touch can be seen in a couple tracks on that project, particularly the poignant title track. But he never produced an entire Legacy Five project, until this one. What took so long?

From Roger Bennett’s homegoing until this project, Legacy Five was a group of partially but not completely filled potential. Goss’s majestic vocal arrangements and lush orchestrations realize this potential.

The song selection is, stylistically, the perfect fit for this lineup’s voices. From jazzy numbers (“New Born Feeling”) to convention songs (“My Soul is Firmly Anchored”) to country-influenced songs (“Above All Circumstances”) to, of course, a heaping plateful of big ballads, this album shows off a wider range of what Legacy Five can pull off well than any previous project.

The project is anchored by two ballads, “When They Found Nothing” and “Faithful to the Cross.”

“When They Found Nothing,” the group’s first radio single, comes from the pens of four writers, Marty Funderburk, Beverly Lowry, James Isaac Elliot, and Melissa R. Bishop. All too often, groups with three or more co-writers lose that special something—a unity in the lyric and consistency in the tune—while in committee. But not so with this song; Marty Funderburk (one of Southern Gospel’s most prolific non-performing songwriters), Bev Lowry (Mark’s mother), James Isaac Elliott, and Melissa Bishop struck gold.

“Faithful to the Cross” is one of the greatest songs ever written. Notice that last sentence was without any qualifier. It is that one-in-a-million anthem that would be equally at home at a wedding or a funeral. And that’s not even to mention services where a pastor is installed or retires, or regular church services. Kenna Turner West and Lee Black have written a song that deserves to go down as one of the greatest all-time Southern Gospel classics.

In closing, I ought to try to find another way to say that this is simply one of the best CDs released this decade—but I’m out of superlatives and synonyms. Just buy the thing!

Rating: 5 stars. ♦ Average song rating: 4.5 stars. ♦ Group members: Frank Seamans, Scott Fowler, Scott Howard, Glenn Dustin, Tim Parton. ♦ Produced by: Lari Goss. ♦ Available from: Group. Review copy purchased (not provided). ♦ Song list: New Born Feeling; Great Is Thy Faithfulness; One Thing God Can’t Do; Just Stand; Faithful to the Cross; Above All Circumstances; When They Found Nothing; My Soul is Firmly Anchored; Statement of Faith (including Legacy Five, the Booth Brothers, the Hoppers, and Greater Vision); Thankful for the Change; ‘Til We Meet Again.

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.

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.

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.

Members: Michael Booth (tenor); Ronnie Booth (lead); Jim Brady (baritone)

Song List: Tell Me the Story of Jesus; I’m Going Back; Tears Are a Language; This Love is Mine; The Eyes of Jesus; Welcome to the Family; I Would; Look For Me at Jesus’ Feet; Still Feelin’ Fine (with Greater Vision); He Saw it All; The One That I Love; Secret Place; Haven of Rest.

* * *

Perhaps because the cost of producing a live concert video can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, increasing numbers of groups are choosing to film their live projects at the National Quartet Convention. It’s not like this is a bad thing; though live NQC footage from several years ago frequently had noticeable technical flaws, these have been ironed out, and Louisville Live and similar titles have high visual and audio production quality.

Through NQC 2007, the INSP channel filmed the event live with a five or six camera crew; starting with NQC 2008 (last year), the Gospel Music Channel has been providing live video and recording the concerts for future airing.

Louisville Live has thirteen songs from the Booth Brothers’ three mainstage sets. The editing between songs was smooth enough that it’s not immediately evident where the cuts between different sets took place.

Unlike a number of groups which make live videos a showcase of every single song from their latest recording, the Booth Brothers make Louisville Live more a taste of what a live Booth Brothers concert would sound like. They mix songs from their main-label projects with songs from their table projects, and songs with full soundtracks with songs with a lighter piano-only accompaniment. (Southern Gospel piano soloist Roy Webb provided live piano accompaniment.)

The Booth Brothers are so good at what they do that it’s hard to isolate highlights. A slow song like “The Eyes of Jesus” is as much a high point as “Welcome to the Family”—and, in fact, “The Eyes of Jesus” got one of the strongest responses of the songs on the lineup. Greater Vision joining the Booth Brothers for “Still Feeling Fine” is a welcome addition to what one might find on a typical non-NQC live DVD.

There are a number of bonus features: A clip of highlights from the 2008 Singing News Fan Awards, a behind-the-scenes look at the Booth Brothers’ NQC week, and a video product pitch.

The Booth Brothers chose a strong assortment of songs to highlight, and there are no detracting audio or video flaws. So there’s really no reason not to give this project five stars.

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.

Average Song Rating: 4.5 stars (of 5)

Members: Julie Hudson (soprano), Penny Greene (alto), Stan Hill (tenor), Dave Emery (bass / guitar), Joe Rotton (bass guitar).

Song List: Keep Travelin’ On; He Wrote My Name; Keep the Fire Burning in the Camp; Light at the River; I’d Rather Have Jesus; Homecoming Day; I’m Telling the World About His Love; Singing As I Go; I Never Shall Forget the Day; We’re Gonna Rise Up (And Meet Him in the Air); My Dream Home in Glory; O Come Angel Band.

Available From: Label, Artist.

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Keep Travelin’ On is the Chuck Wagon Gang’s first studio release in several years. In fact, it had been long enough since they’d released a CD with their label, Song Garden Music Group, that at one point I mistakenly assumed they had left the label.

This project includes familiar CWG classics, several convention-style songs previously recorded but new to the group, and a number of new songs. Two particularly notable tracks are new songs from the pen of Rebecca Peck, “Singing as I Go” and “Keep Travelin’ On.” The latter is the project’s title track and first single. Both are such good fits for the group’s style that a casual listener, recognizing many of the project’s other songs as classics, would assume these were also old-school classics.

Other particularly notable arrangements include alto Penny Greene’s feature on “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” tenor Stan Hill’s feature on “Oh Come Angel Band,” and Greene’s feature on “We’re Gonna Rise Up and Meet Him in the Air,” a CWG classic penned by late group patriarch Roy “Dad” Carter.

Alto Shaye Seward came off the road two or three years ago and was replaced by current alto Penny Greene. Though she remains active with the group behind the scenes, since her departure from the touring group, there have been no children or grandchildren of the original members in group. But this lineup captures the group’s distinctive sound no well that it leaves no doubt that they are the Chuck Wagon Gang, not just some tribute lineup carrying on the heritage. In fact, with a project of this caliber, they add to the heritage.

I don’t give out 5-star ratings often. I write somewhere around fifty CD/DVD reviews per year, and since I typically give out five or fewer 5-star ratings, some might wonder why I give this project 5 stars and another project with more complex arrangements and vocals (say, the latest Perrys or Kingdom Heirs releases) 4 or 4.5 stars.

Here is why: When I rate a project, I consider this question: What would a perfect [group name] recording sound like? Groups anchored by a star performer can experiment with different styles so long as the familiar voices are featured, but the Chuck Wagon Gang is anchored by a specific style. Add a 64-piece orchestra, a complex MIDI drum loop, or a heavy synthesizer, and it just isn’t the Chuck Wagon Gang. This project gets five stars because the group took the stylistic parameters that define a Chuck Wagon Gang project and worked within those guidelines to make the best recording the group has released in years.