Positive Daily Commentary on Southern Gospel
For the last day, I have been searching for something fitting to say about Dottie Rambo’s passing. But sometimes in a moment like this, nothing quite seems right.
So I will let one of her greatest songs speak for itself: The Holy Hills of Heaven (Vestal Goodman, Dottie Rambo).
Several Southern Gospel websites (including Singing News) report that legendary singer / songwriter Dottie Rambo died early this morning in a tour bus accident. Her manager, Larry Ferguson, is unconscious and has two broken legs. Early reports were that the tour bus was caught in a tornado. (Update: He is now conscious but still in bad shape. Also, while it might not have technically been a tornado, winds from the same storm system are thought to have led to the wreck.)
I am not sure I have collected my thoughts enough to post something fitting. But this is certainly a stark reminder to pray for the safety of all who travel the highways and airways of the country to spread the Gospel in word and song.
I have a hard time suppressing a big smile when I hear people refer to moms who “don’t work.” Okay I don’t suppress it and often laugh at them but that’s beside the point. I realize that what the person is saying is that the mom doesn’t work outside the home but I’m convinced that any lady who is a mom definitely “works.” (Just ask her!)
Parenting has its challenges and can often seem like a thankless job; however, it is not without its reward. The apostle John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). For those who have lived to see that day, you have already received a small portion of that reward. For those whose children have strayed from the Faith, this can be a trying time but God can use it to draw you to Himself if you allow Him to do so.
If you have small children, be thankful for them. Tomorrow, they will be teenagers and the next day, they could be married. Not literally, of course, but as fast as time is flying, it seems that way sometimes. Treasure your children while you have them for they truly are a blessing from the Lord.
My thoughts today are twofold:
1) If you are a mom, take time today to thank God for the many blessings He has given you.
2) If you are a child (even an adult child) whose mother is alive, take time to thank her for her many sacrifices and her love in giving you life and raising you for God’s glory. So many times we neglect letting people know how much we love and appreciate them while they’re alive. They’re not going to know what’s said at their funeral.
In closing, I want to thank everyone who reads this blog on a daily basis, and for those who came across the blog for the first time today, welcome. You all are a blessing!
In 2005, James Blackwood’s son Jimmy, himself a long-time member of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet (1969-86), brought the group name back to Southern Gospel. With only one change–the original baritone leaving, and pianist Brad White also taking on baritone duties–the group has kept the same lineup over the past four years.
During that time, they have quietly but steadily been building (re-building?) a national fan base. National isn’t just a figure of speech, either, as they routinely make trips through states rarely frequented by Southern Gospel groups–Oregon, Washington, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Arizona among them.
Although they have yet to make a recording of new songs, they released a hymns recording (reviewed here) about a year ago. This live CD/DVD, the lineup’s second recording, features mostly classic Blackwood Brothers songs.
Group leader Jimmy Blackwood turns in strong performances on “I Want to Be More Like Jesus” and “Learning to Lean.” Brad White’s piano abilities shine on “I’m Feeling Fine” and “I’ll Fly Away.” Tenor Wayne Little is featured on two of the most-recorded songs in Southern Gospel music, “The Lighthouse” and “Oh, What a Savior,” while bass Randy Byrd takes the lead on a number from the classic Blackwood Brothers repertoire, “I Get Happy.”
The DVD includes several songs that did not make it onto the CD. These are “Since Jesus Came Into My Heart” (a Brad White piano solo), “I’ll Meet You in the Morning” (the concert closer) and “Oh, Say But I’m Glad.” The omission of “Oh, Say But I’m Glad” may be because the song was released on the Blackwood Brothers’ Rock of Ages hymns project, and perhaps the group did not want to have the same song on both projects by the current lineup. But the omission of the other two is slightly more surprising, since they were among the most enjoyable selections on the DVD.
Most of the songs on the project are accompanied solely by piano, live on some tracks and from a soundtrack on others.
Though the Blackwood Brothers do not forge new ground musically on this project, their arrangements and delivery of these classic songs in our genre leave no question that this is a group worthy of the Blackwood Brothers name.
Available from: The Blackwood Brothers.
Rating: Recommended.
Canaan Records announced yesterday that it had added Mike & Kelly Bowling to its artist roster. I found the last paragraph of the press release the most interesting:
Canaan Records, a division of Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, was founded in 1965. The original Canaan Records’ roster was home to many legendary Southern Gospel artists including The Cathedrals, The Happy Goodmans, The Florida Boys, The Inspirations, The Nelons and The Talleys. In early 2007, the renowned label reemerged with the signing of Gospel music greats, The Hoppers. Word Entertainment leads the industry with over 50 years of music making history.
Oddly enough, though the press release goes out of its way to mention the Hoppers, no mention is made of the other artist Canaan has signed, the Mike LeFevre Quartet.
Mike & Kelly Bowling will release their debut Canaan project, Faith to Believe, on August 12.
This post is for the procrastinators. The voting in the second round of the 2008 Singing News Fan Awards closes in two days, on May 9. If you are a Singing News subscriber and have not yet voted, click here to view and cast your ballot. If you are not a Singing News subscriber, click here to subscribe. (Hat tip: I was reminded by an email that the Old Paths sent out.)
Out of curiosity, I went back to see which of the top 10 Albums of the Year I’d reviewed. It looks like I reviewed five. (I was thinking I had done a sixth, the Kingdom Heirs’ True to the Call, but it seems I didn’t review it.)
Now is also a good time to remind you to post your top 5 guesses, if you have not done so yet.
When it was announced that Jason Waldroup would be leaving Greater Vision to attend Seminary, some fans wondered whether he would be training to be a Pastor or a Music Minister. (One fan even started a poll on the Singing News forums.)
In Greater Vision’s email newsletter yesterday, Gerald Wolfe announced Jason’s plans:
Beginning in August, Jason will be pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Bible at Louisiana Baptist University. Upon completion of his Bachelor’s Degree, he will become a student of the Luther Rice Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, he plans to finish his Master’s Degree program there.
Jason will be studying to become a Music & Worship Pastor, which will give him the opportunity to influence the music of the Church, as well as teaching people to become more committed and serious about their relationship with Christ, and their responsibilities as members of His family.
Waldroup will begin serving as a Music and Worship Pastor at Central Baptist Church in Katy, Texas on August 10th.
Photos of the Mike LeFevre Quartet Homecoming (taken by contributor Diana B.) were posted over the weekend to the SouthernGospelBlog.com gallery. They can be viewed here.
She also took several videos at the event; these can be found on her Youtube page.
Southern Gospel blogger John Scheideman, probably the most active Southern Gospel blogger on the West Coast, is posting daily updates from the Great Western Southern Gospel Fan Festival (GWSGFF) in Fresno, California. He’s already posted on the Thursday and Friday performances, and promises Saturday’s summary (late) tonight. Check it out to find out which songs (and groups) are getting a response on the West Coast.
UPDATE (5/4/08, 7:51 AM): Check out his coverage of the third and final day as well. Now I finally know what he’s talking about when he talks about Liberty Quartet with these words:
Tonight they had the crowd eatting out of their hands by their third song. After a rousing patriotic medley, they got the crowd off their seats with a lively original song penned by Waggoner. They finished with a great cover of the old Speers hit, “City Coming Down”, where they were joined on stage by the members of Greater Vision. When Royce hit those bottom notes, the look on Gerald Wolfe’s face almost said, “Next time we do another “Quartets” project, you’re going to be one of my basses!” Liberty’s set thrilled me and pumped me up…and rocked the house! …
You name it, they can do it all. The rest of the country NEEDS to be exposed to the Liberty Quartet…if you’re a gospel fan, you’re almost sure to love this group.
The Diplomats, a group based in Carrollton, Georgia, have toured as a regional group for some years. They are now starting to get national recognition, as evidenced by a recent top 10 nomination for Favorite Mixed Group in the Singing News Fan Awards. They have a strong fan base on the Singing News forums, placing second only to the Perrys in this poll (and, surprisingly, garnering more votes than the Hoppers).
Their most recent project, Live in West Virginia, was recorded some time ago at Christ Temple Church in Huntington, West Virginia. The live taping also featured the Mark Trammell Trio; the groups shared recording costs, but split the taping into separate final projects. While the Mark Trammell Trio only released a DVD (Live at the Temple), the Diplomats were set to release both a CD and a DVD. (However, the CD is currently the only of the two listed on their products page.)
This project is a solid mix of new songs, classic Southern Gospel songs, and hymns. Highlights include “Come and Dine,” an energetic rendition of the old hymn, “He Is,” a more energetic song than the Aaron Jeoffrey / Triumphant ballad, and “Joy Comes in the Morning,” a strong closing song for the album.
Bass singer Joseph Brown showcases his impressive range on “Lonesome Road”; he sings down to the F below low C, and retains a solid, enjoyable tone the whole way down. His pleasant tone and strong low end range suggests comparisons to Dove Brothers bass David Hester.
Alto singer Rita Pearson takes the lead on “Holy Hills” and “Brand New Home.” Her voice is often compared to Vestal Goodman’s, and the comparisons are valid. Her rich, thick alto tones give the group a sound reminiscent of the Happy Goodmans, or, more recently, the Perrys.
Several years ago, when the Perrys lost a soprano and added a baritone, switching to a Happy Goodmans-style vocal structure, they found a niche in Southern Gospel that no major group had been filling. The positive response to the change took the Perrys to the top of Southern Gospel. The Diplomats capture a different element of the Happy Goodmans tradition; while the Perrys capture the polish and class of the Happy Goodmans in their later years, the Diplomats capture more of the raw, unbridled enthusiasm of the Goodmans’ earlier years.
This project is one of the best indie or smaller-label Southern Gospel projects released this year.
Available from: The Diplomats.
Rating: Recommended. (Revised: 4 stars of 5)
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