SouthernGospelBlog.com

Thanks to reader Meagan W., we have a new update to the SouthernGospelBlog.com photo gallery:

Crabb Family (Central City, KY, 8/27/08)

Since there has been quite a bit of interest in how Jacob Kitson will sound with Greater Vision, and since the only two videos I’ve posted to date have been on the same song (and a song without a soundtrack, at that), I thought it was worth posting this video of Kitson singing the tenor part on Champion of Love:

Kitson seems to handle the highest notes without any strain, with the only instance of a facial expression evincing a sign of particular concentration being on the sustained final note.

A couple of months ago, I launched SGConcerts.com. The website is designed to be a place for reviews of concerts by nationally known Southern Gospel groups, from reviewers spread across the country. With the consent of the other regular contributors, I decided to open the website to submitted reviews. Information on how to sign up is on the website’s new Submission Guidelines page.

Since I had a feature story this week and two album reviews, I didn’t get around to all the stories worthy of comment:

• Singing News sent out an announcement on the upcoming Fan Awards. Most interesting was this paragraph: “This years Fan Awards will no less spectacular. With the addition of multiple stages, more presenters and more awards, this truly will be an event geared specifically towards YOU, the fan.” Multiple stages? This could be interesting. I wonder if the NQC evening program concerts will also have multiple stages.
• Dan Keeton changed the name of his group, formerly the Dan Keeton Quartet, to The Keetons. He still seeks a baritone singer.
• Must read post of the day: Debra Talley’s blog post about a concert to remember where one neat story kept following another. I dare you to still have dry eyes by the end of the post…
• The Perrys will be releasing a DVD at NQC, Live at Freedom Hall. It will be composed of footage recorded at their appearance at NQC last year. Now groups are releasing DVDs all the time, so a DVD release in and of itself isn’t remarkable; what makes this one worthy of comment is that it’s the first video/DVD the group has released since moving to an alto/lead/baritone/bass format seven or eight years ago.
• Brandon Coomer saw the debut of the new Band of Gold: Josh Simpson on keyboards, Kevin Albertson on drums, Taylor Barnes on bass, and Daniel Addison as utility musician (i.e., everything else). Coomer’s post is here.

Reviews coming up next week: I’ll be reviewing the Ball Brothers’ Simplified on Tuesday and the Talley Trio’s Life Goes On on Friday. I could post the current schedule after that, but NQC coverage is likely to shake that up enough that I might as well wait for a more detailed list until I’m caught up after NQC.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 4.2 stars (of 5)

Song List: I Will Trade The Old Cross For a Crown; Things That I’m Seeing; Greater Miracle; I’m Going There; He’ll Never Forsake; I’ll See You Home; Tell Me Who; Whenever, Wherever, Whatever; Take a Little Look; Celebrating Resurrection Morning; Hallelujah For the Cross.

Available From: Artist, CBD.

* * *

Cross 4 Crowns was formed by baritone Allen Leath in 2003 and toured regionally for two years before making the decision to try to go national in September 2005. Some of their first major attention on a national level came when former Dixie Echoes tenor Dallas Rogers joined the group, a story I broke this March. (Rogers had also performed with the Journeymen Quartet, Heirline, and the Toney Brothers.) Other group members are lead singer Davey McCammon and bass singer Justin Terry.

The group signed with Crossroads Music in May; Turning Point is their major-label debut. It is an impressive project, period, and for a debut…let’s just say it’s the most impressive debut in recent memory. Arthur Rice produced the album; his touch is evident in the group’s arrangements and harmonies, which give the group a sound closer to the Kingdom Heirs than any other group.

While several of the tracks on the project were previously recorded, the opening track (”I Will Trade The Old Cross for a Crown”) is probably the only song instantly familiar to enough Southern Gospel fans to be labeled a “classic.” Most of the other previously recorded songs would be more towards being classified “forgotten gems.”

“I Will Trade The Old Cross for a Crown” makes a good choice for an opening track, introducing the group’s sound. It also emphasizes their group name (Cross 4 Crowns…get it?) This rendition is slower than normal but brings out the group’s solid harmonies.

The group is at its strongest on convention-style quartet songs, and the project has several: “Things That I’m Seeing,” “I’m Going There,” “Take a Little Look,” and “Tell Me Who.” “Things that I’m Seeing” is a song the Kingsmen recorded over three decades ago (in 1976, on It Made News In Heaven). After hearing Cross 4 Crowns’ catchy rendition, it seems surprising that there have been (to my knowledge) no other renditions of the song since its debut.

“I’m Going There” is a song the group has apparently already sent to radio; it provides opportunities for several group members to take solos.

Squire Parsons’ “Take a Little Look” provides another opportunity for bass singer Justin Terry to shine. He has a surprisingly mature voice for being (according to the web bio) only 24 years old. His voice sounds somewhat like Glenn Dustin’s, with (perhaps thanks again to Arthur Rice) some Jeff Chapman-style phrasings also in evidence. His range is quite low; he hits low A several times on “Things that I’m Seeing,” a low G or two on “Take a Little Look,” and several confident low F-sharps on “I’m Going There.”

Terry and Dallas Rogers are probably the two strongest vocal talents in the group. Unfortunately, Dallas Rogers only gets one feature, “I’ll See You Home.” The song appears to have been added at the last minute; the final project has eleven songs, while the pre-release on the group’s website listed ten, omitting this one.

The project has several other good mid-tempo songs and ballads, such as “Hallelujah For the Cross” and “Whenever, Wherever, Whatever.” Buy on this project, it’s the convention songs most likely to get audiences to their feet.

Care is evident in this project. The mixing and mastering is impeccable. The harmonies are arranged well. Bottom line: Vocally, musically, and lyrically, this project shines.

My working rating on the draft was 4.5 stars. It’s pretty unheard of for a reviewer serious about ratings to give a group’s debut project five stars. But this project kept drawing me back again and again; by the time I got to the project’s tenth spin in a week, I decided it was worth that fifth star. Fans of Kindgom Heirs-style quartet singing should love this group.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Joe Brown, bass singer for the Diplomats Quartet. Here’s the interview: http://www.southerngospelblog.com/features/200808.pdf.

Or, if you’d prefer the text-only version, click “continue reading” and read below the break. (Continue Reading >>>)

Reader Randy Field asks:

Any word yet? I’m dying to get my hands on this cd!!

I emailed Gerald Wolfe, and he sent this update:

I have not recorded a “solo” CD, and I don’t have any plans to.  The CD I’ve put together is called “Until Now”, and it features songs that I’ve been “featured” on over the last 28+ years.  I did include a song from one of my early “solo” recordings, but even that song is actually a “duet”.  I’ve also re-recorded “Champion Of Love” and “Til The Storm Passes By” for this CD with brand-new tracks, arranged by Lari Goss.  There’s also a new song on the CD called “I Still Cling To The Old Rugged Cross”.  It’s not really a “new” song, but it’s new for me.

The CD is currently in the manufacturing process, and I’ll have a “firm” release date available within the next few days.

On Friday, I posted about how the Steeles’ hit song “Left Behind” did not appear at its place on the chart in the Singing News online radio charts for May-October 2001. In its place was a blank (raptured?) line.

A little bird notifies me that the song has been restored to its proper place on the charts, and a quick look confirms this.

So the mystery’s over, in a way. The song is back, we just don’t know if it was a technical glitch or a practical joke that left its line blank in the first place.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Average Song Rating: 3.2 (of 5)

Producer: Jason Webb.

Song List: Let Me Tell You ‘Bout Jesus; Didn’t It Rain; Take My Life; Glorious; Big Mighty God; Last One Worthy; You Thought of Us; Nothin’ But Good; It’s Time to Sing; You’re Never Too Far Away; Jesus Saves.

Available from: Artist, Label, CBD.

***

After performing with the Alphus LeFevre Singers, the Singing Americans, and Gold City, and winning three Singing News Fan Awards for Favorite Baritone, Mike LeFevre took a hiatus from the forefront of the Southern Gospel scene for several years.

Several years ago, he returned to the Southern Gospel scene with the Mike LeFevre Quartet. The group spent several years with the Song Garden Music Group label, during the years when Robbie Hiner and Nick Bruno were at the helm and the label showed promise of establishing a foothold in the genre. The group’s lead singer, David Staton, even worked there on days the group wasn’t on the road. However, after changes at the label that involved Hiner, Bruno, and several of the nationally known artists departing, the quartet found themselves looking for a label. They ended up signing with Canaan earlier this year; this is their first release on the label.

This was one of three albums released by Canaan this fall; attention was on all three to see what level of detail and care Canaan would put into their releases. Kim Hopper’s solo CD, which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, was the only one of the three where Canaan executive Dave Clark had a day-to-day role in the album production. Though he’s an “executive producer” here (as I understand it, it’s more of a veto power, removed from the day to day recording process), Jason Webb produced this album.

The album has several good songs. “Glorious” is an uptempo song with praise and worship lyrics reminiscent of their hit cover of “Days of Elijah.” Traditional Southern Gospel gets several nods with the opening tracks, “Let Me Tell You About Jesus” and “Didn’t it Rain.”

The project’s strongest song is probably its final track, “Jesus Saves.” It is a new song, not the hymn, the Cathedrals song, the Talley Trio song, or the Hoppers song, all of which have the same name. This anthem will have many listeners hitting the repeat button. My only complaint with the track is that the choir—which is not in and of itself appropriate addition given the anthemic nature of the track—all but overpowers the quartet’s vocals by the end. I would love to hear a remix of this song with the choir track pulled, and the quartet’s vocals more in evidence.

The album has several good songs, and one or two great songs that will keep listeners returning time and again.

The other day, John Scheideman posted on the disturbing tendency on some Southern Gospel websites for individuals to dig up dirt on artists and post it publicly. In the comments, former Couriers lead singer Neil Enloe offered a great observation, which is reprinted here by permission:

Inevitably when I dwell on the sins of another I begin to feel the heat of guilt over my own transgressions. The advantage that I have over some people is that my sins haven’t become public. But there’s coming a time when nothing shall be hidden and our works will be tried by fire and we will be judged by the Righteous Judge, who has the true and holy perspective on good and evil. God help us all when we stand before him. The only hope any of us have is the covering and washing of the blood of our Savior who has made us acceptable unto God.

All the shame and reproach of our multiplied iniquities is buried with Him and while we are still flawed humans the Father only sees us through the purity of the blood of His only Son.

I would rather be found guilty of too much forgiveness than too much condemnation. So I try to be careful of my criticism of a brother’s failures knowing that, God forbid, if I should ever be found guilty of similar offenses I would hope with all of my heart that my brothers and sisters would extend the hand of support, fellowship and understanding that I would so desperately need.