By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog. Multi award-winning Andrae’ Crouch is moving into his sixth decade in gospel music, but he’s not slowing down. The singer-songwriter who, along with the Hawkins Family and the Rance Allen Group, helped birth the contemporary gospel movement in the 1960s, is promoting a new single, a new album, and a choir competition. The Journey, available May 15, will be Crouch’s first CD since 2006’s Mighty Wind. The album’s first single, “The Promise,” will be available as a digital download on Tuesday, February 15 exclusively at Walmart.com, iTunes, and Amazon.com, and all other online retail ...

The Showers Family Singers Hear My Prayer Aquila and Priscilla Records (2010) www.cdbaby.com/cd/sfgs Ten siblings – ten! – who are the offspring of a pastor and his missionary wife from Louisiana blend their voices as The Showers Family Singers. Their star is on the rise, as they won Best Traditional CD of the Year at the 2010 Ensound Music Awards for their eleven-track debut Hear My Prayer, and are nominated for three Rhythm of Gospel Awards. Hear My Prayer introduces a larger audience to their straight-ahead mix of contemporary, praise and worship and traditional gospel performance styles. And it’s a decent ...

JJ Hairston of the group Youthful Praise spent time with The Black Gospel Blog recently to talk about the group’s genesis, its musical influences, and the forthcoming CD, Resting On His Promise (Light Records/Evidence Gospel), to be released September 1. TBGB: You grew up in the Church of God in Christ. How has this influenced your music ministry? JJ: It’s influenced us tremendously. At its base, the Church of God in Christ is a traditional movement. We have our youthful vigor as a choir, but at the end of the day we are a church choir. We present songs for ...

“Oh Clap Your Hands” Brenda Jefferson from A Time of Refreshing Scripture Music Group 2007 www.myspace.com/brendajeffersononline “Oh Clap Your Hands” is the radio single from Brenda Jefferson’s recently released collection of “Scripture songs,” A Time of Refreshing. Pastor Jefferson and her husband, Bishop M.B. Jefferson, lead the congregation at Deeper Life Christian Church in Tampa, Florida. “Oh Clap Your Hands,” featuring Lisa Page Brooks, is a mid-tempo foot-tapper that showcases the background singers (who chant a catchy motif) as much as the shouting interplay between Jefferson and Brooks. The song is sure to complement contemporary gospel radio playlists nicely. For ...