Monica Butler of the Butler Group seeks to transform the historic Second Baptist Church in St. Louis’s Central West End community into a Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Read more here from reporter Steph Kukuljan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/local-producer-aims-to-turn-holy-corners-church-into-gospel-music-hall-of-fame/article_6b08e0a3-e364-5d57-966a-7a7646d7998b.html

By Robert M. Marovich JGM was saddened to learn of the passing on April 14, 2021, of St. Louis gospel radio announcer Columbus Gregory. He was 90 years old. In addition to more than a half-century on St. Louis radio, Gregory co-founded Redi-Soul Records, an independent label also based in St. Louis. Using saxophonist Oliver Sain’s legendary Archway Studio, Redi-Soul recorded many local artists in the 1970s, most notably the Williams Singers, who would sign with Checker Records, and the Gregory-Aires. I was honored to interview Gregory for my “Gospel Memories” radio show in May 2009. This article on the ...

“The One” Jewell & Converted OverBoard Records (release date: April 9, 2021) By Robert M. Marovich Those who appreciate joyous gospel quartet music will welcome “The One,” the latest single from the award-winning St. Louis quartet Jewell & Converted. Jewell Taylor leads the female quartet on a litany of examples of Jesus’s goodness and then transitions into the Passion. The ladies sing that if Jesus can be crucified, die, and rise from the grave, he can and will do anything for you. There’s much to enjoy here, from Taylor’s boisterous vocals and the group’s dynamic responses to heavy downbeats from ...

Dr. F. James Clark Presents Shalom Church & Friends Victorious (Live) EP City of Peace Music (release date: September 4, 2020) www.shalomandfriends.com By Robert M. Marovich The six-track Victorious (Live) is the latest release and the first of two new EPs by Dr. F. James Clark and Shalom Church (City of Peace) in Florissant, Missouri, a town situated north of St. Louis and near the conflux of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The megachurch choir’s five-star debut album, 2015’s Simply Amazing, lived up to its title. Dello Thedford, that album’s composer and conductor, is at the helm on Victorious. Thedford once ...

Erica Reed Erica Reed Independent (release date: January 10, 2020) www.ericareedmusic.com By Bob Marovich On her new, self-titled album, the St. Louis-based singer-songwriter Erica Reed journeys into new production territory. For example, atmospheric electronica and 808 beats propel several selections, such as “Enough,” where Reed testifies about Jesus’s ability to heal suffering. “Get Up” is a call to celebrate and dance out our differences and divisions rather than ruminate on them. The sunny “New Day” weaves its call to discipleship in ‘80s Madonna-like snappiness. On the other hand, “Sorry,” with its heartbeat rhythm, has a small combo sound, a memorable ...

“Do You Know Him” The Fantastic Bibletones From the CD Just As I Am (release date: July 22, 2019) https://www.thefantasticbibletones.com/ By Bob Marovich Former Pick of the Week recipients the Fantastic Bibletones are back with a spirited redux of Brother Joe May’s 1950 breakout hit, “Do You Know Him.” The female quartet from St. Louis takes the Mary Lou Coleman Parker original and turns it into an aisle-walker, fueled by steady drums, pounding piano, and a marvelous power-packed vamp fueled by call-and-response. Organized in 1971 and active until 1998, after which they took a break from the arduous gospel highway, ...

Pastor Willie E. Kirkpatrick Presents Joseph Price & the Prince of Peace Choir Do You Know Prince of Peace (release date: August 2, 2019) www.princeofpeacechurchstl.com By Bob Marovich Though Prince of Peace Baptist Church in Berkeley, Missouri, has served the St. Louis area for nearly a century, its choir just cut its debut full-length recording last October. It’s not that the church’s music ministry hasn’t made a record before; I know of at least one single that its Choral Club released on the Serenity label years ago. This is, however, the first full-length recording by the current iteration of Prince ...

“Hallelujah” E. D. Mondaine’ From the Achaia Records release Hallelujah (release date: February 7, 2019) www.edmondaine.com By Bob Marovich Sure, Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece “Hallelujah” is about a love affair gone sour, but given that it is gilded with lines from Scripture, I’m surprised that more Christian artists haven’t gospelized it over the years. Gospel artist and pastor Apostle E. D. Mondaine’ has just rendered the beautiful ballad, made it the title track of his new album, and altered some of the lyrics to make it more spiritual. He opens the song with the same lovingly delicate reading that most singers ...

God’s ChosenGod’s ChosenDREAM Records (release date: June 22, 2018)www.GC3Music.com By Bob Marovich Zebrina Anderson, Nikeisha Whittier, and Sarah Benibo are God’s Chosen (GC3), a trio designed to appeal to a multicultural Christian audience through its evocation of female gospel groups like Witness and Virtue as well as of megachurch praise teams. Their latest release, a self-titled album, includes mostly new compositions written by the ladies and co-producer John Strandell (who cameos on “I Want You”). AyRon Lewis and Levi “Too” King also contribute their estimable production talents to the project. Songs such as the strong opener “We’re Ready,” as well ...

By Bob Marovich Written and produced by her son, Curtis Turrentine Jr., Evelyn Turrentine-Agee’s “God Gave His Best” will be released Friday, October 5. It’s the latest single from the Queen of Quartet, whose gospel music career spans several decades. Evelyn told the Journal of Gospel Music that her singing ministry began at the tender age of two. “At two years old, I was singing so much that my dad would take me to church. He’d hold me up in his arms and say, ‘Sing baby!’ My favorite song to sing was ‘Thank You, Jesus.’ People would just shout! At first I thought, ‘What’s the matter with ...