In a fascinating article for the Southern Foodways Alliance, Carrie Allen Tipton tells the story of how quartets used to sing products off the shelves and into American homes. Harmony to sell hominy? http://www.southernfoodways.org/your-weekly-pop-not-by-bread-alone/ Carrie Allen Tipton writes and lectures about classical music, American popular music, religion, and Southern culture.
Murk P31 Dedicated Music Group (release date: March 31, 2015) www.murkp31.com By Bob Marovich Christian hip hop artist Murk is a P31 girl. On her sophomore EP, P31, Murk employs rhymes and beats to encourage other women to join her in the movement. "P31" is a reference to Psalms 31, which sets [...]
The Gospel Angels Turn It Around (2012) www.thegospelangels.com By Bob Marovich The Gospel Angels of Washington, DC, have traveled the country and the world for more than three decades, serving up heaping helpings of church wisdom with a savory traditional gospel quartet flavor. Some of the songs on the group’s [...]
“Just Jesus” Bishop Jonathan Greer Released February 3, 2015 Now when is the last time you heard “Just Jesus” sung as a single? Thank God for Bishop Jonathan Greer II and his choir. They righteously reprise the good old Zion song, which Greer did originally with the Cathedral of Faith [...]
Lockhart Singers. Aldrea Sanford Lenox is in the middle, top row. JGM learned today of the passing of Aldrea Sanford Lenox. Aldrea was a member of the Lockhart Singers of Chicago, the Thompson Community Singers, the Dorothy Norwood Singers, and the Jessy Dixon Singers. Her husband, the late [...]
Casey J The Truth Marquis Boone Enterprises/Tyscot Records (released April 21, 2015) www.tyscot.com By Bob Marovich The next best thing to a live gospel music program is listening to a live gospel music program on a recording. That’s why it was smart for Casey J to release her debut album, [...]
BET's Bobby Jones Gospel, the longest-running gospel music variety program on television and the longest-running original series on cable television, will mark its final episode this year. Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones is to be highly commended because no other modern show has done so much to showcase independent and major [...]
"Something Big” Jekalyn Carr Luneal Music Group/Malaco Music Group (2015) www.malaco.com By Bob Marovich Young singers and pop music go together like bacon and eggs. In the gospel music industry, however, it can be more difficult for a young person to gain traction. Even though churches offer a variety of [...]
The Journal of Gospel Music was saddened to learn of the passing of Mother Alva Johnson Roberts, who transitioned from labor to reward on April 18. She was 101 years old. Mother Roberts was the first lady of "Brother" Isaiah Roberts, noted Church of God in Christ pastor, popular radio announcer, [...]
Robert E. Person Love Divine REP Music (2015) www.roberteperson.com By Bob Marovich The first thing you notice when listening to Robert E. Person’s new album, Love Divine, is the bigness of the singer's voice. It’s Broadway musical big, regardless of whether Person is summoning deep bass notes or launching into [...]
