Bob

“This Christmas”Mario BrownEmerging gospel artist Mario Brown from Milwaukee eschews the brassy instrumentation that normally endows Donny Hathaway’s Christmas classic and performs it a cappella, accompanied by polyrhythmic doo wop beats performed entirely by mouth, a la Take 6 and Bobby McFerrin.Brown said, “2012 has been a great year.  My album, Glory-The [...]

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.Humbling.That was how Michele Clark Jenkins described how she and co-editor Stephanie Perry Moore felt as they began assembling Sisters In Faith Bible, a new resource for African American women.“Here are human hands getting real close to the word of God,” Jenkins told [...]

ManifestA Manifest ChristmasManifest Music (2012)www.manifestsings.comBy Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.A Manifest Christmas could be subtitled A Jazzy Christmas.This EP by Brooklyn's male ensemble Manifest features smooth inspirational jazz interpretations of holiday classics such as “Silent Night” and an instrumental version of “Away In a Manger,” but also includes [...]

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.On Saturday, December 22, TV One will celebrate the holiday season with the world television premiere of the Tyscot Film A Beautiful Soul, featuring Deitrick Haddon, at 8:00 p.m. ET.The film, directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd, stars Haddon as Andre "Dre" Stephens, a narcissistic R&B artist who [...]

“Story of My Life”LoveSongThere’s “trouble underneath the surface,” sings LoveSong on “Story of My Life.”  Like Leoncavallo’s pagliaccio or Smokey Robinson’s crying clown, one sometimes laughs on the outside to hide the pain on the inside.  According to “Story of My Life,” when you shift the authorship of your life from [...]

I don't know about you, but I need some good news right now, and here's good news!1480 WBBP has named veteran announcer Tracy Morgan as it's new Program Director.  Morgan comes with a wealth of experience including Program Director, Music Director and On Air Personality.  She will continue to host [...]

By Bob Marovich of The Black Gospel Blog.Anthony Heilbut informed TBGB this afternoon that Inez Andrews, iconic singer for the Caravans, leader of the Andrewettes, and whose solo recording of Doris Akers' "Lord, Don't Move This Mountain" was a gospel and R&B hit, died this afternoon after a long illness.Musical [...]

Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of ZamarLimitless (2012)www.treyMmusic.comBy Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.On the introduction to Limitless by Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar, Pastor Dr. Charles E. Goodman, Jr. preaches that God can do anything, that He literally “goes beyond beyond” in helping His people.Dr. Goodman's message lays [...]

Check out the new TBGB Music Hour (on the right hand column) - it's all about Christmas!The playlist:Joy to the World – Beverly Crawford This Time of Year – Necie B.This Christmas – Tim Rogers & the Fellas Women of Faith – VeronicaMary’s Song – James Fortune & FIYAEmmanuel – [...]

TBGB's Bob Marovich with the Rance Allen Group at Chicago's Center for Black Music Research.Marovich interviewed the multiple award-winning group on Friday, December 14, 2012.  The videotaped interview will be available in the CBMR archives.  Special thanks to Janet Harper and Morris Phibbs at CBMR for arranging the interview, and [...]