Bob

“Unmerited Favor”Rhonda ThomasFrom the CD Listen (2010)Rhonvocals Productions/HNL Records www.rhondasings.com“People sometimes ask me, do I have a problem with the music that I sing?”When Rhonda Thomas posits this question at the outset of “Unmerited Favor,” you know she’s heard it plenty of times before.The Atlanta-based soul songstress uses the selection [...]

Totally DedicatedQuarTemporary http://www.totallydedicated.net/Available on iTunes (2010)The name of Totally Dedicated’s new album, QuarTemporary, is evocative of the music within. The members of this Louisville, Kentucky-based group are Charles "Noo" Simmons, Ben "Black" Bush, Raymond "Three" Noah, Steve "Stuff" Frazier, Demarcus Everett and Ricky Wiggington. Like Commissioned and the Soul Seekers, [...]

Julien Crue', a radio announcer and journalist in France, alerted TBGB to the sad news below.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gospel and R&B singer James Phelps, who performed with soul greats including Lou Rawls and Sam Cooke, has died in Los Angeles. He was 78.Elder Lee M. Harris, who co-wrote an [...]

Greetings, readers!The first five individuals to email TBGB at bob@gospelmemories.com with the correct answer to this question will win a copy of Shekinah Glory Ministry’s new CD, Refreshed By Fire, courtesy of Kingdom Records and The Black Gospel Blog.Q: What Shekinah Glory Ministry song title is also the name of [...]

Jai ReedJai ReedTLR Entertainment (2010)www.tlrentertainment.comNear the conclusion of his recently-released sophomore project, the New Orleans native and Stellar-nominated Jai Reed sings “Everything Must Change.” It’s a lyrically imaginative evocation of change as the one constant in life, but a constant to inspire optimism and wonderment, not fear or anxiety. Indeed, [...]

From a press release:Nashville, TN - Signaling the countdown to Gospel music's biggest night of the year, the Stellar Gospel Music Awards returned to Music City with a first-ever special one-hour live telecast of this year's nominations, "The Stellar Awards Nomination Concert and Announcements Hosted by Donnie McClurkin" on Atlanta-based [...]

Kevin LeVar & One SoundLet’s Come Together – Deluxe EditionHabakkuk Music (2010)http://www.habakkukmusic.com/Another deluxe edition is due out tomorrow: Kevin LeVar & One Sound’s Let’s Come Together.  The enhanced version of LeVar’s fine praise and worship project from 2008 includes all the songs from the original CD plus four new songs.  The [...]

“You Hold My World”Israel HoughtonFrom the Columbia CD Love God. Love People. (2010)http://www.israelhoughton.net/The first single from P&W star Israel Houghton’s new Abbey Road-recorded CD, “You Hold My World” is a super-sized praise and worship song about God’s constant care. A one-song sampler of sounds, it fuses a wind-chime world music [...]

Mary AlessiPressing OnMiami Life Sounds (2010)http://www.maryalessi.com/Having experienced the flowing, atmospheric praise and worship style of her twin sister, Martha Munizzi, I was totally unprepared for, but pleasantly surprised by, the opening moments of Mary Alessi’s fourth release, Pressing On.On the first few tracks of her fourth album, released last month, Mary [...]

TBGB learned from Veronica Williams this morning that Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, Pastor Emeritus of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, has passed away Friday, October 22 at the age of 89.A note from Dr. Byron T. Brazier on the Apostolic Church of God website outlines the homegoing services:Dear Congregation:The [...]