Like many quartets that have stood the test of time, the Swanee Quintet has consistently adapted its sound to meet the changing tastes of gospel audiences. Led by the effervescent Reverend Reuben Willingham, the quartet released dozens of remarkable singles and LPs for Nashboro and Creed throughout the 1950s, ‘60s [...]
“How Long, Oh Lord, How Long” Pattersonaires 1965 Chalice C-101 Although the Pattersonaires formed in 1953, they did not make any commercial recordings until 1965, when two singles were released on Stax Records’ short-lived Chalice imprint. The quartet cut several tracks for the Memphis-based label but only four were issued [...]
From the Center for Black Music Research "Associate" e-newsletter, 12/17/2004: The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is to be published by Routledge in Fall 2005. The one-volume encyclopedia will be the first comprehensive reference to cover both African-American and white gospel music. It will discuss all aspects of gospel music, [...]
Farther Along – The Skylarks 1951 Nashboro 513 [available on Pewburner CD 527: Skylarks of Nashville, Vol. 1 (1951-1954); available from www.pewburner.com] In 1951, at the time “Farther Along” was recorded, the Skylarks were Willie Jefferson, Wilson Paige, James S. Hill, and Issac “Dickie” Freeman. Neither “Roberts” – Crenshaw nor [...]
"I'm Glad" 1971 The GMWA Mass Choir feat. James Cleveland and Thurston Frazier Savoy LP 14281 “I’m Glad” comes to us from the early years of the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA), when musical giants roamed the earth. Those were the days when gospel pioneers such as James Cleveland, [...]
Legendary pianists join, and the keyboards ring By Aaron Cohen Special to the Chicago Tribune November 20 2004, 4:00 AM CST About 80 years ago, a new kind of music shocked some churchgoers. The sound was called gospel blues and its creators, notably Thomas A. Dorsey, caused a stir because [...]
First of all, kudos to Steven Dolins of The Sirens Records for the consistently high production quality of his releases. This is the second project I’ve heard from this Highland Park, Illinois-based label that has as its mission the preservation of roots piano. Each CD sounds as if the musicians [...]
Hailing originally from Chicago’s West Side, Percy Carter, Jr. and Alton Woodley, Jr. recently released Whatever Brought You Out on Perseverance Records. This is a very pleasant project, fun to listen to, and the melodies are memorable long after the CD stops spinning. This is not surprising, as both Carter [...]
NU DNA is made up of Midwesterners Larry and Marc Frye and Kelvin Moore. According to the group’s press kit, “NU DNA is what happens to a person’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid after just one real encounter with Christ.” Recognizing that biochemical theology is not a subject typically bantered about in gospel [...]
When one thinks of Chicago gospel, names such as Thomas Dorsey, Roberta Martin, Kenneth Morris, Sallie Martin, and Mahalia Jackson come to mind. But there were many other shining lights in the Chicago gospel music community "back in the day," and many of them came out of the Church of [...]
