Gospel Music

“Sanctified Mabel”Rickie Byars BeckwithFrom the CD Let My Soul Surrender: Grace Notes of a Journeywww.letmysoulsurrender.comWhat most intrigues me about Rickie Byars Beckwith’s “Sanctified Mabel” is its Memphis soul mojo, Beckwith’s raw-edged vocals and her characterization of Sister Mabel, a product of another day and age.  The singer describes Mabel and [...]

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.They don’t call the gospel highway a rough road to travel for nothing. Amber Bullock can attest to that. It hasn’t been an easy road for the Season Four champ of BET’s Sunday Best.Originally from St. Louis, Bullock and her baby daughter Amya [...]

“No Words”Valerie Woodard Whole Armor Recordings (2011)(available on iTunes, CD Baby & her website)www.ValerieWoodard.comShe can’t put it in words, but she must. To a mesmerizing Middle Eastern-meets-R&B-meets-African-percussion arrangement, Valerie Woodard sings about how she can’t describe how much she loves the Lord. To acknowledge the contradiction, she launches into lovely [...]

“Jesus is the Reason 4 the Season”Spirit 2 SpiritTate Music Group (2011)www.reverbnation.com/spirit2spiritOn their new Christmas song, Spirit 2 Spirit stays true to its mission of providing "message music" by reminding listeners that Jesus is not only the “reason 4 the season,” but is the reason for every day of the [...]

On the PCC Network Community Forum, Rev. Harold Bailey, formerly of the Harold Bailey Singers, talks with Bob Marovich of The Black Gospel Blog about Chicago gospel music history.  Marovich is currently working on a history of the birth of gospel music in Chicago.Watch the broadcast here: PCC Network Community [...]

Puchi ColonVertical Praise LiveJovi Music (2011)www.puchicolon.comBy Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.Gospel and praise and worship music are being embraced by more and more Latino churchgoers. Proof positive is the rising popularity of Latino artists such as Joann Rosario Condrey, Michelle Bonilla, Paulis Sanchez, Linda Agosto, and Puchi Colon.Puchi [...]

“Depending on You”Terry Frazier and the Tears of JoyFrom the self-titled Chit Chat Records EP www.myspace.com/terryfrazierthetearsofjoyProudly old-school quartet Terry Frazier and the Tears of Joy from Hartsville, South Carolina is back with a new, self-titled EP. The finest of the CD's four tracks, “Depending on You,” sounds like the group’s “B” selection: [...]

VaShawn MitchellTriumphant – Deluxe Edition CD + DVDEMI Gospel (2011)http://www.emigospel.com/By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.TBGB has already praised VaShawn Mitchell’s triumphant album Triumphant, but here comes the Deluxe Edition: the original CD in its entirety plus two new songs, accompanied by a DVD and new cover art. The [...]

Joseph Middleton of the Golden Era Gospel Blog just informed TBGB that Minister Gene Viale died.Viale, from the Bay Area and of Puerto Rican descent, was a member of the Cleveland Singers during the 1960s.  It's his voice leading "Heartaches" for the Cleveland Singers, a group he once referred to [...]

Gregory Gay of GOSPELflava.com reports that Lisa Burroughs Allen, an original member of the Richard Smallwood Singers, passed away November 23 in Washington DC.Here is a link to Gregory's article, which includes homegoing service information: Lisa Burroughs AllenTBGB sends its sympathies to Ms. Allen's family, friends, and to Mr. Smallwood [...]