“6’7” Freestyle”J ProphetFrom the forthcoming Getting My Shape Up, Vol. 2http://www.jprophet.com/Sampling a line from Lil’ Wayne sampling the 1950s classic “The Banana Boat Song,” Rodney Reynolds, aka J Prophet, uses the reference to demonstrate that his calling is higher, so high, “I’m close to the sun, I’m hotter.”JP wants the [...]
“Ordinary People” Minister Greg Harris Singer/Songwriter Minister Greg Harris of Little Rock, Arkansas recently released a new single, a paean to God’s use of “ordinary people…like you and me.” Ordinary people called to do extraordinary things. Given a snappy production by Minister Earl Bynum, the song rolls along with female-led [...]
Mike McCoy & Voices UnitedContinue to ContinueM. McCoy Publishing (2008)http://www.mikemccoy.info/Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.In 1994, Mike McCoy assembled Voices United from choir directors, pastors, preachers, praise and worship leaders, musicians and evangelists living in the Washington, DC area. In February 2006, the group won the national [...]
Various ArtistsWindy City Gospel on South Cottage Grove: 1947-1959Macomba Music Group (2010)www.rootsandrhythm.comWhen one thinks of Chess Records, what springs to mind are artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Etta James. Little Walter. The film Cadillac Records.But like most post-war independent labels, Chess/Checker carried a gospel catalog. Although it's [...]
Tony AddisonHe is LoveThat Other Label (2010)http://www.tonyaddisondrummer.com/There are gospel saxophonists, gospel bassists, gospel violinists, gospel harpists, gospel keyboardists (of course), and with Tony Addison, a gospel drummer. It’s no surprise, then, that percussion takes center stage on Addison’s debut CD, He is Love. No, we’re not talking an album-long drum [...]
“No Not One”Eddie Ruth BradfordFrom the CD Jesus is Coming Back (2011)www.eddieruthbradfordmusic.comLeave it to Mississippi’s Eddie Ruth Bradford to get the New Year started with a dose of spicy, bluesy traditional gospel.Bradford delivers “No Not One,” a variation on “There’s Not a Friend Like the Lowly Jesus,” in a low, [...]
The Stellar Awards were held in Nashville this evening, and http://www.ugospel.com/ as well as http://www.gospelflava.com/ released the list of winners. Read more here:And the 2011 Stellar Award goes to...and for the list of winners alongside the nominees, go here:GOSPELflava.com.From the looks of it, the evening was especially rewarding for Marvin Sapp, BeBe &CeCe Winans, and James Fortune & FIYA. [...]
Reverend John Wilkins You Can’t Hurry God Fat Possum Records/Big Legal Mess (2010) http://www.biglegalmessrecords.com/ Talk about old school. On You Can’t Hurry God, Reverend John Wilkins takes us way back into the North Mississippi Hill Country for sacred music, guitar evangelist style. The result is an album with the simple [...]
Downbeat editor and gospel music contributor to the Chicago Tribune Aaron Cohen offers an excellent portrait of gospel singer and composer VaShawn Mitchell. Read it here: VaShawn Mitchell
Kevin GrayThe ComebackGoldstreet Gospel (2010)http://www.goldstreetgospel.com/A sonic blast smacks you in the face, like a bracing wind, in the first seconds of Kevin Gray’s The Comeback, his third and latest project. Sneering guitars, booming bass and roaring drums attack you like Batman, whose dual life as Caped Crusader/Bruce Wayne becomes Gray’s [...]
