James Fortune & FIYAI Believe: LiveBlack Smoke Music Worldwide (2010)www.myspace.com/blacksmokemusicworldwideReviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.James Fortune exclaims “Make some noise” often on his new project, I Believe: Live. He certatinly doesn’t have to ask that of his vocalists. Possessing the energy of ten Pentecostal choirs, FIYA may [...]
“Christmas Drum-Apella”Prez BlackmonListen here: www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_4479300“Christmas Drum-Apella” is a brief Christmas greeting, less than two minutes in length, but it packs plenty of listening fun with its Take 6-meets-melismatic-gospel-soloist vibe. Prez Blackmon (of the popular gospel duo Renee Spearman and Prez) cooked up this electric combination of overdubbed a cappella voices [...]
J ProphetGetting My Shape Up Vol. 1(private release, 2010)http://www.jprophet.com/Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.J Prophet shatters all stereotypes of the typical hip hop artist, secular or sacred. He doesn’t rap about growing up on mean streets or even about being saved from a life of sin, shambles [...]
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.Mike Winans is carrying on the family tradition. A third generation Winans, Mike is a popular producer and songwriter for gospel, R&B, and pop artists. He just released his debut solo album, A Mike Winans Christmas: Timeless Noel, and shared with TBGB his [...]
Juanita BynumChristmas at Home with Juanita BynumFlow Records (2006)http://www.juanitabynum.com/Reviewed by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.Yes, I know it is no longer 2006, and so why have I waited four years to review Juanita Bynum’s Christmas CD? I heard it for the first time a few days ago, honest, [...]
The Rance Allen GroupThe Live Experience IITyscot Records (release date: January 25, 2011)http://www.tyscot.com/When the Hawkins Family opened the door to contemporary sounds in gospel music, Rance Allen and his brothers walked through with their incendiary brand of funk and psychedelic arrangements. The group endured its share of quizzical looks from [...]
“Home for Christmas” and “The Countdown”Mike WinansFrom the CD A Mike Winans Christmas: Timeless NoelDoc Roc Entertainment, LLC (2010)http://www.mikewinans.com/Mike Winans, songwriter and senior producer for Bad Boy Records and former member of Winans Phase II, has chosen the Christmas season to release his first solo CD. Both singles from the CD, [...]
Washington, DC: The Excellence in Christian Music Awards (ECMA) has been created to equip Christian/Gospel music artists with the tools necessary to be successful in the music industry. Each year, independent Christian/Gospel artists participate in numerous award shows and programs with the hopes of winning coveted prizes and achieving industry [...]
Rev. Johnny L. JonesThe Hurricane that Hit AtlantaDust-to-Digital (2010)http://www.dust-digital.com/Rev. Johnny L. Jones of Atlanta is not nicknamed "Hurricane" for nothing. This passionate preacher summons the force of a mighty wind when he gets to singing, shouting, or delivering a message.Thanks to Lance Ledbetter and his marvelous Dust-to-Digital enterprise, more than [...]
“Saved Woman”Malcolm LittleU.G.N. Records (2010)http://www.ugnrecordsllc.com/Author Bernard Malamud wrote that we have two lives: the life we learn from and the life we live after we’ve learned.Malcolm (Little) Garner has led two lives. His first was as a ward of the state and a member of Chicago’s notorious Vice Lords gang, [...]
