Gospel Music

Danny Brooks – Rock This House His House Records 2005www.dannybrooksmusic.comDanny Brooks holds claim to the title of Blue-Eyed Soul Man of Canada. He has a true love and deep respect for African-American roots music and the vocal chops to do it justice. Imagine a saved Springsteen and you have an [...]

“Get Right Church” - Dixie Hummingbirds Peacock 17641956The style, showmanship, and musical skill of the Dixie Hummingbirds are evident from the first few bars of this remarkably fun 1956 recording. While many quartets of the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s had a guitarist open their recordings by picking through the individual [...]

Various Artists – Texas Gospel: Come on Over Here (Volume 1: 1951-53)Acrobat Records ACMCD 42092005www.acrobatmusic.netOnce again, Acrobat Records of England has given us a sampling of rare gospel recordings from the 1950s, many tracks that have not, until now, been available on a commercial reissue. This collection could easily have [...]

MinistryMark A. SmithDanbla Records 2005www.danblarecords.comMark A. Smith is a pleasant gospel balladeer with better than average talent who infuses his quiet-storm gospel production with hip hop, rap, and jazz stylings to great effect. In fact, the tracks on which Smith experiments with styles not often associated with gospel music are [...]

I lament that most of today's gospel music does not take a stand on political and social issues in the way that gospel artists from the '40s to the '70s had done. While this isn't quite the rage-against-the-machine that I am suggesting, "Work It Out - The Katrina Remix" is [...]

Happy in the Service of the Lord: 1949 - 1954The Spirit of Memphis QuartetAcrobat ADDCD 3007www.acrobatmusic.net2005If you know anything about the Spirit of Memphis, all I have to say is that Happy in the Service of the Lord includes their seminal King recordings, and you will know immediately that it [...]

“Not Forgotten”Israel & New BreedFrom the forthcoming CD Alive in South Africa (available in stores October 25) Integrity Gospel After performing at an artists’ showcase during last year’s Gospel Music Workshop of America in Kansas City, Israel & New Breed hopped a plane to South Africa for a series of [...]

From The Belle Report (9/16/05):Baltimore, MD – In just a few days The National Endowment of The Arts Fellowship Award will be awarded to the Albertina Walker, also known as the “Queen of Gospel.” This honor is the highest honor given by the United States government to any artist. This [...]

The RemixDr. Charles G. Hayes and the Warriors ICEE Inspirational CD ICEE-72962005No choir comes close to the Warriors of Chicago’s Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer for excellence in traditional gospel performance. For more than forty years, the Warriors – under the direction of Dr. Charles G. Hayes and originally known as [...]

I Can't Thank Him EnoughBishop Larry B. Aiken & The Vision of Praise Celebration ChoirNew Vision Records (2005)1-866-363-7939, extension 102While not all private press gospel recordings warrant attention, this one does. This privately-pressed CD by New Vision Ministries of the Memorial Missionary Baptist Church of Kansas City is reminiscent of [...]