Sean C. Johnson Grateful EP (2014) www.seancjohnson.com/grateful By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog Employing street poetry and neo-soul jams, Sean C. Johnson gives listeners a nineteen-minute dose of reality on Grateful, a five-track EP he released in gratitude for his fans' support.
“I Believe”Dr. Vera J. Goodman & Anointed PraiseFrom the CD It’s Our Time (2014)Anointedpraise2011@yahoo.com“I Believe” is an inspirational song that sounds like an inspirational song. Anointed Praise’s dynamic phrasing and the infectious “Rise” vamp gain ample support from a melody that propels the message ever higher without changing the key.Lead [...]
The Black Gospel Blog's Bob Marovich attended the National and Independent Gospel Music Association (NIGMA) Industry Summit in Atlanta, Georgia this weekend (March 13-16). He presented on "Establishing A Media Presence" Saturday morning.Congratulations to NIGMA President Pastor Kris Jackson, to the NIGMA Board and volunteers, to the artists and presenters, [...]
Enjoy this video of "Beautiful Soul" by Rhythm of Gospel Awardees True Witness, a family group from Georgia. The video has been nominated for a 2014 Rhythm of Gospel Award.
Jamarien MooreI’ll Go (EP)http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jamarienmooreBy Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel BlogI can understand why Jamarien Moore made it to the finals on BET’s Sunday Best. He has a versatile, elastic tenor, an almost effortless delivery, and his display of melisma evokes Smokie Norful. According to his website, Moore was influenced by [...]
Rev. Roy Reed & the Zion JubileesLet Him InSharp Records (2014)By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel BlogCrate diggers will know the Zion Jubilees from their 1970s singles on Stan Lewis’s Jewel label. Others will simply know the quartet as the Zion Jubilees of Bryan, Texas who have been on [...]
Jackson, MS - Quartet Pioneer and father of D.A. Johnson (Executive Director, Gospel Division Malaco Music Group), Willie Connell Johnson passed on Thursday March 6, 2014, at his home, surrounded by family in Jamaica, NY.Willie Connell Johnson, born in Sumter, SC, founder of The Mighty Brooklyn Skyways, a quartet that enjoyed [...]
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel BlogToday, James Fortune is one of gospel music’s best-selling artists. In addition to recording a string of radio hits and launching his own record label, FIYAWorld Music, Fortune helped introduce singer Zacardi Cortez to a wider audience. Cortez’s “One On One” is now [...]
“I’m Climbing Up” wrestling Lady VJillian EllisFrom the Positive Message Music CD The Journey (2013)www.jillianfaithmusic.comOpening with a piano riff straight outta Ladytron, Cincinnati’s Jillian Ellis, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter, offers “I’m Climbing Up.” It's a brisk, delicious pop-flavored inspirational song with crossover potential. To a pulsing EDM backdrop, Jillian sings about [...]
Donnie McClurkinDuetsRCA Inspiration (released March 4, 2014)www.rcainspiration.comBy Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel BlogDonnie McClurkin got the idea for Duets from a conversation with Fred Hammond on how to invigorate gospel music. Citing the strength and popularity of multi-artist collaborations in secular music, Hammond suggested that one way to maintain gospel’s vigor [...]
