ProdigyNever Let Go
Leftfield Music Group/DMDMG (2013)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
Hailing from Columbus, Georgia, Prodigy blends contemporary harmonies with traditional lead vocals, though their one-title name suggests they prefer association with the contemporary quartet movement. As such, they are akin to groups such as Houston’s Endurance and the Wardlaw Brothers who are faithful to the quartet lyric but bring the music forward.
Nevertheless, Prodigy’s up-tempo and joyous “Jesus Took Care of Me,” from Never Let Go, has already been a TBGB Pick of the Week. The almost equally delightful “Singing Praises,” and “I Got Jesus,” with its “Holy Ghost power” vamp an evocation of the Victory Travelers, also move at warp speed.
On the more deliberate pieces, Prodigy is a deep, hard-singing quartet, as pleading, passionate lead vocals spar with smooth harmonies. With a pleasantly embellished delivery, Jerald Griffin (“Walk With Me”) is the group’s most versatile vocalist, while Bruce Smith handles the up-tempo gems with shouts that sound straight outta church.
Pastor Charles Davis, Sr. handles a portion of the lead on “I Need You,” the song’s prayerful clarion call for Jesus to be present for his people a time-honored quartet trope. The theme’s appearance in several of the songs on Never Let Go—indeed, in the album’s title and title track—suggest that there’s more than a trace of trad in Prodigy’s style. And only a hard-working, hard-driving quartet that relies on spotless uniforms night after night would take time to thank their cleaners in the liner notes.
Three of Five Stars
Pick: “Jesus Took Care of Me,” “I Got Jesus.”
Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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