The Bishops Quartet – Heaven Is Too Far (For You To Walk)

The Bishops Quartet
Heaven Is Too Far (For You to Walk)
Sharper Brothers Records (2011)
http://www.sharperbrothersusa.com/

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

From Orlando, Florida comes a group of singing church leaders called the Bishop’s Quartet. Whether soaring into falsetto, shouting, or singing flatfooted, the Bishops Quartet is rooted in traditional gospel, southern soul style. The group’s new album, Heaven Is Too Far (For You to Walk), is a respectable introduction to their music ministry.

The quartet consists of Bishop Thurman Hargrove, Bishop James Coleman, Bishop Alvin Palmer (manager), and Elder Robert Brice. Songs such as the title track, with its admonition that you can’t walk to Heaven (ed note: it’s hard enough to run a marathon, for heaven’s sake), benefit from the quartet community’s longstanding and effective tradition of employing themes and lyrics that sound lifted right from the Sunday sermon.

The tightest, richest harmonies on the CD can be found on “Lord, You’ve Been There” because they are anchored by a bass vocal line, something surprisingly hard to find in gospel quartet nowadays.

In addition to the title track, another solid selection is the down-tempo “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.” Also known as “Brightly Beams,” the performance features an impassioned lead vocal. The quartet also contributes a soulful version of the spiritual “Steal Away.”

“If the Lord Needs Somebody” is the album’s drive song, complete with a vamp that could have gone on longer. In fact, the album would have been even stronger had that track been extended, replacing the follow-up, an instrumental reprise of “He’s Still On the Throne.” Despite the fact that the musicians are excellent and the emphasis on organ over synth is particularly appealing, another few minutes of quartet vocals would have been more satisfying.

The bishops can sing, sure enough, and Heaven Is Too Far (For You to Walk) is the finest Sharper Brothers Records project I’ve heard.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “Heaven Is Too Far (For You to Walk),” “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.”