Traces: a Refreshing Surprise at GMWA

Traces, a female gospel group from the Big Apple, took to the stage during the “Tribute to the King” program at the Gospel Music Workshop of America in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, August 15.

In an era where the instrumental accompaniment of gospel music has been moved from the background to the foreground, it was refreshing to hear some good old a cappella singing for a change.

The group’s harmonies on “Trouble in My Way” can best be described by their promotional materials: “the amazing Clark sisters meets the jazz harmonies of Take 6.” Instead of complicating their performance, Traces’ harmonies augmented it, like a Louis Armstrong cornet solo embellished, rather than worried, a jazz song.

While the beauty and intricacy of their harmonies were a pleasant surprise for me, they shouldn’t have been: turns out the group is regional champions of the Acapella Harmony sweepstakes in New York City and Boston.

Traces’ eponymously titled CD — with a cover design similar to Take 6’s early project — can be found at CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/traces.