AsOne AsOne 360 MusicWorx/Capitol Christian Distribution/Universal Music Group (release date: June 23, 2015) www.AsOneOfficial.com By Bob Marovich Interracial gospel/sacred singing groups go back more than a century—from the days of Polk Miller & the Old South Quartette at the turn of the twentieth century to Homer Rodeheaver’s singing with the African American Wiseman Sextette; and [...]

Fannie Lou Hamer Songs My Mother Taught Me Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (release date: June 30, 2015) www.folkways.si.edu By Bob Marovich While it took a recent act of domestic terror for the polarizing Confederate flag to begin coming down throughout the South, let us not forget that much of the way was paved more than a [...]

Casey J The Truth Marquis Boone Enterprises/Tyscot Records (released April 21, 2015) www.tyscot.com By Bob Marovich The next best thing to a live gospel music program is listening to a live gospel music program on a recording. That’s why it was smart for Casey J to release her debut album, The Truth, as a live [...]

The Fairfield Four Still Rockin’ My Soul Fairfield Four Records (2015) www.thefairfieldfour.com By Bob Marovich In 1925, when the Fairfield Four organized in Nashville, Tennessee, quartet singing was done a cappella. No instruments, just the human voice.  And God saw that it was good. No--great. Over the years, quartets added to the mix an ever-expanding [...]

Damien Sneed Featuring the Levites Broken To Minister: The Deluxe Edition LeChateau Earl Records (release date: March 3, 2015) www.lechateauearl.com By Bob Marovich Recorded live in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2013, Broken To Minister: The Deluxe Edition builds on Damien Sneed and the Levites’ previously released Broken To Minister EP. The classically- and church-trained Sneed is [...]

“Holy” Grant Allison IV One Nation Under God Records (release date: July 31, 2019) www.grantallisoniv.com By Robert M. Marovich Once again, JGM digs deep into Chicago worship pastor Grant Allison’s catalogue and comes up with “Holy.” The atmospheric P&W outing is based on Philippians 2:10 and Hebrews 13:8. Its simple melody, singable chorus, and dramatic [...]

“The Prayer” Whitney April feat. Rodrick Dixon Arete Records (release date: September 23, 2022) https://music.empi.re/theprayer By Robert M. Marovich “The Prayer” is a pop song, not a sacred song per se, but it IS a prayer, and hearing it rendered by the angelic-voiced Whitney April teamed with the operatic power of Rodrick Dixon of Three [...]

“My Worship (Amapiano)” Kingdmusic feat. P-Tempo Independent (release date: July 15, 2022) www.kingdmusic.com By Robert M. Marovich Kingdmusic has been a busy bee this summer, pumping several new songs into the gospel bloodstream. One, “My Worship (Amapiano),” expresses how hard it can be to keep the faith in tough times, but keep worshipping anyhow. Bathed [...]

“I’ve Saved It All” K-Anthony Independent (release date: July 8, 2022) www.kanthonylive.com By Robert M. Marovich I hear a Coldplay influence on K-Anthony’s “I’ve Saved It All,” from the melody to the mix of instruments to the atmospheric vibe. One difference: it doesn’t explode into a million colorful pieces at the conclusion like a Chris [...]

“Wait On Jesus” Christian Tabernacle Concert Choir with Pastor DeAndre Patterson (release date: August 16, 2022) https://www.thechristiantabernaclechurch.com/ By Robert M. Marovich Renowned during the 1960s – 1990s, the Christian Tabernacle Concert Choir of Chicago has returned after a twenty-year recording hiatus with “Wait On Jesus.” It has that boisterous Chicago gospel choir sound, complete with [...]