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El McMeen & Ed Maina – Frets and Reeds: Gospel Style!
El McMeen & Ed Maina Frets and Reeds: Gospel Style! Piney Ridge Music (release date: March 25, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich Sometimes gospel jazz can be so imaginative that the melodies get buried beneath the lengthy solos and complex arrangements. But on Frets and Reeds: Gospel Style!, acclaimed musicians Ellsworth "El" McMeen and Ed Maina jazz the hymns, spirituals, and gospel songs ever so softly and tenderly without sacrificing the timeless beauty and charm of the melodies. It’s a peaceful, easy album. McMeen picks acoustic guitar and Maina handles woodwinds, mostly saxophone but also clarinet and flute. The [...]
“Tell It” – Powerhouse Fellowship Soul Choir feat. Shawn Cotterell
The vertical praise that the Toronto-based group just can’t keep to themselves they express on “Tell It."
“Overcomer” – Reggie Jones
Inspired by Psalm 91, “Overcomer” by Ghanian gospel singer-songwriter Reggie Jones (born Regina Ansah) is an orchestral ode to endurance.
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Recent Posts
El McMeen & Ed Maina – Frets and Reeds: Gospel Style!
El McMeen & Ed Maina Frets and Reeds: Gospel Style! Piney Ridge Music (release date: March 25, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich Sometimes gospel jazz can be so imaginative that the melodies get buried beneath the lengthy solos and complex arrangements. But on Frets and Reeds: Gospel Style!, acclaimed musicians Ellsworth "El" McMeen and Ed Maina jazz the hymns, spirituals, and gospel songs ever so softly and tenderly without sacrificing the timeless beauty and charm of the melodies. It’s a peaceful, easy album. McMeen picks acoustic guitar and Maina handles woodwinds, mostly saxophone but also clarinet and flute. The [...]
“Tell It” – Powerhouse Fellowship Soul Choir feat. Shawn Cotterell
The vertical praise that the Toronto-based group just can’t keep to themselves they express on “Tell It."
“Overcomer” – Reggie Jones
Inspired by Psalm 91, “Overcomer” by Ghanian gospel singer-songwriter Reggie Jones (born Regina Ansah) is an orchestral ode to endurance.
Sponsored Post:
The Taylor Family Posts Homegoing Celebration Details for Spencer Taylor Jr. of the Highway QCs
Spencer Taylor Jr. of the Highway QCs passed away at the age of 97.
The Spin Awards has announced the creation of the Tracy Morgan Excellence in Broadcasting Award.
The husband-and-wife duo Arbour Season emit vibes of indie pop groups Tennis and Low on the tender “Come to Me,” based on Matthew 11:28-29.
The brief nine-track album is high energy and earnest, sunshiny optimism, with effusive singing about praise, hope, and encouragement.
LATEST 5 STAR REVIEWS
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 [...]
Mississippi Mass Choir Declaration of Dependence Malaco Records (2014) www.malaco.com By Bob Marovich Halfway through Declaration of Dependence, the Mississippi Mass Choir’s latest album, I realized that the choir has inherited the mantle once worn by the celebrated Thompson Community Singers. Just as music ministers could not wait for the latest Tommies album to discover [...]
Liz Vice There’s A Light Deeper Well Records (2014) http://deeper-well.com/artists/liz-vice/ By Bob Marovich Liz Vice may not sound like your average gospel singer, but then again, she’s not your average gospel singer. On her CD, There’s a Light, the Portland, Oregon-based singer delivers personal inspirational messages to God and to the listener with the raw [...]
LATEST PICK OF THE WEEK – SINGLES
On a single oozing with old school soul, gospel crooner Gene Moore endorses the power of believing, especially on the bad days.
“Miracle” Paul Porter and the Christianaires Blacksmoke Music Worldwide (2023)
“It's Morning” Latrice Pace From the forthcoming album Exodus: The Journey of Obedience Volume 2 (single release date: July 14, 2023)
“He Rose” Rhyme & Reason feat. Robert Copeland From the Enon Music Group album Number 1 Reason (release date: April 9, 2022)
“A Million Moments” Amanda Joy Powell Independent (release date: April 21, 2023)
By Robert Marovich
In A City Called Heaven, gospel announcer and music historian Robert Marovich shines a light on the humble origins of a majestic genre and its indispensable bond to the city where it found its voice: Chicago.
By Robert Marovich
In A City Called Heaven, gospel announcer and music historian Robert Marovich shines a light on the humble origins of a majestic genre and its indispensable bond to the city where it found its voice: Chicago.
By Bob Marovich For the past 30 years, musician, producer, and record label executive Michael Weatherspoon has seen what works and what doesn’t in church music ministry. In particular, he’s noticed that church members are often elevated to leadership positions without the proper leadership education. A lack of training, he says, can be detrimental to both [...]
By Bob Marovich In Mark 6:4, Jesus advises that “a prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown.” This is true, almost to the point of becoming cliché. It rings true for Vernell Payton Jr. “It took a man from Chicago, who did not know me, who I never met, to see something in me [...]
By Bob Marovich The stage curtains opened on JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise as the group was about to introduce its new song and soon-to-become-hit, “Incredible God, Incredible Praise.” Holding the microphone was the song’s creator, Deon Kipping. That wasn’t the way it was supposed to go down. “I didn’t want to lead the song,” [...]
JGM learned from Eric Clark that Harrison Johnson of “I’ve Decided to Make Jesus My Choice” fame passed away December 19, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was living at the time. He was 86.
The Journal of Gospel Music is saddened to report that Philadelphia's longtime gospel announcer Linwood Heath passed away.
