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JGM Pick of the Week – March 11, 2025
“Brighter Days” Roshawn Nicole Roshawn Nicole Records (release date: May 4, 2024)
Various Artists – Gospel Diaries Golden Memories (Live)
Gospel Diaries Golden Memories is a series of musical moments captured by historian Eric Maurice Clark during his visits with vocalists and musicians, most of whom have direct links to gospel’s earliest days, especially in Chicago, the genre’s birthplace city.
JGM Pick of the Week: January 6, 2025
Mervin Mayo, the Richmond, Virginia, policeman whose gospel singing was caught on video in 2020 and subsequently went viral, sings “In This Place” with a gritty and instantly-compelling R&B-style vocal delivery.
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Recent Posts
JGM Pick of the Week – March 11, 2025
“Brighter Days” Roshawn Nicole Roshawn Nicole Records (release date: May 4, 2024)
Various Artists – Gospel Diaries Golden Memories (Live)
Gospel Diaries Golden Memories is a series of musical moments captured by historian Eric Maurice Clark during his visits with vocalists and musicians, most of whom have direct links to gospel’s earliest days, especially in Chicago, the genre’s birthplace city.
JGM Pick of the Week: January 6, 2025
Mervin Mayo, the Richmond, Virginia, policeman whose gospel singing was caught on video in 2020 and subsequently went viral, sings “In This Place” with a gritty and instantly-compelling R&B-style vocal delivery.
Sponsored Post:
JGM is saddened to report that Cleave Graham, the last original member of the Pilgrim Jubilees gospel quartet, passed away this week.
There’s no better way to kick off New York City’s 2024 Juneteenth festivities than by attending a musical program by the Legendary Ingramettes.
Central City Productions recently announced the nominees in 36 categories for the 39th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards taping on Saturday, July 20th, returning to Las Vegas at the Orleans Arena.
On Blue Collar Gospel, a quartet of skilled bluegrass players support a passel of gospel vocalists delivering eleven songs by Rick Lang.
Dr. Alyn E. Waller brings back Harrison Johnson and the Los Angeles Community Choir’s 1969 testimonial hit, “I’ve Decided to Make Jesus My Choice.”
With a new determination to play with purpose, Bruce's resilience and gratitude are reflected in his smooth and uplifting tapestry of work, COME BACK. Integrating jazz, praise, and worship, Bruce delivers an inspiring five-song EP that is available now on all digital music platforms.
LATEST 5 STAR REVIEWS
Brian Courtney Wilson Worth Fighting For Motown Gospel (release date: January 6, 2015) www.motowngospel.com By Bob Marovich Some singers are songwriters and some songwriters are singers. Brian Courtney Wilson is a songwriter—more appropriately a hymnist—who also sings. But make no mistake: the Stellar Award winning and Dove Award nominated Wilson is also a strong singer. [...]
Whosoever South Come On In Elevate Entertainment (released October 7, 2014) www.whosoeversouth.com By Bob Marovich Whosoever South is one of the most innovative Christian groups of the decade. The trio’s self-proclaimed “country crunk” style blends elements of rootsy Americana and country with deep groove bass, gospel, and hip hop. Think Mumford and Sons meets Arrested [...]
Various Artists When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel 1926-1936 Tompkins Square (released December 9, 2014) www.tompkinssquare.com By Bob Marovich Tompkins Square continues its stretch of quality black sacred music reissues with the three-CD When I Reach That Heavenly Shore: Unearthly Black Gospel 1926-1936. Using 1926 as a starting point is not a [...]
Fred Hammond I Will Trust RCA Inspiration (release date: November 17, 2014) www.rcainspiration.com By Bob Marovich One thing’s for sure: listen to Fred Hammond and you can't help but have a good time praising the Lord. His latest album, I Will Trust, is packed to the CD's brim with bracing musicianship, creative melodies and arrangements, [...]
Various Artists Motown Christmas Motown Gospel (2014) www.motowngospel.com By Bob Marovich Motown Christmas is the best yuletide album I have listened to in years. Gifted executive producer Aaron W. Lindsey (who also plays, writes, and sings on the album) seamlessly blends the old and the new with the sacred and secular to create an overall [...]
LATEST PICK OF THE WEEK – SINGLES
“God Bless the World" Siobhan Maher Kennedy (release date: May 6, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich While not a gospel or religious song per se, “God Bless the World" is nonetheless a prayer for unity in a world where people have separated from each another on account of race and ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, sex [...]
“It’s On the Way” Gia Wyre 141st Lane Music (release date: May 6, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich Peace, joy, and happiness is coming, sings Miami songstress Gia Wyre at a breathless pace, on “It’s On the Way.” Near the vamp, Wyre lets loose with some good old quartet-style moaning and shouting as the musical [...]
“Never Stop Trusting God” Lemmie Battles DAF Entertainment Group (release date: June 17, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich Every song Lemmie Battles sings sounds like her personal testimony. Probably because every song is. Same with “Never Stop Trusting God.” Written by Percy Gray and produced by Jeral Gray Sr., the single features that Chicago-style pew-burning [...]
“With Joy We Draw Water” The Bishop’s Choir feat. Kyle Sanders Enon Music Group (release date: April 15, 2022) www.enonmusic.com By Robert M. Marovich The Bishop’s Choir gives the original John Howard Caravan classic, “With Joy We Draw Water,” a full-throated rendering, complete with impassioned lead by Min. Kyle Sanders. From the Sim Wilson Jr. [...]
“Jesus Knows” Lisa Knowles-Smith and the Brown Singers EvoWorld Music (release date: May 13, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich For their new single, Lisa Knowles-Smith and the Brown Singers draw on key lyrics from the folk spiritual, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” But that’s where the comparison ends. Whereas the spiritual is slow and [...]
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 Not two weeks after its January 22 release, celebrated worship leader William McDowell’s fourth album, Sounds of Revival: Live (Delivery Room Music / eOne Music), entered Billboard Magazine’s Top Gospel Album charts. It knocked Kirk Franklin’s Losing My Religion from the number one position. Recorded live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before an audience of 3,000 [...]
By Marianne Richard, Special Contributor to the Journal of Gospel Music Jason Nelson just released his Christmas song, “Oh Come Emmanuel,” featuring LIVV, a new gospel singer with a unique voice and a beautiful spirit. When LIVV shared details on the "behind the scenes" of the making of the track, we realized that this Christmas single [...]
By Bob Marovich When the chime struck five last Sunday afternoon, December 20, Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, was filled with eager anticipation. Members and music enthusiasts were on hand to support the church’s Worship Pastor, Bill Moss Jr., as he prepared to record his first live CD since his Billboard-charting Manifested [...]
September 30, 2022 - One of the current kings of gospel quartet music, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, has died suddenly at the age of 50. Johnson was found dead in his Atlanta, GA, home this morning. An autopsy is scheduled. Johnson was known for big gospel radio hits such as “Let Go and Let God Have [...]
JGM is saddened to learn from Deacon Dennis Cole of the passing of Dr. Charles Reese of the Gospel Music Workshop of America. His book on the GMWA was the first to chronicle the organization's history and achievements. A memorial service will be held next month in Dayton, Ohio.