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Strange Things Happening – Kid Ramos feat. Brian Templeton and Johnny Ramos
On Strange Things Happening, the first album in five years by California-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter David “Kid” Ramos, the bite of no-holds-barred roadhouse blues meets timeless gospel songs that have shaken the rafters of many churches for decades.
“A Mighty Long Way” – Norman Hutchins
Trading truisms with a full-throated choir, Bishop Norman Hutchins reminds the listener in his boisterous new single that God has brought his people a mighty long way.
JGM Music Hour – Episode 181
This episode includes music reviewed on the Journal of Gospel Music between mid-October and late December 2024.
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Recent Posts
Strange Things Happening – Kid Ramos feat. Brian Templeton and Johnny Ramos
On Strange Things Happening, the first album in five years by California-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter David “Kid” Ramos, the bite of no-holds-barred roadhouse blues meets timeless gospel songs that have shaken the rafters of many churches for decades.
“A Mighty Long Way” – Norman Hutchins
Trading truisms with a full-throated choir, Bishop Norman Hutchins reminds the listener in his boisterous new single that God has brought his people a mighty long way.
JGM Music Hour – Episode 181
This episode includes music reviewed on the Journal of Gospel Music between mid-October and late December 2024.
Sponsored Post:
The Beverly Arts Center will open its Pride Month Celebration Sunday, June 9, with Shout OUT: A Tribute to Gays in Gospel Music.
The Jake Leg Jug Band Some Glad Morning Green Bullet Records (release date: March 5, 2024) By Robert M. Marovich To categorize the Jake Leg Jug Band as simply [...]
This episode includes music reviewed on the Journal of Gospel Music between mid-December 2023 and late January 2024.
Earnest Pugh’s new single “Don’t Give Up” is an impassioned but conventional song of encouragement.
Pre-Order Angelo Ellerbee's new book: Before I Let You Go
Stellar Awards 2024 Nominees Artist of the Year: Donald Lawrence Erica Campbell Pastor Mike Jr. Tye Tribbett Song of the Year: “Able” – Jonathan McReynolds “Feel Alright (Blessed)” – Erica [...]
LATEST 5 STAR REVIEWS
Bessie Jones with the Georgia Sea Island Singers and Others Get In Union: Recordings by Alan Lomax 1959-1966 Tompkins Square (released, October 28, 2014) www.tompkinssquare.com By Bob Marovich Students of ethnomusicology and folk music enthusiasts fortunate enough to hear the two or three LPs of Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers can tell [...]
Lecrae Anomaly Reach Records (2014) www.reachrecords.com By Bob Marovich Lecrae’s new CD, Anomaly, is Christian music’s most incisively honest, but at the same time most bravely hopeful, project this year. To Lecrae, being an anomaly, being an outsider, is both an advantage and disadvantage. On one hand, anomalies are outcasts who don’t fit in. At [...]
Evangelist Nelson Larkins & God’s Posse The Kind of God We Serve: Live in Chicago TREWWORKS Music Group/Deznell Music Group (2011) www.cdbaby.com/cd/nelsonlarkinsgodsposse By Bob Marovich It is always a pleasure to hear a live gospel quartet album that truly captures the excitement of a group having church. Such an album is The Kind of God [...]
Various Artists The Best of Revelation Records: 1959-1962 Narro Way Records (released September 16, 2014) www.cityhallrecords.com www.gospelfriend.com By Bob Marovich Mention the name Bobby Robinson to popular music historians, and you will hear how he founded a number of New York-based record labels, including Whirling Disc, Fury, Enjoy, and Red Robin, and released classic hits [...]
Sallie and Cora Martin Just A Little Talk with Jesus Gospel Friend (release date: September 16, 2014) www.cityhallrecords.com By Bob Marovich Sallie Martin, the Mother of Gospel Music, paved the way for those who paved the way. A no-nonsense singer, group leader, choir director, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Martin helped Thomas A. Dorsey sell his catalog [...]
LATEST PICK OF THE WEEK – SINGLES
“Proud of Me” Treva Chezmusique (release date: June 18, 2022) www.trevajones.com By Robert M. Marovich Treva Jones is no stranger to gospel music or to the Journal of Gospel Music. Written by the premier songwriter V. Michael McKay, “Proud of Me” is Jones’s latest single. Her warm, resonant alto curls around a lyric that expresses [...]
“Grace Over Me” Mike Geo Independent (release date: July 8, 2022) www.MikeGeoMusic.com By Robert M. Marovich What Staten Island CCM artist Michael Giordano, aka Mike Geo, offers in “Grace Over Me” is a fizzy, energetic outpouring of gratitude for salvation. When the walls are closing in, Geo closes his eyes and remembers that God’s grace [...]
“Take Me to the River” VAA’DAM KJ Productions (release date: March 8, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich The last time JGM heard from Dallas, Texas-based female duo VAA’DAM, they were featured on Kisha Grandy’s 2021 album Epitome. Trina and Quita are back with “Take Me to the River,” a laidback and soulful paean to the [...]
“That Name Is Jesus” Beloved St. John Evangelistic Church Independent (2022) www.BelovedStJohn.org By Robert M. Marovich As long as Pastor Clement M. Lumpton III and the Beloved St. John Evangelistic Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, keep on singing, the church choir will remain relevant. On its latest single, “That Name is Jesus,” the choir celebrates the [...]
“He is the King” M. Cornelius Wyche & Octave Praise From the Enon Music Group album The Script (release date: January 14, 2022) www.enonmusic.com By Robert M. Marovich On their latest single, “He is the King,” M. Cornelius Wyche & Octave Praise worship the Lord, who is the antidote for the depression and despondency brought [...]
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 In 1970, Evangelist Myrna Summers burst on the gospel music scene on the strength of “God Gave Me a Song,” a composition she wrote and performed with the Interdenominational Youth Choir of Washington, DC and Maryland. It was so popular, Atlantic Records handed her a recording contract. The song earned a Grammy [...]
Last week, Deitrick Haddon spoke with Bob Marovich of the Journal of Gospel Music about his new album, Masterpiece, which Entertainment One will release this Friday, November 6. JGM: Masterpiece, the album, is being described as sort of a musical maturation on your part. Is that a fair assumption? DH: Absolutely. It definitely reflects where [...]
Photo Credit: Getty Images By Bob Marovich When tragedy struck Regina Love, it hit hard. She lost her son, father, and mother back to back. In 2014, a nephew committed suicide. That’s when a “still, small voice” within her—“I knew it was God,” she told the Journal of Gospel Music—persuaded her to renew [...]
By Robert M. Marovich The Journal of Gospel Music was saddened to learn of the passing of Zadella “Mama” Curtis. She transitioned from earthly labor to heavenly reward yesterday, August 28, at age 73. Although Mama Curtis was best known for helping gospel quartets promote their music to radio, she started her gospel music career [...]
By Robert M. Marovich JGM learned the sad news from radio announcer Elder Lee (The Sheriff) Williams that gospel quartet singer Roy Tyler has passed away. Tyler was a member of the Gospel Hummingbirds, a Bay Area group that put out some very fine albums and singles, including “A Better Home” (Bar-Tone) and “Trouble Don’t [...]