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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 [...]
“I Count Everything as Joy” – Rev. Reginald W. Sharpe Jr. & Fellowship Chicago
"I Count Everything as Joy" is the lead single from Fellowship Chicago's new album, The Flow, which released digitally on April 3.
JGM Pick of the Week – April 7, 2026
“After While” Brandon Camphor TOMii Entertainment (release date: June 20, 2025)
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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 [...]
“I Count Everything as Joy” – Rev. Reginald W. Sharpe Jr. & Fellowship Chicago
"I Count Everything as Joy" is the lead single from Fellowship Chicago's new album, The Flow, which released digitally on April 3.
JGM Pick of the Week – April 7, 2026
“After While” Brandon Camphor TOMii Entertainment (release date: June 20, 2025)
Sponsored Post:
The USC Upstate Gospel Choir’s single “Already Done” uses Psalm 46:10 (“Be still and know that I am God”) as the foundation for a statement of divine victory.
North Carolina-born and bred Regina Vandereijk has re-released her recent five-star album, The Lord Is There, as a Deluxe Edition.
Desmond Roberson and the Roberson Bunch take on the Tindley standard “Pass Me Not” with cheerful delight.
The 2025 BMI Christian Awards will be held on June 17 at the organization’s Nashville office.
This Juneteenth, the Equal Justice Initiative will bring Grammy Award winning musical artists to Montgomery, Alabama, with concerts happening downtown on June 18 and 19. EJI will also offer free admission to the Legacy Sites on Juneteenth.
By the Riverside is a 10-song house wrecker that comes straight out of the country church.
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“View the City REMIX” | RiZen | DAF Entertainment Group (2022)
“Believer” Jenise La Vonne Independent (release date: August 26, 2022) www.jeniselavonne.com By Robert M. Marovich “Believer” is indie gospel artist Jenise La Vonne’s best single to date. It has it all: a powerful open, sturdy vocals, compelling lyrics, solid song structure, and chart-quality production. To a loping rhythm, Jenise declares freedom from sin and her [...]
“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. Daniil Medvedev: A Season of Highs and Lows - CB News 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 [...]
“My Worship (Amapiano)” Kingdmusic feat. P-Tempo Independent (release date: July 15, 2022) assistant name mr.n205www.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 [...]
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, Journal of Gospel Music “Good things can still come out of Detroit.” This comment, from Let’s Have Some Church Detroit Style, might as well serve as the documentary’s subtitle. Directed by Michigan filmmaker Andrew Sacks, Let’s Have Some Church Detroit Style tells the story of Dr. E. LaQuint Weaver II and The [...]
In an interview with JGM's Bob Marovich, two-time Grammy Award winner Ann Nesby (Sounds of Blackness) talks about her musical upbringing, her new album, a persistent rumor that needs cleaning up, and why she is a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. Essential listening for Ann Nesby and Sounds of Blackness fans, as well as [...]
By Bob Marovich When Audrey Cher was born, her parents wanted to make certain her name meant something in the entertainment industry. So they called her Audrey after Audrey Hepburn and Cher for, well…Cher. “I’m walking in my name,” gospel singer and recording artist Audrey Cher told JGM last week. Born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, a [...]
By Robert M. Marovich Paul Beasley, a celebrated gospel quartet singer, passed away Monday, March 13, 2023, at the age of 78. Born in Louisiana, Beasley spent a long career singing tenor with the Gospel Keynotes, alongside Willie Neal Johnson, Gino Smith, Val Alexander, and Johnny Jones. He also sang with the Mighty Clouds [...]
By Robert M. Marovich Tyrone Porter, member of the Christianaires gospel quartet and president of the GMWA Quartet Division, went on home to be with the Lord on February 14, 2023, after an extended battle with illness. Homegoing arrangements will be posted here when known. Meanwhile, here is a brief biographical sketch about the Christianaires [...]
