Reviews

Reviews2022-10-28T01:35:07-05:00

Kurt Carr – Bless Somebody Else

July 26th, 2019|5 Stars, CDs, Gospel Music, Praise & Worship, Reviews|

Kurt CarrBless Somebody ElseRCA Inspiration (release date: July 19, 2019)www.rcainspiration.com By Bob Marovich In what may well be the most heartrending introduction you will hear on a gospel album this year, Praise & Worship pioneer Kurt Carr uses the opening moments of his new CD, Bless Somebody Else, to relate [...]

JGM Pick of the Week: July 16, 2019

July 17th, 2019|Contemporary Gospel, Gospel Music, Pick of the Week, Reviews, Singles|

“Praise Belongs to You” Jason Clayborn & the Atmosphere Changers Tyscot Records www.tyscot.com By Bob Marovich “Praise Belongs to You,” co-written by Grammy Award-nominated gospel songwriter Jason Clayborn, author of such hits as Hezekiah Walker’s “Better” and Ricky Dillard’s “I Survived It,” is Clayborn's debut single as an artist for [...]

“After All These Years” – Freddi Rene

July 14th, 2019|Contemporary Gospel, Reviews, Singles|

“After All These Years” Freddi Rene From the CD Guide Me www.freddirene.com By Bob Marovich On its surface, “After All These Years,” written by Carl Phillips, Gabriel Young, and producer Gregory G. Pearson, sounds like a conventional love song. But in the song’s first few seconds, Freddi Rene asserts that [...]

“Something About that Name” – True Believers

July 11th, 2019|Gospel Music, Quartet, Reviews, Singles|

“Something About that Name” True Believers From the 4 Winds CD Back to the Roots (release date: February 1, 2019) www.malaco.com The True Believers gospel quartet marvels at the wonderful name of Jesus and all the name represents on their new single, “Something About that Name.” “Something” lopes along with [...]

JGM Pick of the Week: July 8, 2019

July 9th, 2019|Contemporary Gospel, Pick of the Week, Singles|

“Amazing Grace” Rachel Hawkes Independent (release date: May 1, 2019) We know the hymn, but English singer Rachel Hawkes makes it her own with a new verse, harmonica-tight harmonies, and an easy, delightful delivery. The contrast between the thumping percussion and Hawkes’ honey-smooth voice sells the song. Classically trained—she played [...]

“The Greater the Trials, the Greater the Blessings” – Mary Pugh & the Pugh Singers

July 6th, 2019|Quartet, Reviews, Singles|

“The Greater the Trials, the Greater the Blessings” Mary Pugh & the Pugh Singers Overboard Records (2019) https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/marypughthepughsingers By Bob Marovich On “The Greater the Trials, the Greater the Blessings,” Grove Hill, Alabama, female quartet Mary Pugh & the Pugh Singers offers an encouraging paradox that sounds as if it [...]

Nashville Life Music – The Taylor House Sessions (EP)

July 5th, 2019|CDs, Praise & Worship, Reviews|

Nashville Life Music The Taylor House Sessions (EP) Integrity Music (release date: May 24, 2019) www.nashvillelifemusic.com By Bob Marovich From the loping tempo and bass-heavy opening of the single “My God,” and the playful use of auto-tune by Byron Chambers (aka Mr. Talkbox) as a medium for scatting and raising [...]

Absolution – Breakthrough

June 30th, 2019|CDs, Contemporary Gospel, Reviews|

Absolution Breakthrough Independent (release date: March 14, 2019) By Bob Marovich On the album Breakthrough, Absolution adopts an ‘80s R&B vocal group style mixed with elements of smooth jazz to deliver religious and inspirational songs inspired by personal experience. The mixed-voice group Absolution was organized in North Augusta, South Carolina, [...]

The Southern Sons of Memphis – “Live” At Home in Memphis

June 27th, 2019|5 Stars, CDs, Gospel Music, Quartet, Reviews|

The Southern Sons of Memphis “Live” At Home in Memphis SOME Records (2016) www.sonsofmemphismusic.com By Bob Marovich Although released in 2016, the Southern Sons of Memphis’s “Live” At Home in Memphis is, like most gospel quartet recordings without undue amounts of synthesizer, evergreen. Bob Holloway, the Southern Sons’ longstanding member, [...]

“It’s Praying Time” – Frozene Lott-Hayes

June 24th, 2019|Reviews, Singles, Traditional Gospel|

“It’s Praying Time” Frozene Lott-Hayes Lothay Music (release date: February 1, 2019) By Bob Marovich To a live audience at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, traditional gospel singer Frozene Lott-Hayes renders this mid-tempo golden oldie with lyrics that are (unfortunately) as pertinent today as they were back when [...]

JGM Pick of the Week: June 11, 2019

June 12th, 2019|Contemporary Gospel, Gospel Music, Pick of the Week, Reviews, Singles|

“Amazing”The Davis’Heartbeatz Productions LLCwww.realdavismusic.com By Bob Marovich A family that prays together stays together, and that goes double for family groups that sing their prayers. Like the Davis Family of Inkster, Michigan. The members of this sibling act--Carl, James, Andrea and Angela (the girls are twins)—demonstrate their choir-honed harmonies and [...]

Faithful Connection – Personal Experience

June 8th, 2019|CDs, Gospel Music, Quartet, Reviews|

Faithful Connection Personal Experience (release date: March 22, 2019) https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/faithfulconnection12 By Bob Marovich Rhythm of Gospel Awardee Faithful Connection of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a gospel quartet that blends elements of traditional gospel singing and lyricism with contemporary instrumentation and bass-heavy beats. They celebrate their tenth anniversary with a new EP, [...]

New York Fellowship Children’s Choir – God is the Greatest

June 7th, 2019|CDs, Children's/Youth, Gospel Music, Reviews|

New York Fellowship Children’s Choir God is the Greatest Godfather Records (release date: March 22, 2019) By Bob Marovich As any elementary school teacher will tell you, it can be challenging to get young people to work together for a common purpose. But the New York Fellowship Children’s Choir has [...]

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