“Jesus I’ll Never Forget” Zak Williams & 1/Akord feat. Lowell Pye Enon Music Group (release date: October 7, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich Lowell Pye shouts and squalls like a veteran quartet lead on “Jesus I’ll Never Forget,” the new single from Zak Williams & 1/Akord. It makes sense, as Pye was a member of the contemporary gospel quartet Men of Standard. Recorded live in Philadelphia, the song benefits from Zak & 1A’s thunderous delivery, which evokes something of a 1990s-vintage Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. The team puts a funky shoulder-shaking rhythm to the old congregational ...

“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 name and the intercession of Jesus with a traditional-sounding melody and arrangement complete with a backbeat supported by handclapping. A delightfully raspy-voiced female lead vocalist conducts a call-and-response with the choir. It’s especially effective during a litany of the many names of Jesus. Founded in ...

“He’ll Do It Again”Wright Family SingersHigher Praise Records (release date: April 15, 2022) By Robert M. Marovich On “He’ll Do It Again,” the Wright Family Singers come as close as anyone currently to the deep groove Muscle Shoals-era sound of the Staple Singers. The female trio even evokes the low alto of Mavis Staples on this song of encouragement, that if Jesus did it once upon a time, he’ll do it for you—in the courtroom, in the sick room, in the midst of confusion and—cue Wilson Pickett—in the midnight hour. Not to be confused with the Wright Family Singers of ...

“The Garden” E. Daniels From the Presence Records CD The Garden (release date: May 2020) www.EDanielsministries.com By Robert M. Marovich While “The Garden” has been out for a while, it is deserving of a second listen, especially in preparation for Easter season. The song defies categorization. While Pastor Ernest E. (“E.”) Daniels delivers the ballad with robust gospel chops, the delicate melody and sparse arrangement evoke CCM when it isn’t trying to sound like country music. In an era of too many sound-alike songs, “The Garden” is distinctive for its heartfelt message about longing to return to that secret sacred ...

“Jehovah Jireh” Zak Williams & 1/Akord Enon Music Group (release date: September 17, 2021) By Robert M. Marovich “Jehovah Jireh” celebrates God and old-school (’80s) gospel, Philly style. Representing the City of Brotherly Love, Zak Williams & 1/Akord offer a praise song with an agile arrangement noted for full-throated staccato choral singing, evangelistic exhortations from Williams, a flowing melody, and a hard-hitting rhythm section. Williams namechecks GMWA Mass Choir and Wilmington Chester Mass Choir alumnus Kevin Pringle, not only for added Philly cred but because the recording is a cover of Pringle’s composition. I first learned of Zak Williams & ...

Someone Has to Care: The Roots and Hip-Hop’s Prophetic Calling. By Christian Scharen. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books. 130 pp. (paperback). Illustrations, Notes, Bibliography. ISBN 978-1-5326-1217-6. $18.00 By Robert M. Marovich As Christian Scharen observes in his new book, Someone Has to Care, the titles of albums by hip-hop group The Roots exist on three levels: as a barometer of The Roots’ personal and creative state, as a commentary on the current status of hip-hop as an expressive art, and as a socio-political critique of longstanding oppression and suffering. Employing the same rule of three, Scharen, author and pastor of St. ...

The free streaming program will be available on Sunday, October 10. Maurette Brown Clark will appear alongside Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy, JJ Hairston, and Patrick Riddick. Multi-award-winning musician and syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter will host the four-part weekly virtual “Gospel City Playlist” series, where artists will vie to see whose region produces the greatest gospel hit makers and hits. The series will air at 8 PM ET every Sunday from September 19 to October 10 on BET Network’s YouTube channel and BET.com.  By Robert M. Marovich JGM spoke recently with Maurette Brown Clark, the “Princess of Praise & Worship,” ...

“Jesus Christ is Lord” Carmella Green Cloud Records (release date: December 18, 2020) www.cloudrecordsllc.com By Robert M. Marovich “Jesus Christ is Lord” by Carmella Green is another outstanding sacred single from Cloud Records, an emerging label with a small but mighty roster of accomplished vocalists. Despite being a soprano, Carmella Green delivers this song in a deep, dramatic voice, like a trained senior choir soloist. She does toss in a few vocal flowers, mostly at the end, but in general, she sings the worship opus in an operatic style. With its text drawn from Philippians 2:10-11 (“every knee shall bow, ...

“Lift the Savior” AJ Collier and the Band of Believers Believers Band Music Group https://www.ajcbob.com/ By Bob Marovich Here’s some Sunday morning old-school church music from AJ Collier and the Band of Believers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Lift the Savior” raises its praise with hand clapping, full-throttle musicianship, open-throated choral chords, and dense harmonies. Though there is a main musical motif, all told, “Lift the Savior” is more a moment of joyous exuberance, created to move the spirit of the church, than a through-composed song. AJ Collier organized the Band of Believers in 2016. In addition to serving in multiple roles ...

“Stand On His Promises” Tamika Patton feat. Pastor Korey Mickie (release date: May 22, 2020) www.TamikaPattonMusic.com By Bob Marovich Philadelphia native and fiery gospel singer Tamika Patton sings the stuffing out of this double-time church wrecker that encourages those who “stumble and fall” to keep going, “lean on the Lord,” and “stand on His promises.” Pastor Korey Mickie interjects with impassioned evangelism. The single, written by Patton and the late Eric B. Franks, also of the City of Brotherly Love, was produced and arranged by Ramon Shelton. It moves with the motive force of praise break music, which, for many, ...