Last Saturday evening (12/5/09), I was privileged to attend a rare, ‘professional’, Southern Gospel concert in my home town of Burnsville, NC.  The concert had been advertised for weeks, so I made sure that The Edwards Family was not booked anywhere on this evening.  The concert was held at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church where my friend, Bro. Davy Shelton, is the pastor.  What should have been a packed house was deterred by a small skiff of snow.  I suppose that everyone was afraid that the roads would be dangerous, which lead to the attendance being very low (probably around 80-100 people).

This was my first time seeing The Perrys in a church setting.  I have seen them at the NQC which is by far NOT a church setting.  This was also my first time hearing the group live with their new baritone, Troy Peach.  I was excited to see the group, but I was more anxious to see how God would work through them.  The Perrys have a reputation of being not only a Top-Tier, professional Southern Gospel quartet, but also being one of the more spiritual professional groups….which I love!  This was my reason for wanting to be with them in a church/worship setting.

My church had taken a bus over to the concert, but due to the weather, only about a dozen came.  Fortunately, they were able to all get seats at the front of the church and my friend, Steve Stamey, saved me a seat on the front row with him, so we were ready to have church.  Bro. Davy introduced The Perrys at 6 PM and the singing began.  Here’s a quick run down of the song-list:

1. Gentle Shepherd
2. I Love To Tell
3. Still Blessed
4. Prior To A Prayer
5. I Know It Was The Blood
6. Did I Mention (That I Love Him)
7. I Rest My Case
8. Intros
9. If You Knew Him
10. Almost Morning
11. Trust & Obey (Invitational)
12. I Wish I Could Have Been There

Troy Peach is one of the best things to happen to The Perrys in recent years.  His stage presence and presentation of the gospel through song is simply delightful.  Joseph Habedank has really matured into a fantastic lead singer, while Libby Perry Stuffle remains among the elite altos in gospel music.  Tracy Stuffle is a highly underrated bass singer, as he is as capable of carrying melodies and hitting the deep notes as most other basses in Southern Gospel.  Bryan Elliot amazed the audience with his piano skills, even though there were some minor technical difficulties with the sound during his piano solo (not listed in the above song list).

God really met with us during the service and I believe I was more blessed by The Perrys in a church setting than any other full-time, professional group I’ve heard.  Not only do they throw out their program when the moment calls for it, they are sensitive to the crowd and adjust accordingly.  The atmosphere in the church was more serene and worship focused, so The Perrys cued in on that and sang songs that simply fit the service.

I learned a couple of years back that if I attend a concert only to report on it, almost always I come away from it feeling empty and disappointed.  When you try to take notes to remember everything, you can’t really focus on the moving of the Holy Spirit….or at least I can’t.  (I only took notes during the intervals in between songs when the service slowed a bit to record the song list or I never would have remembered them :-)!)  I talked with Joseph and Troy briefly before the service to introduce myself and Joseph asked about me being a critic.  I explained right away that when I’m in church, I’m there to have church.  I’m not going to focus on critiquing the groups singing….I’m there to worship; and I did!

I came away from the singing completely energized and blessed….not just entertained.  Events like this keep me falling in love with Southern Gospel Music over and over again.  I had been a little discouraged with gospel music, having not been able to attend a singing/concert unless my family was singing in it.  What a thrill it is to know that there are groups still on the road today that are in love with Jesus, not just $$$ and popularity.

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Below are some of the songs that someone else in attendance recorded and posted on YouTube.  Hope you enjoy them.

Rev. Ed Rice
On My Way Home

I love singing….no doubts about that!  But I also love preaching!  Combine the two into a singing preacher and you have given me the best of both.  This CD was given to me by a dear pastor friend of mine and it is great.

Rev. Ed Rice pastors Bethel Baptist Church in Madison County, NC on Hwy 19-E, in between the towns of Burnsville and Mars Hill.  My family has been blessed to sing in service with these good people and Bro. Ed has become a great friend to our ministry.  Recently, he gave me his solo project and it’s a good one.  Not only can the man preach, but he can sing too.

Bro. Ed has a wonderful voice and sings with power.  I was surprised by his singing, because he is usually very soft-spoken.  This project has become very dear to me and I would like to pass his info along to you.

Tracks for his project are:

1. Show Me The Cross
2. Empty Hands
3. We Shall See Jesus
4. I’d Rather Have Jesus
5. Sinner Saved By Grace
6. Without Him
7. It Is Finished
8. Look What Waiting For Me
9. Just One More Soul
10. Where Will You Be A Million Years From Now?

Bro. Ed Rice can be contacted by email here or by phone: (828)658-2345.

…in general, I don’t care for them.  I prefer trios or quartets…that’s just my preference.

That said, I must eat those words for an artist that I met on Sunday evening.  Chuck Compton, formerly of The Comptons, was scheduled to sing at my home church along with The Rowlands.  When I arrived at the church, I ran into Mr. Compton in the restroom and briefly spoke in passing.  Since I book some for The Rowlands in my area, I was there primarily to support them and be faithful to our church since my family wasn’t booked this Sunday evening.

Let me say this before I go into further detail; I came away from this meeting in complete amazement and I was completely blown away with Chuck Compton’s singing, musicianship and last, but not least, his spirit and obedience to the Holy Spirit.

The Rowlands began the service and Ron, Kenneth & Wes was great as always; albeit, the service was a little more calm than we are accustomed to at Bethel Missionary Baptist.  The Rowlands sing “Did I Mention” better than any other group I’ve heard and it was certainly a hit with our bunch at Bethel.  Then Mr. Compton took the stage.

I saw from my seat that he was using soundtracks from an iPod through a Bose L1 system along with an acoustic guitar.  From the first note from his guitar, he completely had my attention.  Every song went so smoothly and I was absolutely blown away with his ministry and singing.  He didn’t use tracks on every song, so we were treated with some acoustic numbers along with what appeared to be a Digitech Vocalist Harmony processor.  (They don’t call Chuck Compton “Mr. Technology” for nothing), which was one of the coolest pieces of equipment that I have ever seen.  After I pulled my tongue back in my mouth from drooling over his setup, I got to enjoy one of the best song services I’ve ever sat in (and as you know, I’ve heard a LOT of singers in my day).

Chuck Compton sang several songs and we had a wonderful time in the service with him.  He had a great mix of upbeat songs with slower tunes.  He plays the guitar extremely well with some hints of Willie Nelson licks thrown in for good measure.  His vocals were great and I was very impressed with his stage presence.  He didn’t just stand there and sing.  He kept you interested by interjecting testimonies and stories in between his songs, plus on some songs, he would stop during the turn-arounds and talk then.

(Two great groups in one evening….is there anything else that could have made the evening better?  How about having two souls saved during the services and one of them being my oldest daughter, Keanna.  Praise God that He is still saving old sinners!!!)

I can’t say enough good things about Chuck Compton right now.  I was able to talk with him one-on-one for a bit after the service and I was so glad that I did.  Not only is he a great singer and musician, he is just a great guy.  I told him that I would be writing an article about him, because I believe that if you know of a good thing, then you should share with the rest of the world.

If you are ever wanting to book someone at your church that is more than just entertainment, the consider giving Chuck Compton a call.  His website is www.comptonministries.com.

Paid In Full
No Trace Of Rain

Label: Song Garden Music Group
Website: www.paidinfull.net

Paid In Full is known in Southern Gospel music for their tight harmonies since the early ’90s, when Jake Hess took the group under his wing, helping them get their start in the professional circuit.  This latest release is simply a continuation of top-tier gospel singing from the 2007 Singing News Horizon Group of the Year.

There is a little something for everyone on No Trace Of Rain.  From more progressive tunes like “If The Truth Be Told” and “It Takes Faith”, country-gospel tunes like “Lead On” and “Faith Moved A Mountain” & traditional quartet sounds like “My Soul Is Firmly Anchored”.  Bass singer extraordinaire, Gene McDonald, joins Paid In Full on “My Soul Is Firmly Anchored” and gives us a glimpse of what the group would sound like as a quartet.

Bradley Littlejohn (baritone), Lance Moore (lead) & Brock White (tenor) continue to prove that they were indeed worthy of the Horizon Group of the Year award and this new release is a continuation of their impressive talent.  With efforts like Paid In Full has displayed here, the group is showing high potential to be a mainstay in SG for years to come.

Complete Track List:

1. If The Truth Be Told
2. I Go To Jesus
3. This Is The Day
4. Praise Makes The Walls Come Down
5. Lead On
6. My Soul Is Firmly Anchored
7. Waiting For The Morning
8. Light Doesn’t Make A Sound
9. It Takes Faith
10. Faith Moved A Mountain
11. The Other Side

My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

**This project was given to the reviewer free of charge…this had no influence on the review**

HisSong
Journey Through The Sky

Label: Vine Records
Website: www.hissongmusic.com

1. Jesus Is The Best Thing (That Ever Happened To Me)
2. Journey Through The Sky
3. When We Talk To The Father
4. Can You Burn
5. What A Difference A Day Makes
6. I Believe In Prayer
7. When God Moves A Stone
8. Bethlehem, Galilee, Gethsemane
9. Just What I Needed
10. They’re Getting Ready In Glory (To Crown The King)

HisSong keeps gaining ground in the Southern Gospel industry, as evidenced by having been invited to perform on the main stage at NQC for the first time this past September.  They have came into their own vocally with a sound that is highly distinguishable from other SG trios.  This latest effort from the group continues with a little more progressive styling than their previous projects, but honestly, the style fits the group.  While I’m not a big fan of progressive SG, I can’t help but enjoy listening to a group find the niche that they are good at.

Most songs on this project have a slow to mid-range tempo, which allows the guys to focus more on their vocals, which are outstanding.  However, the high number of these slow to mid-tracks makes the project seem to drag.  While I’m criticizing for a moment, let me mention that the group’s pronunciation of the word ‘thing’ on the opening track is way too over-the-top for me.  Hearing it pronounced Thaaaaannng over and over got quite annoying….in a hurry.

Don’t get the wrong impression from the criticism…this is a solid project.  The title track is outstanding!  Most lyrics are fresh and the singing is flat-out great.  It was nice to hear one of Ernie Haase’s old solo releases redone (What A Difference A Day Makes).  Although this is a cover version of the song, the harmonies from the guys give it a fresh sound.  “Can You Burn” poses a great question to the believer and has a catchy tune.  “They’re Getting Ready In Glory (To Crown The King)” is another standout song and a great way to close out the project.

Dennis Humphries (Lead), Adam Elrod (Tenor) & Adam Cannon (Baritone) have really meshed as vocalists and the group seems to be headed for great success in Southern Gospel.  This new release is evidence of their ‘journey’.

This project is currently available for pre-order on hard copy from www.hissongmusic.com, but is currently available for immediate download from www.crossroadsmusic.com.

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

**This project was given to the reviewer free of charge.
This had no influence on the review**

The Inspirations
The Son Came Down

My rating: 5 stars out of 5

Produced by: Martin Cook & Jeff Collins
Label: Horizon Records
Website: www.TheInspirations.com

This new release from The Inspirations unveils a new lineup which includes new lead singer, David Ragan, and new tenor, Dallas Rogers.  For those of you Inspirations fans with reservations about the new lineup, rest assured that the future of The Inspirations is in good hands.  The new group not only carries the tradition of the Inspirations’ past, they also bring a fresh sound to the group.

Since I’ve picked up this project, I seem to listen to it more than anything else right now.  With tracks like “Dealing With Gold”, “Crown Him King”, & the classic “Thank God I’ve Made It”, this project is at the top of my list of new releases in 2009.  Baritone Melton Campbell continues to be one of the smoothest baritones in Southern Gospel and Mike Holcombe is still the best bass singer on the road today.

The Son Came Down makes me very excited about future projects from the Inspirations.  I highly recommend this to any fan of gospel music.  I believe you will be quite surprised, even if you weren’t a fan of the group before.

The Phillips Family
This Same Jesus

My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Produced by: Danny Crawford, Mylon Hayes, Gary Rushing
Label: Independent
Website: www.ThePhillipsFamilyMusic.com

This family group from Gaffney, SC made up of three brothers and a sister (Clint, Joel, Stephen & Tabitha) has caught my attention like no other group before.  At this time last year, I had just been introduced to The Phillips Family’s music and now I can testify that they are one of the top independent groups in gospel music today.  They continue to record quality, original, music which Stephen Phillips’ keeps writing.

David Johnson, Danny Crawford, Mylon Hayes & Chris Rushing contribute to the instrumentation and the quality of the tracks are simply superb.  All four group members alternate vocals on the songs and the harmonies of this family are top-notch.  There’s an old saying that you can’t beat family harmony and this project helps confirm that tale.

Track List (*** – tracks with stars have a video below):

1. Riding On Grace
2. But God
3. I’ll Be Surprised ***
4. This Same Jesus ***
5. Born In The Fire
6. Acquainted With Grace
7. Pick Up My Towel ***
8. God’s Breath
9. The Tomb Is Still There
10. Yes, He Can

Each track on this project is fresh and it’s hard for me to pick just one favorite.  Currently, my favorites from the new album are “This Same Jesus”, “But God”, “The Tomb Is Still There” & “I’ll Be Surprised”.  Here are some live clips of The Phillips Family singing songs from their new release.

“I’ll Be Surprised”

“Pick Up My Towel”

“This Same Jesus”

If you are around where this group is singing, be sure that you go and check them out.  While their recordings are great, they are even better in person.  They come out to minister and while they are doing that, you also get treated to their wonderful talent.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

This CD, as well as their older releases, can be purchased directly from The Phillips Family here.  I highly recommend any of them!

The King’s Messengers
The Message Never Changes

Composite Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Label: Independent
Website: www.KingsMessengers.net

This project is from a local group in Calvin, LA called The King’s Messengers who have been singing for almost 35 years.  Honestly, I had never heard of the group since I live over 800 miles away, but was blessed to be contacted by group member, Robbie Smith, the tenor for the quartet.

The project begins with McCray Dove’s “I Just Began To Live” and continues with several SG standards including “‘Til The Storm Passes By”, “When Morning Sweeps The Eastern Sky” & “When I Wake Up To Sleep No More”.

Also included on the this project is “It’s Amazing What A Prayer Can Do”, penned by Mike Upright.  Their version is practically identical to Royalty’s, a SG trio that disbanded a few years back.  One thing that I found interesting about Royalty’s version and now this groups version is a changed lyric in the first verse.  Mike Upright penned the song with the lyric, “God sent a promise and just one angel; that devil’s army met it’s doom“.  Royalty and The King’s Messenger’s recorded the lyric as “God sent a prophet and just one angel: that devil’s army split into.” I’m not sure why lyric was changed, but it’s not like this isn’t common in SG circles.

Track Listing:

1. I Just Began To Live
2. What A Happy Time
3. ‘Til The Storm Passes By
4. Looking For The Lights Of The City
5. It’s Amazing What A Prayer Can Do
6. When Morning Sweeps The Eastern Sky
7. When I Get To Heaven
8. When I Wake Up To Sleep No More
9. Ready To Leave
10. He’s All I Need

The group has strong vocals on each part and I particularly enjoyed their versions of “When Morning Sweeps The Eastern Sky”, “Ready To Leave” & “When I Wake Up To Sleep No More.”  The production quality of this recording is excellent and the music tracks are very well done, even with no one with the last name “Johnson” is in the music credits :-).  This was a good project from a really ’southern’ gospel group.