Sep 19

NQC 2012: Thursday and Friday Showcases

I covered my highlights of the evening concerts from last week, but some of the best music I heard was during the day at various showcases.  Here are some of the highlights of things I saw in the mornings and afternoons!

 

Gaither Vocal Band Reunion – Thursday Afternoon

  • It was a treat to see some of the great voices in the history of gospel music, including Larnelle Harris, Russ Taff, Steve Green, Buddy Mullins, and Guy Penrod all on stage at one time.
  • The rollicking numbers like “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” and “Heartbreak Ridge and New Hope Road” seemed to go over the best with the crowd
  • Perhaps the most poignant moment was Steve Green’s testimony and performance of “Find Us Faithful”
  • I thought they might close out with “Let Freedom Ring,” but “Glorious Freedom” from their new album appears to be the Vocal Band closer now.  This was the first of three times we heard it this week, so it got the best response here.

 

Friday Morning Chapel with Mark Trammell Quartet and Greater Vision

  • Mark Trammell Quartet kicked things off bright and early at 8:30 AM with a set of five songs.  It’s the only time this week that I heard them do much of their piano/bass stuff, including “Hallelujah I’m Going Home”, “How Big Is God” and “Echoes From the Burning Bush”.
  • Mark got Dustin Sweatman up to sing “Testimony,” which is the only time this week I heard him sing, on his last week with the quartet.
  • It’s never too early to get the crowd on their feet, and they did that by closing with “It’s Almost Over”.
  • Mark then preached a great message from the story of the woman with the issue of blood.  Many people probably brushed up against the Lord that day, but she was healed because, with everything she had, she pursued the source of her remedy.  The others were “so close, yet so far away”.
  • Greater Vision did about an hour, including a lot of their standard fare: “I Could Never Praise Him Enough,” “He’d Still Been God,” “Hallelujah Square,” “Common Garments,” and “My Name Is Lazarus”.
  • I always love hearing material from their Hymns of the Ages project, and they did two of the best: “Redeemed Medley” and “I Know He Heard My Prayer”.
  • Stan Whitmire was helping out on piano, and Gerald had him do a solo of “I’ve Got That Old-Time Religion”.

 

Gaither Homecoming Sing-along – Friday Afternoon

  • It was cool to see a lot of artists on the stage that aren’t normally a part of the Gaither Homecomings.  Most of the major groups present at NQC were represented, thought most of the ones featured were more common Homecoming artists.
  • Probably the biggest highlight for me was seeing Pat Barker brought up to do the second verse of “He Pilots My Ship”.  He totally nailed it, to a great response.  Bill Gaither had to ask Gerald Wolfe who that bass singer was.  I hope he remembers.
  • The most memorable moment was “Can’t Keep It to Myself,” featuring Angie Primm.  It got everyone on their feet, and moving.  It was encored several times.

 

NQC Music Awards – Friday Afternoon

  • Overall, I thought it was a classy program and organized well.  The hosting seemed a little awkward and cheesy at times, but the awards presentations themselves, acceptance speeches, and performances were well-executed.  I thought it was really nice to hear (almost) all of the nominees for Song of the Year performed throughout the program.
  • Dianne Wilkinson was the first one on the stage, taking home Songwriter of the Year.  Congratulations, Mrs. Dianne!
  • A lot of the ones you would expect to win (from the Booth Brothers and Triumphant) did win.  Some of the surprises: Mixed Group (Collingsworth Family) and Tenor (David Phelps).
  • A 40 year-old song won Song of the Year, and it was well deserved – “I Know a Man Who Can” by Greater Vision

Sep 15

NQC 2012: Friday Night

Yesterday was a very long day at National Quartet Convention, starting off nice and early with a chapel service with music by the Mark Trammell Quartet and Greater Vision, and a sermon by Mark.  We also caught the Gaither Homecoming showcase and the NQC Awards, so we had already had our cup filled before the evening concerts started.  We missed a few sets just because we wanted to eat and hang out some more in the exhibit hall, but I still caught everything I really came to see.  Here are my highlights of my last night at NQC.

1. The Mark Trammell Quartet once again knocked the ball out of the park on their mainstage appearance.  They started off with pure quartet fun on “Meet Me Over on the Other Side,” then moved into “Too Much to Gain to Lose,” which got a partial standing ovation.  They really got the crowd going and on their feet with “Standing on the Solid Rock,” then got a big standing ovation for their closer, the “Golden City Tour Medley” from their new project.  They had the most impressive sets of the week that I saw.

2. Triumphant Quartet once again brought great energy to the stage, but the best moment of their set was a quiet one.  After telling the story of his baby Embry’s fight for life, Scott Inman sang an apparently off-the-cuff and a cappella rendition of “Only God Knows,” to a standing ovation.  They closed her down with “Old White Flag,” to its usual raucous response.

3. The best moment of the 90-minute long Gaither segment was the Nelons electrifying the crowd with “I’m Going Home with Jesus”.  This is a great song that seems to get a big response whoever sings it.  The Gaither Vocal Band was very strong, as you would expect, and they sang, by my count, six songs from their new project.  “Glorious Freedom” is clearly now their big go-to song.  It was great, but the reaction may have been dampened because it was the third time in the last  36 hours we had heard it sung.

4. I hope Tribute Quartet really put some buzz in the minds of the fans at NQC this week, because they did a great job Thursday and Friday nights, and they deserve to be heard.  Their set was highlighted by a repeat performance of “Good New From Jerusalem” and a very strong performance of “Song of Heaven”.

Sep 14

NQC 2012: Thursday Night

I’m having to do this quickly, since I’m between morning chapel and the Gaither showcase.  Last night went long, and it was a very tiring, but rewarding day.   While there were big moments, the energy in the crowd wasn’t quite as consistent as it was Wednesday night.  This time around I had seats in the upper level, and maybe that affected my experience, but I did enjoy being able to see the entire scene from my vantage point, including the crowd.

Quickly, here are my highlights from last night:

1. The Whisnants had probably my favorite set of the night.  They sandwiched two emotional ballads, “I’ll Trust the Potter’s Hand” and “All Is Well” around a bouncy version of “The Glory-Land Way” with Gerald Wolfe at piano.  Then they wrapped up with “New Day Dawning,” which is a great crowd pleaser.  They brought Mark Trammell and Pat Barker on stage for a rousing encore.

2. Greater Vision generously gave up part of their set to a trio of teenagers, who got a huge response with the Martins’ a cappella Doxology arrangement.  But Greater Vision wasn’t bad themselves, and there was hardly a dry eye in the house after Gerald told a touching story and they closed with “Faces”.

3. The Collingsworth Family did one gospel song, two Christmas songs, and two patriotic songs.  Doesn’t sound like it makes a whole lot of sense, but they got some of the biggest ovations of the night, particularly with their a cappella version of “God Bless America” and Kim’s piano rendition of the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”.

4. Tribute Quartet sounded great.  Though they had the tough opening slot, they rolled out great song selection, with “Thank the Lord,” “Homesick Angel,” “Homecoming Day,” and “Good News From Jerusalem”.

5. The Lesters bring a great energy to the stage, and you can tell they are well-loved among their fellow artists.  They brought the house down with “I’ll See You Again”.

6. The last big moment of the night was the Booth Brothers’ “Played in the Band” from their new Gaither tribute CD.  They encored it a few times, with Bill Gaither himself coming on stage to help out.

The real highlight of the day for me was having a chance to walk around all of the artist booths yesterday afternoon and meet some of my favorite people in gospel music.  I don’t have time to tell about all of them, but I will say there were two that excited me more than any others: Squire Parsons and Dianne Wilkinson.  Everyone was just as nice as could be!  I also got a chance to meet fellow SG internet personalities Aaron Swain, Brandon Coomer, Jeff Foster and son, and Diana Brantley!  It was an honor, y’all!

Sep 13

NQC 2012: Wednesday Night

What a tiring, but rewarding day it was yesterday!  After a long, full day of driving, we made it into Freedom Hall right as Mike Speck was leading some congregational singing before bringing out the first quartet of the night.  I love the idea of Quartet Night, and I’m so glad we were able to be there for it.

I did my best to enjoy the concert, while simultaneously taking notes of every song sung, and live-tweeting the big moments.  The folks sitting around me may have wondered what in the world I was doing, but I had a blast soaking it all and being able to share it with others.  If you’re still not following me on Twitter (@sogobravo), I would be honored if you would do so and share this experience with me as it’s happening.

I listed every song sung last night, but I don’t have the time to relay it all.  So I’ll get down to the highlights of the evening for me:

1. Mark Trammell Quartet – You could just feel an energy in the room when they took the stage.  There is no doubt they are now one of the biggest quartets in the business when you feel that buzz.  After their beautiful traditional opener, “Gentle Shepherd,” they moved into one of the best songs from their new album, Lifetime, “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” which got an enthusiastic response.  They really got the crowd going with recent #1 hit “I Wanna Know,” featuring Pat Barker.  Bottom line: people love Pat Barker, and for good reason.  That song and encore got Freedom Hall in great spirits.  You could feel that buzz lingering as they transitioned into “The King Is Coming,” and you knew the big response was coming.  It didn’t disappoint, as the song received perhaps the biggest ovation of the night.  MTQ turned in the perfect 4-song set.

2. Triumphant Quartet – Honestly, sometimes I wonder what it is about Triumphant that makes them such a fan favorite.  After hearing them live for the first time last night, it’s obvious.  They were the last quartet of the night, but that didn’t stop them from bringing some of the best crowd energy of the night.  “When the Trumpet Sounds” got them off to a good start, then after some quiet time with “He Loves Me” and Jeff Stice’s piano solo “Mansion Over the Hilltop,” Clayton Inman got everyone on their feet with “The Old White Flag”.  I gotta find me one of them flags.  There must have been a couple thousand of them waving.  Then they closed her down in rousing fashion with “Almost Home”.  Triumphant Quartet just brought out great enthusiasm, despite being the last quartet on stage.

3. Dixie Melody Boys – This wasn’t the best pure singing of the night, but there is no doubt it was one of the best moments.  The crowd absolutely ate up the scrap-iron band they assembled: Stewart Varnado on piano, Scoot Shelnut on bass, Michael Booth on drums, Adam Crabb on harmonica, and Madison Easter on guitar.  If there was any doubt that southern gospel lovers really appreciate a live band, this set laid it to rest. The set really got moving with “When I Cross the Other Side of Jordan”.  The live band allowed them to smoothly encore it and bring the crowd to their feet.  “Ride That Glory Cloud” was a mess in spots, but no one cared.  It was one of the most thrilling songs of the evening.  You could tell the band was having a blast, and it was encored multiple times.  We need more of this spontaneous kind of music!

4. Dixie Echoes – They were introducing some new faces to the NQC audience, but they sounded just as smooth as ever. Probably the most poignant moment of the evening was Randy Shelnut Sr.’s testimony about his son Scoot’s healing from cancer, followed by an emotional delivery by Scoot of “Crumbs From the Master’s Table”.  It was gorgeous, and I noticed lots of dabbing of eyes all around me.  They followed that up with a showcase of true four-part harmony on “If You Know the Lord,” which got a very enthusiastic response.  Just like the response to the Dixie Melody Boys’ live band, you could tell that the crowd really appreciates the kind of music that the Dixie Echoes make.

5. Kingdom Heirs – I’m not sure any quartet sounded better than the Kingdom Heirs last night.  After a very funny moment where they shared Steve French’s appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show, they sang four Dianne Wilkinson songs from their latest album.  “I’m Not Worried About Forever,” “Tell Me Why,” and “Just Preach Jesus” were very solid performances, and then the closer of “We Will Stand Our Ground,” along with the video they play with it, is always good for a big response.

Those were the five best sets to me, but really I didn’t come away thinking anyone had a bad one.  Some other more minor highlights:

. The LeFevre Quartet got the tough first spot, but they had one of the better blends we heard last night.

. Chris Jenkins of the Kingsmen wowed the crowd with some insanely high notes on “Oh, What a Savior”.  Has that song ever failed to get a standing ovation?  There’s a reason everyone still sings it.

. Brian Free and Assurance sounded great.  Their style gets a little progressive for me at times, but they’ve got a powerhouse sound.  “What a Beautiful Day” was a super-smooth opener, then Brian Free got the crowd unglued with “Looking for a City”.  That’s the highest I’ve ever heard the song taken; there may have been at least six half-step key changes. I don’t think he has a limit.

. Legacy Five and Gold City didn’t have a huge “wow” moment for me, but they both had consistent and solid sets.  Matt Fouch is now a star, and Tim Riley showed the rest of the basses in the house how it’s done.  He’s still got it!

. Mark Trammell Quartet, Legacy Five, and Triumphant (and maybe some help from others) took the stage in the finale, along with Gerald Wolfe on piano, Rodney Griffin on bass, and Dean Hopper on drums, on “Just a Little Talk With Jesus”.  There was some comedy involved, but that didn’t distract from the fact that it was great quartet singing!  It was a great way to close the night!

Because we arrived in Louisville so late, I didn’t get any opportunity to mix or mingle with anyone except the person sitting beside me in Freedom Hall.  I hope to get to do a lot of that today!  Be looking out for updates!

Sep 11

NQC 2012: Anticipation

As of this writing, it’s about 24 hours until I depart for my first National Quartet Convention.  NQC 2012 is already in full swing, and I feel as if I’m arriving late.  But Wednesday night will find me in Freedom Hall, enjoying the greatest music on earth.  Here’s what I’m most looking forward to this week.  What about you?

 

  1. Quartet Night (Wednesday night) – nothin’ but 4-part harmony, all night long, with the best quartets southern gospel has to offer
  2. Matt Fouch with Legacy Five (Wednesday night) – he’s already had a smash NQC debut last night, but this will be my first opportunity to hear the results of one of the biggest personnel changes of the year
  3. Mark Trammell Quartet (Wednesday/Friday night) – the best quartet on the planet right now will be showing off material from their thrilling new project; we’ll also be saying goodbye to Dustin Sweatman
  4. Gold City (Wednesday night) – My first time seeing the legendary quartet, and hearing the incomparable Tim Riley
  5. Gaither Vocal Band Reunion (Thursday afternoon) – one of the greatest assemblies of powerhouse gospel voices you will hear
  6. Collingsworth Family (Thursday night) – no one fills up an auditorium with sound like the Collingsworths
  7. Tribute Quartet (Thursday/Friday night) – specifically, I want to see the reaction to “Good News From Jerusalem”
  8. Bible Study/Chapel (Friday morning) – a time in the Word of God with Mark Trammell, and music by Greater Vision; what a great morning!
  9. NQC Music Awards (Friday afternoon) – it’s nice to see folks get recognized for their service
  10. Dianne Wilkinson book signing (Friday afternoon) – I’ve already got a signed copy, but I’ll be hanging around to finally meet this wonderful lady in person, and maybe even get an autograph from Daniel Mount himself
  11. Perrys (Friday night) – my favorite mixed group in southern gospel can bring down the house
  12. Jubilee concert (Saturday morning) – A late addition, Greater Vision, Legacy Five, and the Booth Brothers will put on a can’t-miss show
  13. Lari Goss showcase (Saturday afternoon) – some of gospel music’s greats will sing some powerful Goss-ified numbers
  14. First-timers – With the exception of MTQ, Greater Vision, and the Gaither Vocal Band, every single group I will be hearing live for the first time
  15. Meet and greet – I’ll also be face to face with some of my favorites, and some of my heroes.  I can’t wait to shake their hand and tell them how much I appreciate what they do.

Now, on to Louisville!

Sep 05

Album Review: Greater Vision – Our Most Requested Songs – Live

The one word from the CD cover that should catch your eye is “Live!” Far too few live projects are being recorded anymore. Thankfully there is occasionally one released to give those of us who long for live recordings something to keep us going .  Greater Vision has really never sounded better than they do right now, so a live project from this powerhouse trio is certainly a breath of fresh air.

When Chris Allman made his return to Southern Gospel music in April of 2010, Greater Vision stepped back into contention for the top trio in all of Gospel music.  His incredible vocals along with the powerful singing from Gerald Wolfe and Rodney Griffin give the listener an awesome vocal experience no matter who is taking the lead lines.

Since the title of this project is ‘Our Most Requested’, we could assume going into this CD that only older material would be on the project.  From that perspective, we can listen to and enjoy the old familiar GV tunes without pausing to listen closely to new lyrics or melodies.  We can just sit back and sing along with the best that Greater Vision has to offer.

The best part of the project for me was getting to hear the guys bring back to life some old songs from the archives of the Greater Vision library, such as “With All The Many Miracles”, “Common Garments”, “He’s Still Waiting By The Well” and “I Could Never Praise Him Enough”.

One of the things that really made this ‘Live’ projects stand out, was the lack of talking and song introductions.  Typically, there are several breaks on a live CD for talking, testimonies or comedy relief, but after the brief introduction by Dr. Stanley, you get your earful of nothing but good, gospel music.  No need to ever skip a track after you’ve heard the same lines over and over after listening through the project several times.

There honestly isn’t a weak spot on this CD and by far, it is my favorite project of 2012.  I would have loved to hear more songs with just the live piano and bass, but the songs included on this project just wouldn’t have been the same without their usual soundtracks.  The only live music recorded on this CD was “Hallelujah Square”, which I suppose can be viewed as the icing on an already scrumptious cake.  WOW!!!

Album rating: 5 stars

Song list:

  1. Dr. Stanley Introduction
  2. I Could Never Praise Him Enough
  3. He’d Still Been God
  4. Common Garments
  5. With All The Many Miracles
  6. He’ll Carry Me
  7. He’s Still Waiting By The Well
  8. Faces
  9. Just One More Soul
  10. A Pile Of Crowns
  11. Hallelujah Square
  12. ‘Til The Storm Passes By
  13. My Name Is Lazarus

Official Release date: October 2, 2012

Currently available at: Greater Vision website (Will ship after September 10)

Sep 04

Album Review: Lifetime (Mark Trammell Quartet)

Since their last recording, the Mark Trammell Quartet has had changes at tenor (Eric Phillips re-joining to replace Joel Wood) and recently, at lead (Nick Trammell replacing mainstay Dustin Sweatman).  It was about time for one of gospel music’s best-sounding quartets to come through with a big recording, and with Lifetime, they have surely done that.

Lifetime is a huge recording, but not because it’s filled with potential new hits.  On the contrary, there is only one new song on the entire project.  As the title indicates, the songs were chosen to trace a lifetime in gospel music by Mark Trammell himself.  In the liner notes, Mark tells of the impact these songs and their singers have had on him, from his earliest memories until today.  Don’t be fooled, however: you may have heard most of these songs before, but you’ve never heard them like this.  Enter Goss.

The legendary Lari Goss joins Mark in the producer’s chair for the second consecutive Daywind release by the quartet.  While 2010’s Testimony was designed as a laid-back, throwback kind of project, on Lifetime, all of the stops are pulled out for Goss.  Mighty orchestrations are prevalent throughout, and in my opinion, this is some of his best work of recent years.  It wasn’t until I listened to the project with a good set of headphones that I really grasped just how intricate and powerful some of these arrangements are; my car speakers didn’t cut it.

The arrangements give the singers quite a workout.    MTQ fans will remember the “Calvary Medley” on the Testimony project.  On Lifetime, there are several medleys and other uses of multiple songs.  In fact, on the project’s ten tracks, sixteen total songs are used.  And there are a mighty lot of key changes…30 to be exact, not counting modulations during the song intros.  See the chart to the right for a breakdown of the songs and key changes used on each track.  Not all of these are simple half-step key changes, either.  There are some doozies.  The degree of singing difficulty is quite high, but arguably the most vocally capable quartet on the road today proved their worth in a big way.

Two of the most striking orchestrated arrangements belong to the two songs noted as being influences on Mark via the Couriers.  The project opens with a stirring rendition of “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”.  Goss gives it an exciting modern groove, including some cool bass guitar.  It sounds quite different from the version popularized by Gold City on Within the Rock.  The same is true for “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” which gets a makeover from the well-known Greater Vision/Couriers arrangement.

The other three big orchestrations are of the power ballad variety, all of which feature Mark in the verses.  Among them, the best is an emotional take on “Too Much to Gain to Lose”.  If the listener is wondering just what is to be “gained”, it is answered by the insertion of a moving chorus of another Dottie Rambo classic, “We Shall Behold Him,” featuring Pat Barker.  Similarly, two Gaither compositions are combined in the project closer, “The King Is Coming,” which utilizes a chorus of “I’m Free” for a triumphant finish.  The project’s longest track is the “Golden City Tour Medley,” which starts with a rare gem, “We’ll Tour the Golden City,” followed by “Touring That City” and “I’ll Meet You in the Morning”.  None of these three songs would come to mind as power ballads, but are expertly crafted together in that format here.  (Bonus note: listen for a rare, high B-flat from Mark in the middle of the song)

If the entire project were composed of those big songs, the listener would be completely worn out halfway through.  But five less weighty songs are evenly spaced throughout to break them up, giving the project an excellent pace.  These songs are among my favorite cuts.  The lone new song is one an experienced southern gospel music listener will quickly recognize as a Rodney Griffin tune.  “Way Past Ready” is a hard-driving uptempo number that is a likely radio hit, and pure fun.  Pat Barker is turned loose on a cover of “Everybody’s Gonna Have a Wonderful Time Up There”.  For all of the big orchestrations we’ve covered, this might be Goss’s best work on the album.  Honestly, I’ve never particularly cared for the song, but this arrangement and track is so good, it’s probably my favorite cut on the album anyway.  It is by far the best and most energetic version I’ve heard, and the rousing chorus of “There’ll Be Shouting on the Hills” added fits like a glove.  The last of the fast songs is an old Happy Goodmans number given a straight-ahead country arrangement.  “Meet Me Over on the Other Side” is an absolute delight of good quartet singing.

Two poignant and mellow arrangements round out the project.  “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” featuring Eric Phillips, stays quiet, but showcases one of the most intricate musical and vocal arrangements on the album.  Finally, “Footprints of Jesus,” which is cited as an invitation hymn in one of Mark’s earliest memories, is given a smooth and quiet arrangement befitting that memory, with a very nice chorus of “Where He Leads Me” included.

There are some potential weaknesses with the recording I could quibble with.  Newest member Nick has no vocal solos, which is understandable given the timeframe of the recording; he’ll get his on the next project, I’m sure.  Some fans might think there’s a little too much heavy orchestration, and there is a spot or two where I might have scaled it back some.   And the fact that there is only one new song may be a turn-off for fans who like to see groups record new material.

But this project does what it sets out to do, with resounding success.  Songs of a lifetime are majestically and powerfully performed, as they’ve never been done before.  While the obvious theme of the recording is the sharing of songs from the heart and life of Mark Trammell, I see an overarching theme with the message of the songs, that may or may not be intentional.  Half of the songs look back on the life of a Christian and speak of the ever-present and mighty hand of God guiding every step.  The other half look forward to the day when He calls the Christian home.  In that way, these aren’t just songs of Mark Trammell’s lifetime.  For us Christians, these are songs of our lifetimes.

Album rating: 5 stars

Song list:

  1. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (William Williams/John Hughes)
  2. ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (Louisa Stead/William Kirkpatrick)
  3. Way Past Ready (Rodney Griffin)
  4. Golden City Tour Medley: We’ll Tour the Golden City (Marvin P. Dalton) / Touring That City (Harold Lane) / I’ll Meet You in the Morning (Albert E. Brumley)
  5. Everybody’s Gonna Have a Wonderful Time Up There (Lee Roy Abernathy) / There’ll Be Shouting on the Hills (E.M. Bartlett)
  6. Too Much to Gain to Lose / We Shall Behold Him (Dottie Rambo)
  7. Meet Me Over on the Other Side (Linda Stalls)
  8. Footprints of Jesus (Mary Slade/Asa Everett) / Where He Leads Me (Ernest Blandy/John Norris)
  9. I Sing the Mighty Power of God (Isaac Watts/Ralph Vaughn Williams)
  10. The King Is Coming (Bill Gaither/Gloria Gaither/Charles Milhuff) / I’m Free (Bill Gaither/Gloria Gaither)

Release date: September 11

Currently available at: Mark Trammell Quartet website and concerts everywhere (including NQC)