2013 brings a Southern Gospel news item right as the year kicks off! Promise has been “promising” (pun intended) big news on New Year’s Day. That came to fruition early this morning with the announcement of a new member for the trio. Here’s the press release regarding this hire:

Promise is thrilled to announce the addition of Matt Baker to their ministry. Matt is from Lenoir, North Carolina, has a lovely wife, and a beautiful baby girl. They are also expecting their second child next summer. Matt will be filling the baritone position, as well as bringing his piano playing skills into the mix.

“When Matt first stepped on stage with us, something clicked” says David Mann. “His pleasing voice and great personality make him a joy to have with us. And we found out that he’s not a bad piano player either!”

TJ Evans states, “We’re gaining both a great singer and a good friend in Matt. We’ve gotten to know him well over the last few months. He’ll bring a lot to our concert experience, and we’re very excited to see what the future holds.”

And… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

You can visit Promise online at www.promisetrio.com, or they can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

You’ll notice that the release mentions that Baker is the group’s new baritone. This effectively gives the group a new dynamic, as former lead singer TJ Evans is bumped up to the tenor position, and baritone David Mann steps in at lead. Such a shift will undoubtedly bring some changes to the group’s sound, while still building upon the foundation that was already in place.

I’m glad that Promise will be capitalizing on Baker’s talent at the piano, as that will give a fresh aspect to their concerts. While there have been no video clips of this configuration of the group yet, I did come across one of Matt a couple of years ago, showcasing both his singing and piano playing: