Last week, I won a ticket to a Booth Brothers concert in a giveaway on SouthernGospelBlog.com. Big deal, you might say. Here’s the catch: the concert was not in a church, a concert hall, or even outdoors. No, the concert was held in the living/dining room area of a recording studio (I believe it was Homeland), and the audience consisted of myself and many others across the United States, and even in foreign countries, if I remember correctly. This wonder was accomplished with a relatively new technology that has found its way to our genre of music. Thanks to the American Society of Gospel Music (ASGM), that concert was one of the first to be held in a new venue: online.

To be clear, musical events being broadcast online is surely not a new event. National Quartet Convention has had a live stream on the web for several years, and the Singing News Fan Awards are also available to watch online, as well as other events throughout the year.  What separates these events from what the Booth Brothers did last night is the fact that these events have a live audience and just happen to be available for online viewing. The Booth Brothers sang to zero live audience; the concertgoers were all watching from computers. The dynamic of audience participation was absent, and there was no applause. In a live concert setting, they also don’t have to deal with the concert completely going out (at least, I’d hope not!). I was impressed with the class with which the Booth Brothers handled all the technical difficulties, giving the full music and Q&A section as promised.

The question here is whether or not this will become a more regular thing. This concept of using technology usually reserved for “webinars” to hold an online concert is certainly an interesting one, and the ASGM, by all indications, is planning on conducting more. Before the BB concert, there was a full schedule being displayed of other groups doing online concerts in the coming months.

I would say that this will catch on, but only if they can work to bring the technical issues down to a minimum (which is certainly not their fault; technology can be fickle). There are enough SG fans with an Internet connection these days that the idea of paying for a ticket to watch your favorite group do a concert for you online would be appealing, especially if they don’t come to your area very much. However, if half the concert experience is spent waiting for the thing to come back online, the advent of concerts on the Internet will go on a fast decline.

The bloggers featured in this review are Daniel Mount, Wes Burke, Brandon Coomer, Nate Stainbrook, Phil Boles, and myself. The project released today (June 1, 2010) and was produced by Lari Goss.
We hope you enjoy reading this review as much as we enjoyed writing it!

Song 1: A Higher Throne

Daniel: A few hours before this CD arrived in my mailbox, I was pondering Lari Goss’s iconic introduction to the Cathedrals classic “Champion of Love.” It’s an instantly recognizable riff—and not just because it is the melody of a line whose lyrics we remember. It’s inherently unforgettable on its own merits. I was pondering whether Goss would ever offer another intro of that caliber.

Now Declaration isn’t even in bookstores yet as I write this, so it’s far too early to declare this intro iconic. But incipiently iconic or not, the introduction instantly grabs your attention. A soaring trumpet crescendo is answered by swelling strings and woodwinds. The trumpet sounds again, and the orchestra answers. The band kicks in, and trumpet, orchestra, and band set a fittingly majestic backdrop for a lyric depicting Heaven’s throne room.

Though Declaration is so full of strong songs that there will be stiff competition for radio slots, this song should unmistakably go to radio. Though it’s 5 minutes 25 seconds long, a tempo on the fast side of midtempo makes it seem to go by faster.

Wes: What a great choice to open the disc.  I love the anthemic feel of this song, and right away this cut shows that the partnership between Lari Goss and the Booth Brothers is going to exceed every possibility you’ve imagined since it was made known.

Nate: Agree totally with you guys about this song. I can’t help but get excited when I hear this song. I love it from the opening to the ending. It ends with a breathtaking, sweeping, epic ending.  You mentioned the beginning being a great opening stanza, but the song also ends on a great note. Great song that Lari Goss struck gold on again. And I can’t wait to see this song get staged live.

Daniel: I knew the song was good on its own merits. But not until several weeks later, when I came across the original, by Keith & Kristyn Getty, did I fully appreciate what Goss had done with the song. I should say that I rediscovered the original, to be precise, since I had already heard it. But the arrangements are so different that I hadn’t connected the two until searching for the songwriter.

Goss deserves to be named in the same breath as Beethoven, Bach and Mozart. It would take a talent of that level to take the original and give it this level of treatment.

Song 2: God Did it All
Daniel: This Ronnie Booth feature starts simply enough. A lush orchestral track featuring the woodwind section accompanies a beautiful, lilting melody about Creation. By the chorus, the song becomes a powerful statement of God’s sovereignty. The song builds into a huge ending that should equally captivate live audiences and radio DJs (though Daywind should cut the encore before singling it, as 6:10 is too long for a single.)

The melody for this Rusty Golden / Dianne Wilkinson collaboration has a fascinating provenance: Wilkinson wrote the lyric and composed a melody for the chorus. She brought up the song during a collaboration session with Golden, who proceeded to come up with a melody for the verses—without having heard her chorus melody. Then she showed him what she had for the chorus—and they realized it was a perfect fit.

Nate: This song is very well written and very well performed. I love Ronnie Booth’s voice. This song makes you take notice of just how good of a singer he really is. I love the message to this song. It should challenge you to get ready, and to tell others that “God Did It All.”

Wes: This is the first big ballad you hear from Goss and the Booths, and it doesn’t disappoint.  Ronnie Booth turns in a tremendous performance.  This should be a single, the length not withstanding.  Actually, the Kingdom Heirs singled “He Had To Hold To Calvary” back in the mid 90s, and it was 6:01.

Daniel: It wouldn’t be more than a minute of work to cut out the encore. They’d be wise to single it without the encore (even if they leave the alternate version on the radio compilation disc  for any DJs who want it).

Song 3: I See Grace
Nate: This song written by Jim Brady along with Barry Weeks and Tony Wood, is a song that the Booth Brothers have been staging for several months now. It is one of my favorites on this project. It starts with a epic sounding intro, that settles into to a great medium to fast tempo song, that is very well orchestrated. Jim Brady gets the lead on this song.He never ceases to amaze me with his vocal versatility and range, and he really shows it here. He has Michael Booth stacked above him for part of the first verse, making for some nice harmony. I love the end of the second verse that says “Those who have come through unbearable loss not defined by the past but defined by the Cross.” That is a great line that really defines this song and makes it a potential radio hit. I have been told that this song has been going over particularly well in concerts, and I can see why.

(more…)

It has been quite a while since one of these has been done, but there is a new project being released that has turned the heads of several bloggers at the same time; so much, in fact, that we felt like a mega-review would be prudent, since the majority of us would have reviewed it at some point anyway. So I, along with bloggers Daniel Mount, Wes Burke, Brandon Coomer, Nate Stainbrook, and Phil Boles, have collaborated on reviewing the new Booth Brothers project, Declaration. It is worth noting that we were able to wrap up the review to have it posted on the same day of the project’s release date (by pure coincidence!)

Fans of both the Booth Brothers and Lari Goss will find plenty to love on this project, so look for the review posted on this and the other blogs on Tuesday.

Rating: 4 stars

Producer: Gerald Wolfe
Websites: Booth Brothers, Greater Vision, Legacy Five

Buy This Project

Jubilee is an interesting undertaking, in that it takes three of the most popular groups out there today and brings them together all in one recording. In a situation like this, there’s only two possible outcomes; the sounds of each singer can click and sound very good together, or there could be a clash and the whole thing ends up sounding terrible.

Thankfully, the sounds have a great blend. The opening and closing songs of this project put a spotlight on the very full sound that the groups have together, sounding almost like a men’s choir (hat tip, Nate) The rest of the project features a mix and match of different vocal configurations. Perhaps the most notable one is the eighth track, “Jesus My Wonderful Lord.” The first chorus features the Booth Brothers themselves, but then Legacy Five’s bass singer, Glenn Dustin, gets a solo verse and joins the group for the rest of the song. The blend is incredible, and while the Booth Brothers are one of the best trios out there, their quartet sound is just as good.

Each individual group gets a song featuring only them here as well. The Booth Brothers do a smooth arrangement of “In The Sweet By And By,” Greater Vision’s “He Pilots My Ship” features the powerful vocals of Gerald Wolfe, and Legacy Five’s “Someone Who Cares” doesn’t really catch on till a couple of spins.

Bottom line: The lineup of Jubilee could be this generation’s KingsGold. It is a very strong project that has me hoping to hear more of stuff like this.

Sorry for taking so long to put this up. Time constraints had me tied down.

NQC 2009 has come to a close after a great week. In a way, it’s sad, because I’m not ready for it to be over yet, but in another way, it’s a relief because I’m worn out and I’m tired of staying up till 2 AM doing these reports!

1. Brian Free & Assurance recovered nicely from their technical difficulties. Their track wouldn’t start so they ended up doing the a capella tune from their Worth It project, “There Is A Kingdom Coming.” It sounded really good; everybody who thought it was too sonically enhanced on the CD should know that it sounded just as good live and off the cuff. They had to decide to do it at the last minute; I know for a fact it was not on the set list for the night.

2. Booth Brothers won a majority of the Fan Awards they were nominated for again. They got the ball rolling a couple years ago and haven’t let up since. Triumphant Quartet had a good year in the awards as well, winning such awards as Eric Bennett for favorite bass (he’s deserved that for years), Jeff Stice for Favorite Musician, and favorite quartet going to Triumphant. Here’s a complete list of winners:

-Musician. Jeff Stice
-Horizon Individual. Jacob Kitson
-Baritone. Jim Brady
-Bass. Eric Bennet
-Young Artist. Joseph Hadabank
-Lead singer. Ronnie Booth
-Soprano. Kim Hopper
-Tenor. Michael Booth
-Alto. Libbi Stuffle
-Norcross/Templeton Award. Jerry Kirksey
-Promoter. Twila Rhoer?
-Male Singer. Ronnie Booth
-Horizon Group. Crist Family
-Song Writer. Rodney Griffin
-Mixed Quartet. Hoppers
-Album. Room For More-Booth Brothers
-Trio. Booth Brothers
Quartet. Triumphant Quartet
-Song of the year. What Salvations Done For Me-Booth Brothers
-Artist of the year. Booth Brothers

3. Speaking of the awards, the show went FAR too long this year. Everything just seemed to drag. I don’t mind the winners talking, but the comedy and stuff like that was just claptrap. I heard one lady in my section say “I coulda done all that in 45 minutes.” I overheard other such comments both in Freedom Hall and in the exhibit area. Make the awards show interesting, but don’t overdo it. Nobody likes that.

Sound issues abounded again, but once again, I can’t say anything different than what I said every other night. The NQC would do well to a get new sound crew for next year. And I heard several people complain about the bass guitar on the tracks sounding like certain people that roll into parking lots with their bass thumping in their cars. It’s annoying.

For those wondering how it would sound when Steve fills in for Michael Booth (he’s taking some vocal rest vacation), here is a clip that DinanaSN got of Steve singing “Look For Me At Jesus’ Feet” with the group.

From sogospelnews.com:

Nashville, TN (October 4, 2007) – Gospel music’s Favorite Group of the Year, the Booth Brothers, are in Nashville, TN, and in the studios recording their first project with Daywind Records. The untitled release is slated for March 2008.

The record is being produced by producer and songwriter, Barry Weeks. Weeks was also the producer for the Booth Brothers’ hit record, The Blind Man Saw It All, as well as the new Brian Free and Assurance release, Real Faith.

The Booth Brothers, one of the most accomplished groups in Gospel music, signed an exclusive recording agreement with Daywind Records early this summer. The Booth Brothers consists of Ronnie Booth, Michael Booth, and Jim Brady. They are known for their high energy and humorous, yet touching concerts.

Receiving a standing ovation from artists and fans alike, the Booth Brothers, recently received the most prestigious award at the Singing News Fan Awards in Louisville, KY during the National Quartet Convention, the award for Group of the Year. The Booth Brothers were the first trio to ever win this award.

Daywind Records is based in Hendersonville, TN, and is distributed worldwide through New Day Christian Distribution, Word and WEA. In addition to the Booth Brothers, Daywind is home to great artists such as Legacy Five, Greater Vision, Brian Free and Assurance, and others.

For more information on the Booth Brothers, visit http://www.boothbrothers.com or log on to http://www.daywindrecords.com

I must say I’m excited! The team of the Booth Brothers and Barry Weeks has never been a bad match-up before, and I can’t wait for this music to reach my ears.

As of May 24, 2007, they’re in the ranks of Legacy Five, Greater Vision, and Brian Free & Assurance. I think it’s a good move for the group and a good addition to the Daywind family, but I can’t help but think that Daywind is going in the direction of Progressive SG lately, what with signing Austin’s Bridge (Rascal Flatts for Christians, according to people like the guy at Averyfineline) and now this. Just that description is a giveaway that that is a Progressive group, and the latest Booth Brothers prject, though with another record company, was also Progressive. Now that they’re with Daywind, will the Booth Bros. return to the Traditional style? We can only wait for late 2007 to roll around, for that’s when the new project is expected.

Booth Brothers

Daywind Records

Well, as promised, here’s the list of who won what at the SGN Awards:

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Mountain Mover” – Talley Trio (written by Jim Brady, Barry Weeks and Tony Wood)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:Rise Above – Talley Trio (produced by Roger Talley)PACESETTER:Gold City
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR:LeFevre Quartet
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:Mike Bowling (Mike & Kelly Bowling)
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:TaRanda Greene (Greenes)
MALE GROUP OF THE YEAR:Booth Brothers
FEMALE GROUP OF THE YEAR:The McRaes
MIXED GROUP OF THE YEAR:Talley Trio
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (Artist):Daryl K. Williams (Daryl Williams Trio)
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR (Professional):Chris Binion
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (Artist):Roger Talley (Talley Trio)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (Professional):Nick Bruno
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR:Justin Ellis (Crabb Family)
BEST LIVE PERFORMER: Booth Brothers
TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN SONG OF THE YEAR:“Truth Is Marching On” – Gold City (written by Jim Brady, Barry Weeks and Tony Wood)
TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN ALBUM OF THE YEAR:Revival – Gold City (produced by Michael English, Ken Harding, David Lehman, Daniel Riley, and Michael Sykes)
PROGRESSIVE SOUTHERN SONG OF THE YEAR:“Sky Full of Angels” – TaRanda Greene (written by Burton Collins, Clay Mills, and Lisa Stewart)
PROGRESSIVE SOUTHERN ALBUM OF THE YEAR:Rise Above – Talley Trio (produced by Roger Talley)
COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS SONG OF THE YEAR:“Over & Over” – Jeff & Sheri Easter (written by Belinda Smith and Sue C. Smith)
COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS ALBUM OF THE YEAR:Graceland – Mike Bowling Group (produced by Mike Bowling)
SPECIAL EVENT PROJECT OF THE YEAR:The Best of Anthony Burger – Anthony Burger (produced by Bill Gaither)
RADIO PROMOTER OF THE YEAR:Rhonda Thompson (Rhonda Thompson Promotions){FAN FAVORITE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Kirk Talley

Well, I can’t say I’m too happy with some of the awards. Such as the SONG OF THE YEAR.
Mountain Mover by The Talley Trio? Oh, come on! It’s a good song and all, but there were plenty of better songs on the ballot this year. And as I said in a previous post, Gold City’s Revival album sounded more progressive than traditional. But ah well, can’t change what happened. Now I want to see how the Diamond Awards and Singing News Fan Awards will turn out in a couple of months.