It’s been a week for lineup changes in Southern Gospel, and yesterday brought the announcement of two additions to groups, and also one group that is searching for a tenor.

1. Brent Mitchell Joins Gold City – The blogs and forums were buzzing earlier this week when it was announced that Josh Cobb was out as Gold City’s tenor, and that the new one would be debuting that night. As it turns out, it is former Mercy’s Mark and N’Harmony tenor, Brent Mitchell:

Gold City has announced that Brent Mitchell has joined the quartet as tenor vocalist, filling the vacancy created by the departure of Josh Cobb.

“No one dislikes change more than I do,” says Gold City’s Daniel Riley. “But that doesn’t change the fact that changes do happen. Often times, people don’t always understand the reason behind the changes—we don’t always understand it ourselves, as change can come quickly for any of a huge number of reasons.

“Josh Cobb is an incredibly talented person and we’ve enjoyed our time with him. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

“Brent will officially start his role with Gold City November 11,” continues Riley. “Many Southern Gospel fans will remember Brent from his tenure with Mercy’s Mark. He possesses a very distinct tenor voice, and we’re very excited to welcome him to our group.”

Brent, his wife, Heather, and their 7-year old daughter, Ivy, live in Moulton, Ala., and he’s excited about joining the legendary quartet. “I grew up listening to this music,” says Brent. “It has always been a dream of mine to be part of a legacy like Gold City. I am excited to have an opportunity once again to sing the best music in the world.” (Singing News)

If there is one thing that Gold City needs to keep their legacy strong, it’s a distinctive, solid tenor with a strong stage presence. Josh Cobb brought those factors to the table, and Brent does as well. I enjoyed hearing him with Mercy’s Mark and N’Harmony, and I think he will do just fine with Gold City.

For those wondering how he’ll sound on a Gold City classic, check this out. I’d also like to see him bring his take of this Cathedrals song with him to GC.

(more…)

In the final change from the “too good to be true” lineup of Gold City, tenor singer Josh Cobb announced on Facebook today that he and Gold City are parting ways:

I got a call from Danny’s friend Jason Maise yesterday informing me that Gold City was going to let me go because of “logistical” reasons. As most of you know, I live in Oklahoma City and my wife has worked in the field of genetic research for the past decade. There is not much of that going on in Gadsden, AL so it was impossible for us to move there.

I’m a little sad. A little relieved. Looking forward to singing my songs again. I love the Riley’s and Bruce and his family. I enjoyed my time with “The City”.

I can’t say much more than what other bloggers have already said: we’ll miss Josh and hope to see him back in SG soon. However, Brandon Coomer says that a replacement is to be named soon. No word yet on how the change affects the release of their upcoming mainline project, Somebody’s Coming (although it was apparently pulled from Providence Distribution’s list not long ago) or those who pre-ordered it already, although I’d imagine it will be released with the new tenor’s vocals.

As was the case last year, I came home from this year’s National Quartet Convention with a lengthy list of projects up for review. Here’s the lineup. This is not necessarily the order in which they will be reviewed; some I may try to review around the holidays or other events like the street release date, as will be the case with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s A Tribute to The Cathedral Quartet and Gold City’s Somebody’s Coming (once the pre-order comes in.)

1. Three Bridges - Refined
2. The Perrys – Blue Skies
3. Triumphant Quartet – Love Came Calling
4. Brian Free & Assurance – Never Walk Alone
5. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound – A Tribute to The Cathedral Quartet
6. The Greenes – Hallelujah
7. Legacy Five – Give The World A Smile
8. Gold City – Somebody’s Coming
9. Tribute Quartet – Hit Replay
10. The LeFevre Quartet - Encore
11. Gold City – A Collection of Favorites, Vol. 1
12. Booth Brothers, Greater Vision, & Legacy Five – Jubilee Two
13. The Inspirations – On The Sunrise Side
14. The Dixie Echoes – Golden Celebration
15. Mark Trammell Quartet – Testimony
16. Crystal River – Start A Revival
17. Greater Vision – Welcome Back
18. Greater Vision – Everything Christmas
19. Statement of Faith – Statement of Faith

Via the Singing News, Gold City has announced that Bryan Elliott is taking the piano bench:

During the week of the National Quartet Convention, Gold City announced that Bryan Elliott has been named as the new pianist for the quartet. Bryan has a long history in Southern Gospel music, with tenures with the Anchormen, the Palmetto State Quartet and most recently, the Perrys.

“Bryan is a fine young man,” says Tracy Stuffle of the Perrys. “We have enjoyed having him as a part of our group and all of us in the Perrys sincerely wish him the absolute best as he joins Gold City. He will always be a member of our family and this group.”

“We’ve known Bryan for many years,” adds Gold City’s Daniel Riley, “so this is more than bringing a pianist on board – we’re adding a long-time friend. Bryan will be with us as we head out for this weekend.”

I had heard about this change near the end of NQC week; glad to see that the rumors did indeed pan out.

Hiring Elliott was a smart move on the part of Gold City; he’s a young guy with the stage presence to fit the group’s current image, but also has a piano style that will fit their sound. The fact that, as Daniel stated, they are adding a “long-time friend” will help the transition go smoothly as well.

After getting in at about 1:00 Wednesday morning, I started my NQC 2010 experience with the Gaither/EHSS showcase, which was well worth making the trip up to Louisville a day early. Some thoughts on the evening concerts:

1. The sound is actually decent this year. Granted, it’s not perfect, by any stretch; some of the showcases and evening performances had some issues, like David Phelps’ rendition of “He’s Alive” hitting a bump with a major sound glitch that almost blasted everybody out of the front door for about two seconds. But at least they’ve finally learned to mix it correctly and TURN THE MICS ON when a singer is holding it up to sing. Let’s hope this is my last mention of the sound this week.

2. Enjoyed the newer faces on mainstage tonight. I don’t believe Liberty Quartet has been on mainstage for an official set before this year (they were on for one song after being voted best artist for the Artist Spotlight showcases a couple years back), and I was impressed with their set. Dailey & Vincent got a great crowd response, and not even just for the fact that they had Christian Davis singing bass; they were darn good in their set.

3. Adding the live band is the best decision the Dove Brothers have made. Their sound as a group seems to be a bit better above the live instrumentation. Also worth noting: David Hester sounded better than I’ve ever heard him.

4. Gold City needs to hire Channing Eleton back. He fit like a glove with them, even on the newer material, and it’s almost like he never left as far as the accompaniment, which especially showed on the piano-only songs. His is a style that stands out on its own without overplaying or playing over the vocalists. That is exactly what a group with this vocal caliber needs.

5. Smart move on Daniel Riley’s part calling “I Stand Redeemed” during Gold City’s set. Nothing will endear a returning singer to the crowd’s heart more than a song that is still being requested ten years later. Bringing out the arrangement that will be featured on Gold City’s upcoming mainline release was a great decision twofold: it promotes their soon-to-be-released material, and it gives Cobb a chance to display how much he has improved as a vocalist over the years. Was the performance perfect? No. But that arrangement was killer, and Cobb showed why that will always be his signature song.

6. Was it just me, or did the higher end of the piano sound really off? It either needs to be tuned or a mic needs to be adjusted, but the sound was just weird, and almost ear-splitting at points on the higher notes. Having it sound that way for multiple pianists tells me the problem is in the instrument, not the players.

From the press release put out by the group:

When 2010 began, Gold City introduced a new line-up of familiar faces with the addition of tenor Josh Cobb and pianist Roy Webb. As mentioned in the earliest days of this re-organization of the quartet, Roy was  on board in a temporary role to help develop Gold City’s future plans. During this time, Roy maintained a schedule of selected solo dates, with the intentions of one day returning to a full-time solo career.

That day has arrived, and Gold City is searching a for a new pianist. Anyone interested in being a part of a 30-year ministry is encouraged to send a resume and demo to Gold City, Attn: Jason R. Maise, P.O. Box 2100, Gadsden, AL 35903 or via email at jasonrmaise@yahoo.com.

“It has been a pleasure to be involved with Gold City,” says Roy. “I wish them much success and I believe that this group is truly one of Southern Gospel music’s all-time great quartets.

“However my heart is in my solo efforts and that’s where I feel I need to be. So it is time to make the move.” Roy’s scheduling will be handled through The Beckie Simmons Agency.

“We wish for nothing but the best for Roy,” adds Gold City’s Daniel Riley. “Roy’s contributions to this group have been numerous and they are greatly appreciated.

“In the meantime, we look forward to the next person God will put in our path. We’re excited about what may lie ahead for us.” Personal appearances for Gold City are also scheduled through The Beckie Simmons Agency (www.bsaworld.com).

It seems the “Singing News cover curse” strikes again. For those who don’t know what I’m referencing, it’s a running joke that, like the “Sports Illustrated cover curse” in which the player featured on the cover usually suffers a serious injury afterwards, any group featured on the SN cover is usually due for a lineup change. Gold City was on the August 2010 edition.

Roy built quite a following with Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, and even more so with Gold City. While he will be missed, his contributions towards Gold City’s image and sound will leave a lasting mark, and his fan base is big enough that his solo ministry should do well.

The obvious question on everyone’s mind now is this: who will the new player be? I have a feeling it may be an “unknown,” but it is certain that whoever is picked will be an asset to what the group is doing now. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but I would love to see Garry Jones on the piano bench with the group again. His arranging and producing with the current vocal lineup is a match made in Heaven.

Thursday evening 3 members of the Virginia Gospel Music Association had the privilege of seeing the new lineup of Gold City in concert in Wirtz, VA at Halesford Baptist Church. In attendance was Aaron Swain, Andrew Graham, and myself Jeremy Bell. (Ruth V gets a shout out since she was there early enough to save seats.) Aaron will be posting a review later on and I will be posting pictures to facebook. Just as a teaser, here are some clips that Andrew shot for your enjoyment. My favorite was probably One Scarred Hand Acappella.

Rainbow of Love

One Scarred Hand – Acappella

(more…)

Ernie Haase says on his blog that the group did have a live band with them at a recent concert date. I’ll have to check Youtube later to see whether anyone got video footage.

I’d imagine it’d be a similar setup to what they have at their Homecoming dates; split tracks, with instruments like bass guitar and drums being live, as well as piano, of course. Although, I wonder if they throw guitar into the mix like Gold City does on dates when they have the band.

No word on whether the band will become permanent addition to the EHSS concert experience yet. I’d imagine, if not that option, that they’d take Gold City’s route and charge an additional fee for the band. I’m sure the crowd response to the band would encourage the latter at the very least.

A post this morning by user jchaz on the SN forums said that a friend of his was going to play drums for Gold City’s live band, meaning that they were bringing it back. Fellow blogger Brandon Coomer at Coomer Cove is now saying that Gold City has confirmed this news.

This is very exciting; it will be awesome to see Gold City with a band again! I share the sentiments of others that have said they would like to see Adam Borden return on bass guitar.

Update: I just got the news from a friend that talked to GC that the band will only be used at special events and if the promoter pays the extra money.