Rating: 5 stars

Producer: Wayne Haun
Label: Stow Town Records
Website: www.beyondtheashesonline.com

Song titles: So Amazing To Me; Living In The Moment; Oh, The Thought That Jesus Loves Me; No Sin Greater Than God’s Grace; Peace In The Midst Of The Storm; Walking With My Eyes On Jesus; I Can’t Do This By Myself; Where The Gold Begins; When Love Whispers Your Name; Your Love Comes Shining Through; Over For Good

Download Project Here

Beyond The Ashes is a trio that has been on an upward climb in Southern Gospel music for the past couple of years. Started by Anthony Facello, former tenor of groups such as the Heaven Bound, The Down East Boys, The Journeymen, and Mercy’s Mark, the group has steadily built a fan base since around 2007. The group started under the name Anthony Facello & Crossroad before changing their name to Beyond The Ashes in 2008. With their release on Vine Records, Treasures Unseen, the trio began to make a name for themselves with successful radio singles such as “Whenever We Pray.” After signing with Ernie Haase & Wayne Haun’s Stow Town Records, they released an independent project made of covers entitled Loving What’s Begun, which was also the first project to feature the current lineup of tenor Facello, lead Dustin Doyle, and baritone Kellan Monroe. This lineup gets their first real chance to show themselves with this release.

As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I appreciate a group that has a distinctive sound. Facello’s is a tenor voice that is instantly recognizable, but Beyond The Ashes is comprised of voices that set them apart even from the other groups he has been a part of. Each voice has a similar soulful quality that meshes well with the others. This is used to good effect on close harmony songs like “So Amazing To Me” and “Oh, The Thought That Jesus Loves Me.” You may have guessed that the latter is a cover of a Collingsworth Family song, and BTA’s version holds its own in a way that doesn’t make it feel like a cover. Facello himself gets a standout track on the project with a song from his own pen, “No Sin Greater Than God’s Grace.”

Speaking of distinctive voices, this album is a highlight reel for new lead singer Dustin Doyle. Doyle gets the lion’s share of features here, and his singing style lends itself well to the “traditional Gospel with a twist” feel of “Peace In The Midst Of The Storm,” as well as the Jason Mraz pop tune “Living In The Moment.”

In reviewing this album, I discovered that Beyond The Ashes may have established a knack for picking catchy songs; I’ve had a harder time getting most of these songs out of my head than possibly any other project I’ve reviewed. Songs like the bouncy “Your Love Comes Shining Through” and the aforementioned “No Sin Greater Than God’s Grace” or the title track have a way of embedding themselves in your head, and you’ll more than likely find yourself humming them from time to time. For any Christian music, this can be a good thing; the message in these songs is important, and they’ll be grasped more if the listener catches on to the music well. If Beyond The Ashes can continue picking songs of that nature, it certainly won’t hurt.

Treasures Unseen may have put the foot in the door for Beyond The Ashes, but Living In The Moment has the all-around quality that can potentially solidify their place on the Southern Gospel map, and that’s why it receives 5 stars.

Rating: 4 stars

Producer: Mark Dowdy
Label: Independent Release
Website: www.soundsofjericho.com

Song titles: Deeper Journey; If The Lord Wasn’t Walkin’ By My Side; Living Testimony; Resting Place; Wayfaring Stranger; Spread It Around; Jesus Never Changes; Standing In The Storm; I’d Rather Have Jesus; Leave The Light On; Ten Thousand Angels; Operator

Every so often, I’ll have a project come across my desk that is the debut for a brand new quartet to hit the Southern Gospel scene. Such is the case with this CD from Sounds of Jericho, a quartet out of Flowery Branch, GA that contains a couple faces we’ve seen before. The group was formed by tenor Stephen Sigmon and bass Stacy Bragg, who were both charter members of the LeFevre Quartet. These two are joined in this new endeavor by lead Matt Tyler and baritone Ken Thomas. Since the release of this project, producer Mark Dowdy has joined as pianist.

Obviously, the challenge given to any new group is to establish themselves as a unique presence in the SG music world. A look at the history of this genre will tell you that the groups with a sound that sets itself apart have had a lot more staying power than a group that sounds like a carbon copy of what’s already there. Given that two of the group’s members were part of a well-known group already, I expected there to be a similarity to the sound of that era of the quartet. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was only a passing comparison.

With a project made of mostly original songs, Sounds of Jericho does a good job of establishing their own identity. Some of the arrangements are pretty ambitious for a new group, but it was a risk that worked. Among the “cover songs,” I enjoyed the brassy treatment of the Henry Slaughter classic “If The Lord Wasn’t Walking By My Side” and the Country-Western tinged treatment of “Wayfaring Stranger.” The latter is probably the best classic cover on the project; it’s certainly unique from any other version I’ve heard.

The original songs make up the majority of the project, and do a good job of highlighting the sound of the group. The anthem “Living Testimony,” from which the project title is derived, would make a good choice for a radio single. “Deeper Journey” is a good harmony song. A couple of songs, such as “Spread It Around” and “Jesus Never Changes” are strong save for “plugged in” bridges made of hymns; they seem unnecessarily thrown into the songs, but this is a minor quibble.

One particularly surprising choice that a new group doesn’t usually make is throwing in an a Capella track. “Resting Place” starts off sounding like it could be a lead-in to a country or bluegrass track, but turns out to be completely instrument-free. This is a bold move, especially with some of the places the arrangement goes, but the quartet has a sound that blends well. It’s refreshing to see a new group click like this right off the bat.

I appreciate the fact that no singer strays out of their range anywhere on the album. In the early LeFevre Quartet days, Sigmon and Bragg both had moments where they seemed to be out of their comfort zone. That improved even during their time with the group, and has carried over to now. This debut project by Sounds of Jericho makes me wish that they traveled more outside of their home state, and hopefully, this project will start something in that direction. The Story of His Grace  receives 4 stars.

If you’ve followed the Dove Brothers since they added the live band, you know that Jonathan Price was hired from the Dixie Melody Boys to join the group on tenor after Jerry Martin’s departure. After coming off the road for a little over a year, Jonathan Price made his return to the group. There have been videos floating around from his “second debut,” but that same Youtube user, DLPollard65, has posted more recent videos that show that the lineup has really settled:

It’s no secret that the Dove Brothers were adopting a country flavor before the live band was formed, but having the band has also allowed the group to branch out in other ways. Never in a million years would I have expected McCray Dove to cover “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” but here it is, and it’s good. According to several comments that have been posted on various sites, this was one of the moments of the concerts.

While the tenor singer in the interim, Keith Casstevens, is certainly a capable singer in his own right, his tenure took the overall sound of the group in a direction that seemed to stray too much from the group’s traditional quartet roots for many people’s liking. Price’s return has given the group the chance to more easily perform that style of Southern Gospel music again. This cover of an old Kingsmen song is solid evidence that the group can still “dance with the girl that brung them,” as the saying goes.

This compilation of four songs from the concert is a testament to the versatility that the Doves have achieved by adding the band. Here, we get a rendition of the group’s first #1 song, “I Can Pray,” a takeoff of the Oak Ridge Boys arrangement of “Just A Little Talk With Jesus,” the classic hymn “Amazing Grace,” and a cover of Rascal Flatts’ “I Won’t Let Go.”

In the SG blogging world, whether we are the ones blogging, commenting, or just sitting back and watching the back-and-forth discussions, it is sometimes lamented that the “excitement” in Southern Gospel music is gone, and that the raw energy, adaptability, and authentic vocals of live instrumentation and singers has given way to tracks and stacks. While I’m not going to down tracks (I personally see nothing wrong with them as long as the vocals are the actual live performance and not a lip-sync), I will pick a live band (or even just piano) any day if given the option, hands-down. The energy and excitement was tangible when I watched these Youtube videos for the first time, and I can honestly say that the Dove Brothers Band is one of the few groups I have been excited about in quite a while. No tracks, no stacks, just solid Gospel singing. That’s something we can all get behind.

So far, 2013 has been a year of changes in Southern Gospel music, and the trend continued this evening when Dan Keeton posted this to his Facebook page:

An open letter to the friends and fans of the Gold City Quartet,

In march of 2011, I was afforded a dream come true, to sing tenor with Gold City. Most of you know my testimony of child abuse, the divorce of my parents and my daddy’s alcoholism. I have recently been given an opportunity to do something I have wanted to do for quite some time. I have wanted to start a non profit organization using music and the arts to inspire child victims of abuse. That opportunity has presented itself and I am so excited, but also heavy hearted. Opening this door means I will have to leave Gold City. I can honestly say, I love the Rileys so much. Tim and Danny are like family to me. Chuck, Bryan and Jerry are so easy going and fun to be around that I will dearly miss being on the bus with such fine Christian gentlemen. I will always be greatful for my time here.

As friends and fans of Gold City, please know, I love you all. I have never felt so much love as I have from you. Please pray that Gold City finds the best replacement and the transition is as smooth as possible.

Sincerely,
Dan Keeton

Daniel Riley later added:

“We support Dan 100 percent in this new chapter of his life. We believe God has given him this opportunity to go into this new ministry. Dan has personally dealt with child abuse, and we believe his passion is for helping others in this area. He has our blessing and prayers as he leaves to encourage and enrich the lives of others in this special calling. Dan has agreed to stay on with Gold City and continue his role as our tenor until a replacement can be found.”

For those interested in applying for the tenor position with Gold City, demos and resumes will be accepted via email form to tenorauditions@me.com.

While this news is a surprise, I can respect the reasoning behind it. It is certainly not a common reason given for departure, and I wish Dan the best of luck!

The tenor position for Gold City is a demanding role that requires an ability to consistently sing a part that often is pitched higher than many other groups. It will be interesting to see who the group gets, as it is a tough part to fill.

In tribute to Dan’s time with the group, here is one of my favorite clips of Gold City during his tenure:

Rating: 3.5 stars

Producer: Corey Pearson
Label: Song Garden Music Group
Website: www.diplomatsqt.com

Song titles: Grand Homecoming; Joy In The Storm; Buried My Sins In The Past; God Shall Wipe Away All Tears; If Not for the Blood of the Cross; The Other Side; Travelers Protected By Grace; He Still Takes Time For Me; We’re Gonna Rise; Sheltered in the Arms of God; I’ll Soon Be Gone

The Diplomats Quartet is a family group based out of Georgia that has been around in Southern Gospel music for years. The group made main stage at NQC a couple of years back, which was my first real introduction to them. I had been unfamiliar with their music before receiving this project, so I came to this review with no reference to their sound before they signed with Song Garden Music Group last year. This CD marks their debut with that label.

The Diplomats excel at the upbeat, country flavored style of Southern Gospel music. Tracks like “Joy In The Storm,” “The Other Side,” and “We’re Gonna Rise” attest to this fact, as the group’s collective harmony seems suited to such a style, which does not require quite as much polish as others do. This mixed quartet is one of those “let it fly” groups; what you hear is what you get, and while the blend may not be as “tight” as other groups, it works well as an ensemble.

A couple of the less up-tempo songs stand out as well. “Buried My Sins In The Past” is a straight forward SG tune featuring lead singer Corey Pearson, which shows off a bit of his range, and, once again, fits the group vocals well. Speaking of Corey, he delivers the best song on this album: “If Not For The Blood of the Cross.” A powerful ballad about Jesus’ sacrifice, the performance and lyrical content made me sit up and take notice. The Diplomats would do well to send this song to radio.

This project has its fair share of cover songs. The Florida Boys recorded “He Still Takes Time For Me” on their I’m Forgiven project in 2000, and while it was written by group leader Jim Pearson and arranged by Corey Pearson, the performance does not quite stack up to that of the Boys. Two Gospel classics are also covered with “God Shall Wipe Away All Tears” and “Sheltered in the Arms of God,” and while the latter does feature guest vocals by Darrin Vincent of Dailey & Vincent, neither track really sets itself apart from other renditions of each song. That is not to say they are bad recordings; I just like to hear a classic be done with a “spark” that at least differentiates that recording from any other.

The Diplomats have put together a solid collection of songs for their Song Garden debut that defines the sound they possess quite well. While not an all-around perfect recording, it is a solid effort, and I’m looking forward to see where the next step of this quartet takes them. Joy in the Storm receives 3.5 stars.

David Bruce Murray picked up on this story first. I was going to offer my thoughts in the comments section, but figured I’d better just stick it on my own blog in case it ended up becoming a lengthy rant.

First, here’s the basics: The National Quartet Convention 2012 will be filmed by Trinity Broadcasting Network, which will use the footage to create original programming to be aired in 2012-2013.

I’ll be honest: my gut reaction when reading the story was, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Before this goes any further, I just want to give full disclosure and say that I do watch TBN, but only when a Southern Gospel artist is featured, such as on an episode of Praise The Lord. Any other time, count me out.

I won’t deny that TBN is probably the largest Christian television network out there. Like them or not, they do reach quite a massive audience. My thoughts toward this partnership are complicated, partly because I can see the opportunity in distributing NQC to that amount of people, but I have reservations towards the reputation that TBN possesses.

One only needs to take a quick Google search on TBN to find that they have had quite a bit of controversy over the years, but I won’t get into specifics. I will only point out one criticism of the network that should be enough to have encouraged the NQC to distance themselves from them. TBN has an unofficial representation of being the “prosperity gospel” channel. With a heavy emphasis on programs featuring people such as Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, and Benny Hinn, among others, it’s no wonder that I’ve had discussions with both Christians and non-Christians that blow TBN off as nothing but a “religious hack channel.” That’s a direct quote from a friend who identifies themselves as Christian. Just think of what my non-religious friends have said.

Why is this move bad for NQC? Is it the quality of the programming? That might be an issue, but most likely not. The problem here is, whether intentionally or not, this may make it seem as if the NQC endorses what TBN is selling with the programs they show. Do we really want the biggest Southern Gospel event of the year to be associated with a network that has the reputation of promoting suspect theological beliefs? Why not go with a network like Daystar (arguably just as big, and not nearly as controversial), or INSP (same as Daystar)? If I’m not mistaken, the INSP relationship has happened before, but since they have phased into primarily what appears to be a cleaner TV Land, I can see why they would be passed over. I’m not going to claim to know what goes into the contracts and such for these types of things, but I would hope a strong effort would be made to get a deal with either of those before going with the current agreement.

While  being shown on TBN may boost the NQC’s television audience and presence, will it affect the event/organization’s reputation? I welcome your thoughts.

1. Promise Trio has been looking for a full-time tenor since their original tenor, James Bell, left to join the Army late last year. A couple of weeks ago, I posted some videos of a concert they did with fill-in tenor Daniel Rivera, and the feedback was largely positive as to the sound. To quell any rumors, however, Rivera says he will not be joining the group:

I just wanna thank everyone for being so supportive of me and the people who have helped me get where I am with singing and everything. As of right now, I am coming off the road from full-time traveling and singing. God has been so good to me! Even though I am young, I have had a lot of trials in my life, especially with my health. I am thankful that God has given me the gift to sing and share His word and the gospel! But as of right now, I have to put traveling aside and focus on getting my health back together. I will be continuing my ministries at my church in South Holland, IL.

Again, I thank God and everyone for everything! I say all this because I had posted a status like this after I had left my last group, but I continued my ministries and helped another full-time group with filling in a vacant spot for them, hence the reason why I post again. I know God’s plan is always perfect and I believe coming off the road from singing is part of His plan. I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know it’s something good! I love u all and thanks for being so supportive! My new solo album will be coming out soon! Basically will tell my life story. Hope ya’ll will like it!

According to a post on Promise’s Facebook page, an announcement is forthcoming about a new full-time tenor singer.

2. Diana Brantley has posted some videos of a concert from Palmetto State from a couple of weeks ago. Mike Allen and Larry Strickland were absent, but former group baritone Rick Fair filled in on bass. Here’s a video of “All Hail The Power” that gives a good taste of the vocalists’ sound, as well as that of the group’s piano player Casey Martin. It’s interesting how the group has rearranged the song; it was originally a song that gave baritone David Darst all the solos. Currently, it is divided among Jeremy Easley, Paul Lancaster, and David Staton. This kind of thing makes me interested in future arrangements of Palmetto State’s material:

3. Also in the interesting video category, here’s a “behind the scenes” clip of Driven Quartet in the studio listening to a cut from their upcoming project. It may sound familiar to some viewers; that’s because it’s a revival of a track that is found on the 1984 album The Prestigious Cathedral Quartet, which was tenor Danny Funderburk’s second release with that group. It is only fitting that his son, Jason, be the leader of the group that brings it back. Also, it looks like Wesley Smith is Driven’s official tenor, though I have seen no press release yet. Here is the final choruses of  ”I Would Not Be Surprised:”

On a side note, that must have been a LONG day in the studio!

Bonus video: The big news in Southern Gospel this week was the major change in the Dixie Echoes. Though departing member Michael Helwig sang tenor for the quartet, he has sung lead or baritone in several other places, including the Stamps Quartet. However, I came across this clip a while back that features Michael on the tenor part for the Stamps, albeit in what appears to be a fill-in situation. Here’s their rendition of “Rainbow of Love:”

Rating: 3 stars

Producer: Bill Traylor
Label: Manor House Music
Website: http://www.mjdubbeld.com

Song titles: On With The Praise; Discover The Wonder; O Lord I Need You; I Didn’t Buy It; God Says There’s Plenty; Through The Eyes of Faith; Forever And For Always; Inside The Gate; Answer In, “I Am”; Here A Little There A Little; Sound of Freedom

The Mark Dubbeld Family is a relatively new group that was formed a couple years ago. The father, Mark, is no stranger to the Southern Gospel scene; he sang tenor with the Celebration Quartet, a group that has ties to both the Collingsworth Family (Kim Collingsworth played piano) and Liberty Quartet (Liberty baritone Jordan Cragun’s father, Ray, sang bass). This CD marks the family group’s second effort, and is released on The Mansion Entertainment’s Manor House Music label.

As with the group’s first CD, Living Oasis, the songs are written by members of the group. Several of the tracks show that songwriting is a talent that benefits the group well. Personal favorites include “Through The Eyes of Faith,” a ballad in the same vein as the Gaither Vocal Band/EHSS song, “Dream On,” and “Inside The Gate,” a song that showcases Mark Dubbeld’s vocals in a way that bespeaks his years in the SG field. Another standout track was found in “Answer In, ‘I Am’” features son Vincent, whose vocals were mature enough for his age that I sat up and took notice.

I came away from listening to this CD with the opinion that the Mark Dubbeld Family has great potential as a group in both their vocals and songwriting. On songs like the ones specifically mentioned earlier, as well as most of the country-styled tracks like “I Didn’t Buy It,” the vocalist’s voices come together and blend well. On the other tracks, however, the timbre of each individual voice seems to clash with the others, making it sound as if each singer is trying to sing their own solo at the same time. Thankfully, the majority of the songs speak to the fact that the family has learned the lesson of “getting out of each other’s way,” so to speak, in their vocals, and the blend is much better on those tracks. Things like that let the listener know that the group is continually working on their craft and honing their sound.

I hadn’t heard the group’s other material before now, but if The Mark Dubbeld Family continues in the same vein as what is found on this project, their future in Southern Gospel music is bright. On With The Praise receives 3 stars.

Last Sunday, I headed over to Amherst, VA to hear this new trio in concert. Just over a year old, the group’s self-titled debut project received favorable reviews around the Southern Gospel blogosphere, so I was looking forward to hearing them in a live setting. Since this service marked the beginning of a week-long revival at the church, the group did an abbreviated concert, but still managed to sing plenty of music. Take a look:

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Longtime fans of the Southern Gospel genre may remember a quartet called The Rebels. Active in the 50s and 60s, this quartet saw several of the more well-known names of this music’s history, including Ron Booth, Sr., Jim Hamill, London Parris, and Nick Bruno. They are the quartet that is featured on one of my favorite “vintage SG” clips on Youtube:

Former Statesmen/Palmetto State Quartet baritone Rick Fair even started his career with the group. Now, he’s helping to bring the name back. The lineup for the “revived Rebels” is tenor Mike Young, lead Alan Kendall, baritone David Fair, bass Rick Fair, and pianist Barry Patrick.

If this group has a sound that’s familiar to you, the reason may be that everyone except the lead singer was most recently heard together in the Southern Sound Quartet with Ben Harris. With the addition of Alan Kendall, who has a very “classic Southern Gospel lead” quality to his voice, this group has the potential to go far with their music. I appreciate the fact that a former vocalist for the group has brought back the Rebels name with the blessing of former members and a quality lineup that will match what fans of the original quartet might expect.

The group is traveling on a limited schedule, but I hope to catch them in my area some time soon, if not at NQC. You can find out more about them at their website.