Liberty Quartet, Northwest Church, Fresno, CA 1/22/10

For the first time since this past April's GWSGFF, I was able to see one of my favorite gospel groups, Boise, Idaho's Liberty Quartet in a concert appearance at Fresno's Northwest Church this evening.

I confess, my expectations were quite high for tonight. Ever since I happened upon them some years ago as a result of doing our radio program, I have admired these men. Not merely because of their undeniable musical abilities, which they've had since the outset(they are arguably the finest gospel quartet based west of the Mississippi River), but also because that as much as any gospel aggregate in the past few decades, they have coupled great musical ability with an evangelistic approach to their craft comparable to the Couriers, one of gospel's most influential and legendary groups.

Yes, the Liberty Quartet is not the flashiest or the most flamboyant quartet to hit the scene, but they are most accomplished singers(their bass, Royce Mitchell, is as good as any bass currently traveling), they sing outstanding songs, and like the aforementioned Couriers, are more concerned about communicating the gospel message through either song or interaction with their fans than about getting big crowd pops or standing ovations or any other kind of personal acclaim given them.

I know some of you might say, "That stuff doesn't matter as much as whether they're great performers or not." Uh...well...it kinda does. If you want your message to be taken seriously, and your message is the gospel of Christ, it would stand to reason that you'd do whatever necessary to put that above anything else you do.

Well, the Liberty Quartet does...and they did it again tonight in unusually rainy Fresno.

Opening for them tonight was a local quartet with a strong fan following, the Chordsmen. Now I've heard them sing better on other nights, but they always enjoy their singing, and their sets were enjoyable and seemed to satisfy their many fans in attendance.

When it came time for Liberty to sing, they opened with a trio of energetic songs, and the third, an arrangement of Daryl Williams' "Glory To God In The Highest", had the audience clapping hands and rocking in the pews. They segued into a pair of current songs from their current album, "The Journey", and lead singer Dan Gilbert and baritone Jordan Cragun(their newest member)really shone.

Cragun has been with the quartet for nearly a year now, and has demonstrated appreciable growth as a singer and stage personality. He is both a much improved singer and a more confident personality onstage. While not the musician his predecessor, Doran Ritchey(who I really missed tonight), was, nor not as great a part of the onstage interplay as Doran was(yet), he has clearly grown in his role and by all appearances tonight, is destined to continue to do so.

Gilbert, an old hand by now, is a confident and expressive lead singer whose technical acumen is a boon to the Liberty Quartet concert style. and he has great relatability to an audience, always keeping things "going" in a positive direction.

Tenor Keith Waggoner is a developing vocal talent whose onstage enthusiasm is infectious.He shone tonight on the uptempo numbers and also on the next-to-last song of the evening, "He Is". And in the tradition of such in-person gospel greats as the late London Parris and Harold Giley, seems to never meet a stranger, an important attribute for a messenger of the gospel of Christ.

But as always, the most recognizabe and defining presence in the Liberty Quartet belongs to manager and bass singer Royce Mitchell. Besides being one of the better bass singers going(capable of melodic leads as well as the occasional subwoofer shake), Mitchell is a relaxed emcee whose disingenuous sense of humor puts audiences at ease and shows that love of Christ which he has in abundance. His musical arranging is also quite distinctive and certainly underrated.

The second half of Liberty's program was led by Cathedral Quartet-inspired a cappella singing followed by a fine version of the Couriers' classic "Statue Of Liberty", a song they've added once again to their concert performances. Then Waggoner had a nice mini-aermon capped with the quartet singing "He Is", then wrapping up with a reprise of "Glory To God In The Highest", which again proved to be a "hit" with the audience.

The size of the audience was adequate...the large sanctuary seemed about two-thirds full(not bad in light of the unpredictable weather all week long...a factor in California)...and they were assuredly happy with what they saw.

The Liberty Quartet's program has changed a great deal from the last time I saw them in a concert setting...some of the more over-the-top humor has been replaced with more good songs. But the general approach of Royce as the main MC augmented by guest MC segments from the other group members remains intact.

But through it all, the Liberty Quartet proved tonight that good in-person gospel concert appearances are not just about singing. Liberty has always sung well, but they seem to pay particular attention to what songs they sing, and fashion their programs accordingly. They certainly don't "sit on their laurels", but constantly refine their presentation to better present their main message, which is the gospel of Christ. They've never been tied up in a stylistic rut musically(they've always featured a mix of classic quartet singing and a more modern approach), nor are they stuck in a performance rut, either.

The Liberty Quartet just keeps getting better at what they do every time I see and hear them. I have never heard them better than they were tonight. This constant improvement, both on record and on stage, is no doubt a big reason why they have finally been invited this year to be on the main stage at the National Quartet Convention(certainly an overdue invitation). And why not? After all, the NQC is allegedly there to present the very best in the southern-style gospel genre that there is...and now, the Liberty Quartet is certainly that.

And they're getting out now to more of the American continent than ever these days. I would suggest strongly that if you want to see good Christian music sung by a dedicated gospel quartet, then you NEED to check out the Liberty Quartet if you get the chance. They are better than they've ever been, and are among the genre's very best. If that's what you like, you would have enjoyed tonight's concert as much as I did!

By all means, DON'T miss them at this year's NQC!

Preview of coming attractions

The next entry I'll be posting here will be either Friday night or Saturday morning...the Liberty Quartet(one of my favorite bunch of singers and people)will be singing in Fresno at Northwest Church, and I will be there to see them(in spite of rain, sleet, hail, or gloom of night)....I'll share my observations of that special evening right here.

Also, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound will appear in Fresno next Thursday night at the Cornerstone Church, and I plan to zip over there right after work that evening to take that in, too...and if you'd like, you can read about that as well right here.

I may post at various times in between and around as well, just to be different. Catch you all then!:-)

Alive, well, and still here

Believe it or not, I actually DO plan to post often here in 2010!

I realize that that notion may be a bit hard to swallow, inasmuch as it's the 15th of January, and this is my initial post here for 2010.

To clear up any misunderstandings due to my inactivity, note:

I am NOT still caught up in the euphoria of my unequivocally successful Christmas morning radio show(the last thing I posted about last year), although I'm still enormously grateful for how God used that three-hour window on Christmas Day, and even this week, I'm still getting positive feedback from listeners. It's been done, and it's time to move on...there's much more to do.

I have NOT run out of things to talk about. Though there is a dearth of southern gospel-related topics that capture my interest at the moment, there are certain developments I'd like to address here...and in the coming days, I will. You'll all recall that I've stated repeatedly that I don't intend to use this space to express myself unless I feel I have something to contribute that you all might care about, and I never intended to use this blog to post for posting's sake. Let others post daily if they feel led to do so...I'll make sure I have something to say before I say anything. This is not to cast any aspersions on those who DO feel led to do so on their blogs...every blogger has the right to express him/herself in any way they wish, for after all, it is THEIR blog. I'm just a lonely voice in my little corner of the web, here to speak when I feel it's important enough for me to do so.

In the past when I've had long "vacations" between posts, it's generally been due to life events occupying so much of my time that I frankly have neither the time nor energy to express any thoughts(for I'm thinking ALL the time)...I need to deal with real life! Such has been the case in the first two weeks of this year...life has been BUSY with this personal obligation or that....and the hits just keep on comin'!

In particular, this past week has been one of the most difficult and troubling of my life of late. But there have been numerous blessings and positive developments as well. And no, I won't bore you all with the minutiae of all that...if it's important enough to share here, rest assured I most certainly will! But for the most part, life has been very good...no, make that GREAT!

There's a good concert in Fresno in the next week that I intend to talk about(Liberty Quartet on the 22nd), another new website from Daniel Mount I intend to brag about, and all sorts of miscellaneous thoughts running through my overactive brain I will be sharing as I have in the past(among which is why radio is no longer the love of my life), and I'll be opining on those things and others in the days ahead.

And BTW, Happy New Year(a bit belated, but assuredly as heartfelt as if I'd been more punctual)! Good to talk to you again, and as our(California's)not-so-beloved-anymore Governator is famous for saying...."I'll be back!"

My Christmas task…how it went….

I now finally have a moment to stop and reflect on how my Christmas radio assignment came out.

In a word, it was wonderful.

Sure, I had done the very same show exactly a year ago...but for some reason, this particular year, it was much more meaningful for me to do.

Like many of you, it has been a year of challenges for me. And I'm still in the midst of a number of them....but I was determined that I would cast all of that aside, and concentrate on presenting three hours of well-crafted and inspiring music to be a Christmas companion for any and all who wanted to celebrate the day for what it is...a celebration of the arrival of the Saviour of the world into that very world...to show us the way of true hope and to achieve a relationship with the true and living God of the universe, which would enable us to fulfill our destinies as beings made by Him in His image.

Christmas can be a very lonely time of year if you're alone. I wanted to use music to be that companion to anyone who wanted or needed one during this Christmas season...if one had nothing else, one could have the Christmas spirit and a friend in their home by way of a song. Very often, a song can go where nothing else can go, and soothe the spirit of someone in need. My earnest prayer was for the songs I chose to reach the hearts and souls of whoever chose to tune in, for whatever reason.

And because my natural desire is to do the very best job I can at any task I'm entrusted with, I admit I was a bit nervous at the outset. In 25+ years of radio, I have seldom been nervous about being on the air, but my desire to get everything perfect(the way I figure God likes it)caused me to be a bit self-conscious at the outset.

But as the morning went on, a lot of the skills I'd developed over the years that had become a little rusty due to lack of use over the past seven years gradually started to come back, and as I relaxed, it became easier to do what I'd prayed God would allow me to do.

And from my standpoint, it came off pretty well.. All the formatic elements of my presentation were executed as planned, and with few exceptions, I was able to get the songs I wanted to play on.

But as is always the case with a radio show, it was the audience that would ultimately determine whether my goals were reached, and my prayers were positively answered. But have any of you ever had that feeling of satisfaction after doing something you thought was important, that feeling of feeling good because you know you'd done the best you could, and there was nothing more you could do? I had that feeling once the show was over, and it felt good.

It really didn't take long to find out how the audience felt. During the show, I counted 22 calls from appreciative listeners who wanted to express everything from gratitude for the songs to requests of their own, some of which I even fulfilled. It is nice to know that people were up, present. listening, and appreciative.

After the show, my program director phoned me to tell me he'd already received five complimentary e-mails about the show, and wanted to forward them to me so I could see what they had to say. When I saw them, I was moved to a point of simultaneous humility, satisfaction, and gratitude. I now knew how a lot of my favorite singers feel when they get a brace of responses like that from their appreciative fans(like me).

I heard from the former longtime Fresno State golf coach, whom I'd known in years gone by but never imagined he'd be tuning in, much less express such warm thanks for a simple program of music. The topper of all those letters, though, was one that expressed thanks that "...the birth of Jesus Christ was so boldly proclaimed on a secular radio station..." and that I "...had an outstanding selection(and variety)of songs...". That was the whole point...to turn the focus of Christmas back on the one the day is named for, and established to honor. And to make each listener's Christmas just that much more meaningful.

Was it me? No, not really...not at all. But I was honored to be chosen as the one to execute God's desire for the KMJ radio audience on Christmas morning, 2009. It was part of the reason I felt led to be on the radio many years ago. After four days, I'm still thanking God for allowing me to use my gifts for doing radio in such a way.

I know I'll be coming down soon...but it sure feels nice up here in the clouds!

My Christmas task

...is pretty much the same as it was last year.

Some of you may recall that last year, I was given the task of hosting a three-hour program of Christmas music on Christmas morning on my longtime radio station, KMJ-AM in Fresno. I selected the songs myself, and did so with the idea that they would communicate a true Christmas message to our many listeners, and in so doing offer inspiration and Christmas cheer to those seeking or in need of receiving it who might not be able to obtain it elsewhere. Very few things can communicate such thoughts the way music can.

For me personally, it is a great opportunity. Since my stroke seven and a half years ago, I get very few opportunities to present live programming to our large Central California audience outside of our Sunday morning gospel music show, and I always look forward to the chance to reconnect with people I've come to know and enjoy via the special calling I feel God gave me many years ago.

But I assure you all that I don't look upon this assignment as a "gig" or any kind of career-building assignment. At this point in my life, I doubt if such an isolated assignment would lead to any kind of job or career enhancement of any sort. No, such a notion is the furthest thing from my mind when I do this sort of thing.

What this assigment DOES give me the opportunity to do is to share a small bit of myself with our audience. For the whole meaning of Christmas to me is absolutely intertwined with the thing that means the most to me in the world, namely, Jesus Christ, and His story. And it's not often I get the chance to communicate that story to a large audience on a large secular radio station, as mine is.

Yet I am proud to be chosen to communicate that story through songs written to celebrate His birth, despite objections that may be raised in this day and age that doing such a thing might be construed as forcing a particular set of values down the ears of our listeners. Well, Christmas has traditionally been about telling that story, not merely to sell toys or cars or other trinkets.

And my sole aim on the radio this Christmas morning will be to present the best songs in the world about the best message in the world, to all who choose to drop in and listen to what we're doing. I would love to make someone or many blessed and happy to celebrate Christmas Day with us at KMJ.

To that end, if you'd like to hear accomplished and uplifting music to celebrate you Christmas with, you're invited to join me Christmas morning on KMJ-AM(580 on the AM dial if you're within listening range)or online at kmjnow.com if you'd like to listen to our streaming online this Christmas day morning from 6-9A Pacific Time. I welcome all of you, and want you to know that you always have a place at my radio Christmas gathering.

Hope to catch you there.

Wha-a-a?

For thoae of you who may have missed me during the past week, I hope you don't mind that the first thing I feel led to post about in that time is a college football matter.

But why, oh why, after posting 12-0 records respectively OUTSIDE Bowl Championship Series(BCS)conferences in hopes of playing one of the "anointed" conferences to prove their worth(and maybe get some champiohship consideration themselves), did the BCS powers that be make one of the most cowardly bowl pairings they could have made...unbeatens Boise State and TCU(both with perfect seasons)in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe?

Simple...they don't want to face the prospect of either the Broncos or the Horned Frogs knocking off one of the schools they consistently shove in our faces(Florida, Ohio State, Alabama, or Oregon)as being the "elite" programs in the country, thus tightening their grip on all the INSANE amounts of money and prestige that's out there these days.

Wait a minute...didn't Boise State BEAT Oregon in both schools' season opener? I know, shut up, John! You know how to upset that applecart, don't you?

I'm more convinced than ever that the BCS system doesn't want a true champion, because it just might be one of those "non-glamour" schools that aren't part of the BCS "club".

So let's just have the two best "BCS busters" battle it out(as they did just last year)...that way our Floridas and Alabamas and Texases can be spared the threat of embarrassment.

But Florida 's not out of the woods just yet...they're slated to face a very tough(and hungry)University of Cincinnati team, itself unbeaten and although they ARE in a BCS conference(the Big East), they've been "under the radar" all year.

Now there's an OUTSIDE chance that the Boise-TCU winner could have a shot at the national title...but by matching Alabama against Texas(who looked VERY beatable against Nebraska), another pair of hand-picked unbeatens, the BCS powers that be are clearly implying that the winner of the latter game should be called the "best team in the nation"....effectively keeping it "in the family".

And my friends wonder why my enthusiasm for college football(formerly one of my favorite sports)has waned so noticeably.

It's not about colleges playing football anymore...it's about glorified NFL farm teams playing for a pot of gold created artificially by some very greedy people.

As much as I've enjoyed ESPN in its' 30 years of existence, they are SQUARELY to blame for the demise of true college sports in the United States. Without them, there IS no BCS.

Oh, for the days of just 10 bowl games again, instead of half of Division 1-A being invited to postseason competition.

My favorite time of year

Even more than Christmas, Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. I really like the concept of setting aside an entire day simply to express thankfulness for the blessings we have in our lives.

And we ALL have things to be thankful for...I know of no one who simply lacks any kind of blessing.

For openers, if you're reading this, you're alive...and you ought to be thankful for THAT, if nothing else. C'mon, if everything else in your life is THAT depressing, would you REALLY prefer the alternative to THAT blessing? I don't think so...

And most of you who are alive and reading this have a roof over your head to protect you from the elements...and certainly. having a sheltered place to live and repose is a blessing! I know there are some who don't, but if you do, be thankful for that very important blessing.

And most of you have outlets to express yourself and provide for your welfare...again, I know some of you are facing challenges in that respect in this day and age, or you may not like the particular job you have, but if you have one, you are very blessed....be thankful.

And finally, most of you have at least one or a few people who truly love and care for you....and be thankful that those people exist in your life.

As for me, it's true that I'm facing severe financial challenges right now...but I have what I need as I type. And I've been so challenged in the past as well...but each time I have, God(as He always has and always will)has met my needs each time. I'm most thankful for that...and e're will be!

In fact, I know that the God I speak of loves all of you as well, and will meet all your needs as well, if you only notice.

And in spite of the temporary setbacks that come my way(and no doubt yours, too), He has blessed me with the best friends a human being could possibly have, a job that has been the fulfillment of my childhood dreams, outlets like these to express myself to people I care about, and in this particular year, God has finally granted me a partner that is a heaven-sent match for my life, and is as Godly a woman that I could ever imagine.

In light of all that, what's a little health challenge once in a while, or a few dollars here or there? And I have an abundance of music at my disposal to also express my feelings and satisfy my senses.

And I know that most of you are described in the above paragraph, and for all of you, I am most thankful.

So see, I'm a very blessed man...and deeply thankful for it all.

And I have an ENTIRE DAY set up to merely express my thanks for the blessing of what is my life...and most of you should be able to say the very same thing.

I hope you can understand now why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday...it is the most basic and profound expression of what human life is truly all about.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Fraternal pride

While recording our gospel music radio show this afternoon, I got this overwhelming feeling of pride.

No, it's not because we're still doing the program on a major secular radio station...although in these difficult times for a lot of traditional media genres, it's no mean feat to have a program of this type still on that type of station...and still thriving in the ratings, no less. That ordinarily WOULD be something to be proud of, especially when reflecting on what the radio medium has become for the most part(more on this possibly in a future post).

I've always taken pride in the accomplishments of my friends, and the men who make up Idaho's Liberty Quartet are certainly my friends.

The quartet is also one of the finest artists in gospel music these days...and their newest album, "The Journey", is incontrovertible evidence of that.

I'm not going to review it here...my friend Daniel Mount has already done an excellent review of it on his own blog recently.

I have been aware of the Liberty Quartet for several years now, primarily due to their personal appearances in Central California, but also due to their recordings, which have shown constant and consistent growth since their beginnings back in the 1990s. "The Journey" is probably their finest album to date. For the most part, they have shown the ability to mix traditional gospel quartet music and presentation with more current, up-to-date arrangements, while all the while presenting a good Christian witness wherever they are. If any group "deserves" success, acclaim, and recognition, these guys do...musically AND in witness.

My rush of pride today came when we were playing songs from "The Journey" on our show. I am so proud of Royce, Dan, Keith, and Jordan....not to mention co-producer(and former group member)Doran Ritchey, one of the best pianists going today on the circuit and a budding songwriter. They have worked very hard to get to the level of ability they're at now...and make no mistake, there is NO better quartet currently in the industry than the Liberty Quartet.

And now they're finally starting to get the attention they've long deserved...and I, for one, couldn't be happier or more proud.

For I'm proud to say that I was one of the first that noticed them, and not that I'm any barometer of success or anything, but they are now fulfilling all the promise I saw in them back in 2000, when I first became aware of this outstanding group of men and musicians.

Fellas, you've earned it all...keep up the great work. I'm proud of all of you.

Miscellaneous overdue observations

The title refers to the fact that the following unrelated, rather random observations could well have been posted some time ago, but I was unable to summon up the energy to post them.

To me, there is no musical genre more simultaneously interesting musically to the ear and more fun to listen to and sing along with than gospel quartet music.

I enjoy most all the various blogs that have to do with gospel music, but nobody who writes one puts more work and care into it than Daniel Mount. In a sense, he may be the most dedicated gospel music observer out there.

The highest form of musical expression is to sing a song to and/or about God...to me, that may well have been the original purpose behind the creation of music to begin with.

The Liberty Quartet may not be the best known or biggest selling group in southern gospel music(yet), but musically, they are among the most interesting and accomplished.

It never HAS mattered who the lowest quartet bass singer is, but it's always been fun to talk about it.

Southern-style gospel music may not be the most popular musical genre, but there isn't a more loyal group of genre fans than southern gospel fans.

Despite my relative lack of activity here in recent days, there's nothing I enjoy more than writing down my thoughts to share with others.

BTW…

...Evangeline(the 4-year old heaven sent angel who knows how to enjoy helicopter rides and was the star of my last blog posting)is doing MUCH better in her health battle to overcome ecoli poisoning.

Not surprisingly, her doctors are noting that her progress has been remarkable, particularly for someone of her tender age. I'm not surprised at all.

Just goes to show what can happen in the life of a person who never loses track of the blessings God still gives us in spite of whatever trials we might be enduring at a particular moment.

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