Ira Tucker

I don't see anyone else in my immediate blogging circle talking about this, but I feel obliged(note: NOT obligated!)to...long time gospel fans need to take note of this passing.

Two days ago, Ira Tucker, lead singer for probably the top black gospel quartet of all time, the Dixie Hummingbirds, passed away from heart complications. He was 83 years of age, and to that day was still a performing member of the quartet, which he first joined as a youngster in 1938.

Tucker was probably the first man to be a stylist in black gospel music. With the 'Birds, he specialized in what became known in the 1950s as the "hard" quartet sound. On record and in person, that style was exemplified by lots of note bending and syncopated rhythms, and out-and-out screaming at times...but never for its' own sake...he screamed on-key.

The 'Birds started as a jubilee-styled quartet(the predominant style of the day among black quartets...modeled on the famous Golden Gate Quartet)before evolving into the more syncopated, rhythmic styled quartet they became known for being in the 1940s and 1950s, when they quickly became known as black gospel's preeminent quartet.

For their arrangements, despite their occasional freneticism, at times were quite sophisticated. Tucker and the 'Birds were exceptional musicians, and as their reputation grew, they became widely known even with white audiences.

Tucker would often leap off stage into the audience, never losing his place in the song, but working up a tremendous level of energy that would mesmerize his concert and church audiences. Onstage during certain songs, he would drop to his knees as if in prayer, still not missing a beat or a spot. Quartets were the primary focus of black gospel in those days, and many aspiring young black singers raised in church either sang in quartets, or yearned to join one.

Tucker and the Dixie Hummingbirds were not only influential on other quartets, but on singers who chose to make their musical mark outside gospel. Among artists heavily influenced by the Dixie Hummingbirds were the Temptations, the Isley Brothers, the Four Tops, and the Impressions. Tucker himself influenced the likes of Bobby Bland, Jackie Wilson, Solomon Burke, and Wilson Pickett.

And many white gospel quartets were fans of the Dixie Hummingbirds as well. The Blackwood Brothers recorded their song "The Devil Can't Harm A Praying Man" in 1959, and their "Live Right, Die Right" at about that same time...and the Statesmen were likewise fans as well. And as styles changed with time, Tucker and the Dixie Hummingbirds likewise adapted, eventually getting some backhanded recognition for singing backup on Paul Simon's big 1970s hit, "Loves Me Like A Rock"(which the Oak Ridge Boys also recorded).

When Tucker started singing, gospel music was by no means considered a ministry...it was a way of life for musically inclined black people. The choice for them usually came down to the blues(secular)or gospel(church). Some black singers, Tucker notable among them, could not bring themselves to sing anything other than gospel or spiritual music professionally...the biggest reason why talented quartets such as the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Harmonizing Four, the Sensational Nightingales, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy remained in gospel rather than "crossing over" into the R&B and pop worlds.

In any case, Tucker was an icon in the field of black gospel music, especially black gospel quartet music. As one who learned early on to appreciate all kinds of music, I wanted to take this space to salute the memory and the legacy of one of the all-time masters of the craft.

Champions!

Just what the doctor ordered.

To the surprise of most fans of college baseball(including this one), most sports observers, and even many in their own community, the Fresno State baseball team defied the prevailing odds, did their jobs as they were taught, and made sports history by winning the 2008 College World Series in most convincing fashion, thrashing a good Georgia team 6-1 tonight to make it official.

But that's not all they did.

The sports experts will remind us forever about the fact that this Fresno State team was the lowest ranked team to ever make the CWS, let alone win it. Along the way, they'll also remind us that their 62 runs scored tied the all time record for most runs scored in a series. They'll also remind us that the team was 5-0 in elimination games, meaning that every time they needed to win a game to remain in the series, they did....and how!

And the local sociologists will tell us that this particular win by this particular team was a shot in the morale department for a community that for far too long has harbored a completely unwarranted inferiority complex, and in these days of high gas prices(Fresno's are the highest in the nation), high food prices, and economic change and uncertainty, these kinds of victories can lift the spirits and confidence of a community, and rally them to persevere against the odds in the same way their college baseball team did. And it did!

You see, even though Fresno is the fifth most populous city in the most populous state in the United States, the fact that for many years it was simply a pleasant medium sized agricultural city has affected the local mindset to the degree that even now locals feel that Fresno is still a small farm town. Having attended every Great Western Southern Gospel Fan Festival that has ever appeared in Fresno, let me tell you that the many singers who visit us to sing here(many of whom DID or DO come from small farm towns)are impressed with the size and amenities that Fresno currently has.

And in the world of collegiate sports, Fresno has always grabbed on to whatever national attention it could generate through its fine college football teams coached by Pat Hill and its' fine basketball programs of bygone years coached by the likes of Boyd Grant and Jerry Tarkanian. And it is still mistily nostalgic about the 1992 Freedom Bowl football win over a mediocre USC team(compared to its championship teams), and its' 1980 NIT basketball title in New York's Madison Square Garden, giving Fresno its' requisite 15 minutes of fame.

This is different. This is a real championship. They are not just famous for a month or two...they will be known as the BEST college baseball team in the nation for the year 2008.

Now the team has been saying in their numerous interviews that they had every expectation of making it to the CWS, that they saw themselves doing exactly what they did.

Well, not to rain on anyone's parade...but no, they didn't.

And no one else in this area thought they would either.

In fact, the local community was strangely indifferent to this team all season. Fresno has a long and proud baseball heritage, spawning such big leaguers as Tom Seaver, Jim Maloney, Dick Ellsworth, and Ted Lilly.. And the school has turned out talent such as Dick Ruthven, Terry Pendleton, Jeff Weaver, Steve Hosey, Tom Goodwin, and Bobby Jones. It has long been a celebrated baseball program on the West Coast, and appeared in three previous CWSs...not going nearly as far as this team did. And the two coaching predecessors to current coach Mike Batesole, Pete Beiden and Bob Bennett, were among the most successful college baseball coaches of all time. But after Bennett's retirement and in Batesole's first five years, enthusiasm had cooled significantly because of mostly mediocre teams(despite a pair of WAC titles), and attendance was at an all-time low this year.

And after an 8-12 start against a relatively weak schedule, the preseason high ranking this team had seemed a cruel joke to baseball fans expecting much more. And frankly, the team was not playing very well, sometimes appearing sloppy and undisciplined.

Even at season's end, it seemed all the Bulldogs could do to hold off schools like Nevada and Hawaii to simply win the regular season league title. And they dropped two of three games to Sacramento State in their season ending series, backing into the league title.

At some point here, the fire seemed to have lit into this Bulldog team...for at the conference tournament in Ruston, LA(home of last-place Louisiana Tech), the Bulldogs swept through the tournament with ease, much to the chagrin of even us at KMJ, who were hoping the Bulldogs would be beaten so our ratings wouldn't continue to suffer by covering their games.

The team's record was good, not great...and the fact is that the team would not have even made the postseason if not for its winning the WAC tournament title(giving them an automatic berth). We all knew they would be exposed, being placed in the West's toughest regional, with three nationally ranked teams, Long Beach State, Cal, and the University of San Diego.

But a funny thing started happening...this team began to gell. Their sloppy, undisciplined play became inspired and determined. The team was not intimidated in the least by their opponents. They began by smacking the host Dirtbags 7-3, and followed that up with a shutout win over the Toreros.

The following day, though, the Toreros extracted revenge with a 15-1 shellacking of the Bulldogs. We figured OK, the first games were cute, and they've played well, but the run is over...and their season will end with their next game.

In the start of what would be common behavior for this team, they rebounded with a gutty win over the Toreros...giving them the regional title! It was on to Tempe, AZ...and the #3 team in the country, an Arizona State team that had only lost three times on its' home field.

Well, that's it, we figured. Surely they can't beat the powerful Sun Devils...especially on thir field, in front of their fans.

Sure enough, ASU smacked the Bulldogs 12-4 in the opening game of that super-regional, preparing us(we thought)for the inevitable. But again, these weren't the same Bulldogs we thought we knew. The Bulldogs came back to win not one, but TWO slugfests at Packard Stadium! They were now on their way to the College World Series for the first time in 17 years!

Finally, I was beginning to "get it"...this team had something going! I realized at last that I couldn't just dismiss this sudden success as a mere fluke. The Bulldogs had gone through the toughest path to the CWS possible, and made it. Despite the seeming tendency to favor teams from the Southeast(especially Florida), Fresno State was in the CWS...and like many of their predecessors(including defending champion Oregon State)they were a force from the West that needed to be reckoned with!

It's perhaps too incomplete an analysis to say that the Bulldogs were doing so well because there was no pressure on them...due to the fact that almost no one thought they'd be there, and thus, there were no expectations on them. But certainly it would explain their refusal to crack in pressure situations, and their supremely relaxed, confident demeanor on and off the field. They seemed to just enjoy playing baseball against the nation's very best teams...and the more they realized they were more than competitive against them, it boosted their confidence exponentially.

And wasn't it JD Sumner who always said that the secret of hitting low notes is simply relaxing and believing you COULD hit them?

The Fresno State baseball team was the athletic extension of JD's bass singing philosophy. The more they played good teams and beat them, the more aware they became of their ability to do so. And the best was yet to come.

Fresno's first opponent in the CWS was Rice, long one of the nation's elite baseball teams, and a former thorn in the Bulldogs' side when they were in the WAC, beating Fresno State annually.

Then the incredible stuff started happening.

The Bulldogs built an 11-0 fourth inning lead en route to a 17-5 dismantling of the pitching-rich Owls...and the city of Omaha(home of the CWS since 1950)fell in love with the unheralded team from the West. Later that week, they beat the 2nd ranked team in the country, North Carolina, by a 5-3 count. Suddenly, the Bulldogs were just one win away from the CWS finals. No Fresno State team had ever gone this far before.

The nation was beginning to notice this bunch of determined upstarts, and marvelled at their scrappy, overachieving attitude.

Saturday, the Tar Heels won a 4-3 decision over the Bulldogs on a late home run. Were the Bulldogs finally overmatched, and about to have their bubble burst at last?

The Tar Heels had the nation's finest pitching, and some of the finest players in the country. Plus, they had been to the finals the past couple of years, and their depth and experience seemed to be more than even the cinderella Bulldogs could overcome.

Once again, the Bulldogs faced elimination. But once again, the Bulldogs got off the floor and flattened their supposedly superior foe, Sunday's 6-1 win over the excellent Tar Heels put them into the finals against another team of underachieving Bulldogs, the unbeaten(in the CWS)University of Georgia.

Fresno's pitching was stretched to the limit. Plus, several players, including power hitting third baseman Tom Mendonca, were battling severe injuries and playing right through them(in Mendonca's case, a late-season wrist injury that left him unable to even shake hands with you). Mendonca's four CWS home runs(tying a record)and his seeming channeling of Brooks Robinson defensively showed the gritty, never say die determination this Bulldog team had most definitively.

The opening battle of the Bulldogs saw Georgia prevail with an eighth-inning rally in a 7-6 victory keyed by a late home run from their best player, Gordon Beckham(a future major league star..write it down!). Again, Fresno State faced elimination...and the Atlanta area media was full of theories why Fresno was doomed. Such a heartbreaking loss would break Fresno's spirit once and for all, they opined.

I suppose we can forgive the ignorant media in Georgia for not paying attention to the story of this Fresno team....but by this time, all of us at KMJ had learned our lessons about doubting this team....and very soon, they would as well.

In Game 2, Georgia dashed out to a 5-0 lead by the third inning, but they knew that Fresno State would not give up, and sure enough, a six-run fourth inning precipitated a burst of 15 runs over the fourth through sixth innings, powering the Fresno State baseballers to a 19-10 victory...putting it down to one final game.

Who was broken now, Atlanta media?

Tonight, Fresno State quickly and efficiently took the lead and never looked back, crushing Georgia beneath the feet, 6-1, and became the 2008 College World Series champions!

I had learned my lesson, finally...I knew the 'Dogs would take it tonight!

I wrote here why sports fans and the local fair-weather Fresno community got a charge by Fresno State's improbable victory, but why did I get so inspired by it?

Well, those of you who know me well and read this blog know that I have had my share of challenges of late. And I have felt much like the Fresno State baseball team did in April, when they struggled just to keep their heads above water, so to speak.

But like so many things in life, if we just step back, realize what our task is, and then simply commit ourselves to doing it, and not be concerned about how big our obstacles might be, it's surprising how much we can get done! And sometimes, we can even exceed our dreams!

And the Fresno State baseball team hunkered down, visualized what they needed to do, then simply went out, relaxed, and played baseball....and did it better than anyone else in the country for two big weeks, fulfilling their dream!

So no matter what you or I face, if we just do the same sort of thing the Fresno State baseball team did...we can not only win all our "elimination" battles, we might even win our "championships", whatever they might be for us.

The comparisons have been made to a #14 seed winning the NCAA basketball championship, and to other athletic longshots, and Fresno State's baseball team did all that...and even more!

Congratulations to the 2008 Fresno State baseball team, this year's national champions.

A week in the life

What a week.

I'm sure that all of you have had weeks like this...with days so packed with things to do that it seems they run together at such a rate that it seems the WEEK is only 24 hours long, and not each individual day.

As I sit here typing this, the remarkable run of the Fresno State baseball team rolls on...the Bulldogs are but one win away from the College World Series championship series, having only to beat North Carolina once more this weekend. I don't know if they will, but it's been an inspiring story of a team that could...despite all kinds of obstacles.

I pick up on stuff like that, because if they can, so can I. And I've had more than my share of obstacles this week...which is part of the reason I've not been here more.

But even(or especially)during weeks like this, I've got my music to keep me company...and be my friend.

I've read elsewhere about why gospel music fans are fans of this genre of music, and if you asked enough of them at different times, I'm sure you'd get a wide variety of responses.

For me, it's the message, first and foremost. Then along with that, I suppose it's the sound of the music. The(usual)four-part harmony has always resonated in my ears, and the different ways it's used to convey the message has always hooked me.

But more than just the sound, it's the exuberance and joy of the singers that's infectious to me...and I just can't help but join in and get caught up in the spirit of it all. It's that feeling that makes the music more than just a song...it is like a being unto itself...a friend...that can always give me instant fellowship, and chase away any blues I may have.

And that's why it's especially a blessing to have it here with me during weeks like this...and I not only can share it with others, but when I need to, I can hold it next to me, and keep it all for myself...and it's OK either way.

So, to borrow a concept from David Stein, I sometimes celebrate life through sports, and more often, through friends, work, and fellowship...but always, through the music which means the most to me...gospel music.

And in so doing, no matter how my days and weeks go, I can celebrate life.

I’m still here!

Just stopping in to wave "hi" from my little corner of the web...and reassure you all that I'm still alive and functioning!

Again, real life gets busy sometimes, and when I'm immersed in it, I don't always take the time to post things here. And I've said many times here that I don't believe in posting for its' own sake...I try to wait until I actually have something important(at least to me)to say before I share it here.

Besides, later today, I'll be getting a new ISP along with cable TV installed(for the first time in 10 years), and so I'm inclined to wait until my new setup is complete before I start posting like mad here again.

Understand? Are you with me?

Very well...I promise I will return soon...in the meantime, keep the fires burning!

Go, Bulldogs!

I know it's been a few days since I last weighed in...well, that little ol' thing called real life has been getting a lot of my attention.

One thing that apart from just that that also has is something that I'm taking quite a bit of pride in, even though I never thought it would happen, and in so thinking, I was wrong.

But I don't mind admitting I'm wrong when I am...especially when I'm glad I was!

I'm very proud of the Fresno State baseball team, which will be playing in this year's College World Series, starting this weekend in Omaha. Although they were a preseason top-25 pick and the favorite to win in the WAC once again, they struggled for a good part of the season, and didn't catch fire until the very end of the year, clinching the WAC title and surprisingly looking forward to the postseason.

We at KMJ weren't sharing in their confidence, and as far as we could tell, local enthusiasm for the team was at an alltime low, causing ratings for their broadcasts on our station to suffer, and we could hardly wait for their season to end so they could be put out of their misery.

When they blazed through the WAC tournament to earn a postseason bid, it didn't seem that big a deal. The WAC has been a weak baseball league for some time, and we all felt that the team would be rudely sent crashing to earth in the regionals...where they would face quality competition for a change.

Well, wouldn't you know, the Bulldogs would be placed in what probably was the toughest of all the regional fields, in Long Beach to face nationally-ranked and co-Big West champion Long Beach State, nationally-ranked Cal(from the Pacific-10), and the nation's sixth-ranked team, West Coast Conference champion University of San Diego, who the Bulldogs upset last year in regional play.

Fresno State, not nationally ranked for some time, was the bottom feeder in this group(the #4 seed)and we all figured they'd be blown away in two straight. Imagine our shock when the 'Dogs thrashed the host Long Beach State team in their opening game, and shut out the Toreros the following night to earn a berth in the championship game out of the chute. Was this the same team that had lost 28 games during the season?

After the Toreros forced a deciding game with a 15-1 spanking of the Bulldogs, we all figured that it was fun while it lasted, and the dream would end the following night in the regional title game, so we could ALL get back to our regular routines. But the Bulldogs were determined to keep their dreams alive, and knocked USD off in the championship game, and incredibly, they won the regional.

This earned them the right to play the nation's third-ranked team, the powerful Sun Devils of Arizona State. Surely the charade would end now...how would a lowly #4 seed knock off a team that was not only the Pac-10 champion, but was 39-3 at home this year? And that had a 14-game winning streak there in the postseason? When the Dogs were thrashed 12-4 in the series opener, we figured this was surely the end of the Bulldogs' season.

But again, the Bulldogs never let go of their dream. With perseverance and execution seldom seen during the year, they stunned the Sun Devils the following day to force a deciding game this past Monday...by this time I was beginning to see the light...maybe Fresno State could actually pull off the upset!

Monday night came, and the Bulldogs used a six-run seventh inning to help them to a seemingly insurmountable 12-5 lead...EVERYONE at KMJ was stunned! Excited, but stunned....could the Davidlike Bulldogs slay the Goliathlike Arizona State juggernaut?

The Sun Devils, true to form, came back strong in the 9th inning...but they couldn't come back far enough...the 'Dogs held on for a 12-9 victory...and for the first time ever, a #4 seed emerged from the regionals all the way to the College World Series!

The win was important on many levels. First, Fresno State(a baseball program with a lot of tradition from the days of coaches Pete Beiden and Bob Bennett)was finally a player again on the national baseball scene. And coach Mike Batesole(the victim of a lot of the most ignorant second-guessing all year by alleged Bulldog fans[including, sad to say, me])has been finally vindicated and now appreciated for keeping the team on a level course, and not overreacting in the face of adversity.

And notably, in light of a number of lawsuits against the school's athletic department by opportunistic but otherwise fine female coaches(and ex-coaches), the school has something positive to dwell on. This team is in position to win a national championship...only the softball champions of 1998 have previously done that for the Bulldogs. This kind of thing makes a whole community feel good about itself.

Finally, credit must be given to fine athletes such as senior Steve Susdorf, whose name is now all over the Bulldog record book...and other dedicated players like Alan Ahmaty, Eric Wetzel, Tom Mendonca, and senior closer Brandon Burke...for their continuing belief in themselves and their disregard for the negative carping of those of us who thought we knew better. Way to go, guys...you taught us all a good lesson.

If you do your best with what you've got, you'll go much farther than you could ever imagine...despite people who'll tell you you can't. Nobody but God knows what's going to happen...cast your lot with Him, and watch what might happen.

Do I think Fresno State will win the College World Series? No, but what does that matter? They've got as good a chance as the other seven schools, and we all know now they won't give up...so I'm not going to give up on them anymore, either.

Go Dogs!

One more trip to the “watershed”

OK. One last thought on "watershed" albums, and then I'll finally move on to another topic(or two).

It has occurred to me, upon reflection, that I easily could have added at least two more albums to my existing list(see previous posts)of albums that had a substantial impact on the southern gospel genre, much like the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" had on rock music.

And I'm sure if I kept reflecting, I might even discover more...but if I list too many, the albums already there may find their significance a bit diluted...and I WON'T do that. Just because an album is really good doesn't qualify it for this list, as I attempted to explain earlier on.

But to save time and space, here are two albums I SHOULD have listed initially, but inexplicably didn't.

THE STATESMEN QUARTET WITH HOVIE LISTER(1957, RCA 1411)-Inasmuch as the Statesmen will always be among the most influential groups to ever sing gospel music, an album of theirs ought to be on this list. And like before, I'll justify my selection by weighing it with my criteria I established earlier.

1. Was it popular? I can't say that it was a gold record, but the fact that it remained in the RCA catalog for many years certainly suggests that it was a steady seller. And its' influence would suggest that a lot of singers heard it.

2. Did it change gospel music? Arguably, the Statesmen did as much as any quartet to shape gospel music...and this album defined their style perfectly. Lots of would-be singers were motivated to make gospel singing a career because of this album.

3. Did it draw a line in the group's career? A little tougher here...their earlier recordings showed a definite journey stylistically to this point, and their subsequent albums continued in that direction. I suppose this album proved that the Statesmen could sustain their excellence over the then-relatively new 12" LP format.

Additionally, the album solidified the place of many songs in the group's permanent repertoire..such as "Led Out Of Bondage", "One Of These Mornings", and "Glory, Glory, Clear The Road". The Statesmen's first LP definitely belongs on any list of key gospel music albums.

As does...

SOMETHING SPECIAL(1982, Canaan 9890)-As has been observed elsewhere, this LP solidified the Cathedrals as THE quartet of the 1980s, and also laid the groundwork for the big production albums by them and many other groups that are still being issued today. It was a turning point in the quartet's career, because it cemented a relationship with Bill Gaither and Lari Goss that marked the group's sound over the rest of its' career. And the popularity of songs like "Then Came The Morning", "Let Freedom Ring", and "Turn Your Back" didn't hurt their commercial appeal any. Without further explanation, it seems apparent that this album meets all my criteria for being a so-called "watershed" album.

If I think of more, I'll post them, too. What do you think?

The Cerces - Live in St. Louis

It's been a while since I did an album review here...especially of a current release!

The main reason for that is that I'm not by design an album reviewer...I tend to like what I like...and leave it up to everyone else to do likewise.

Tonight, however, a certain album has come to my attention...and I feel that people who visit this corner of the web ought to know it's out there.

It is by the Cerces...very good friends of mine, and dedicated singers devoted to minister to their audiences through their music.

Back in June of last year, they recorded a concert they did at Bethel Fellowship in Florissant, Missouri(a suburb of St. Louis)for release on CD and DVD.

What you think of this album will depend a lot on what you expect when you listen to or attend a gospel concert.

If, for example, you're looking for state-of-the-art video and audio production, for ostentatious, acrobatic singng, full of highs and lows, and melisma, and other devices so used(or abused)by singers of today, you're not likely to be overly satisfied here. The Cerces don't aspire for virtuosity, or try to take your breath away with their presentation.

If on the other hand, you enjoy straightforward, heartfelt singing of some of the best gospel songs written in the last 20-40 years or so, and if you like down to earth, unprententious stage presentation, and a group that strives to reach out to YOU as if you were the only person in the audience, you might find yourself enjoying the Cerces very much.

I have only seen the Cerces in person once in my life, in late 2006 in a small church in Bakersfield. Such intimate settings really find the group in their element, and their presentations really work in those kinds of places.

This is not to say that the Cerces would not charm an audience in a larger, auditorium-like setting, only trying to illustrate where I feel the Cerces are particularly effective. I don't know whether or not Bethel Fellowship is a large, medium sized, or small church.

Part of the reason I don't is...I was so taken by the Cerces' stage presence in this particular DVD, I didn't really pay attention to much else. This is why I suspect that they could be equally effective in any setting, provided they were "on their game".

Now, when I saw them in 2006, they had decent stage presence then...the people in that tiny church were attentive and taken with the unpretentious style of the group. I thought they were in this DVD as well.

And with such songs as "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God", "John The Baptist", "He Only Sees The Blood", "Give Me Jesus", "Refiner of Gold", "Sheep And Goats", "In God We Trust", and "Enduring Faith", how could someone looking for a good gospel message in song not notice, even for just a song or two?

And the friendly manner and personalities of Cliff Cerce and his wife Anita is refreshing to watch in this age of "American Idol", where it seems everyone who takes a stage is out to become the next big star, even among gospel singers. The two Cerces and lead singer Terry Yarham labor under no such delusions of grandeur, preferring to focus on their songs and the message in them.

Even the between song patter is not convoluted or scripted with stock jokes and lines(which too many gospel groups present as entertainment)used and recycled through many years and concerts. What you see when you see and hear the Cerces are themselves...for better or worse. This transparency and sincerity is the same kind of thing that made artists of the past like the old Couriers(who are role models and mentors to the Cerces, as they have been to so MANY artists over the years)the beloved artists they were.

Of course, even the nicest group of people in the world would not build a loyal fan base if they couldn't "carry the mail". And with the addition of Yarham on lead, the Cerces sound better every time I hear them anew. The improvement in their singing between that concert I saw in 2006 and this one(on both the CD and DVD)is so rapid, it is reminiscent to me of the Couriers' huge jump in skill from their first album(1958's "Beyond The Sunset")to their third(1960's "Answers Your Requests")or the reorganized Blackwood Brothers' similar improvement between 1956's "Hymn Sing"(their first 12" album for RCA)and 1958's "Stranger of Galilee". The Cerces have come a long way...and they're still coming!

Of the 18 songs on this project, my favorites are "He Only Sees The Blood", "What The World Needs Now Is Jesus", "Stepping In The Light", "Refiner Of Gold", and "Enduring Faith". I also appreciate their balance between songs with recorded tracks and songs they do with Cliff at the piano(Cliff is a fine veteran gospel pianist, by the way), a style which I personally prefer.

But again, it depends on what you look for in your gospel music. If flash and dash is your forte, you might not find enough in the Cerces' careful, thoughtful approach to moving songs with strong lyrics(although you will find a bit).

But if you like to see genuine, caring people present strong gospel songs with well-crafted lyrics, and see approachable singers who are real and true to themselves, you might want to check out "The Cerces: Live in St. Louis". I did, and I'm glad.

Happy birthday, Neil!

Life again has been busy here, but I decided to take a few minutes out of my usually hectic morning to acknowledge a special occasion.

Neil Enloe is not only one of my most loyal readers here and friends to boot, but he is truly a living gospel music legend. And today, the former Couriers' lead singer turned 70 years young.

Neil acknowledged my 50th birthday this past May 16th in this very corner of the web...so it's only fair that I return the favor on his big day!

By any standards, Neil is a man truly blessed. Most people who visit here know of his numerous accomplishments in gospel music...his Dove awards, and his many years singing and writing with one of gospel music's finest and most acclaimed groups, but ask Neil, and he'll tell you that's all well and good, but there are many other things that are more important to him than even personal recognition for his many talents.

Their names are Ruth, Beth, Heidi, and Tim. And he is justly grateful for people such as Don Baldwin, Duane Nicholson, Dave Kyllonen, Eddie Reece, Jerry Evans, L.David Young, and Eddie Hawks...treasured colleagues, mentors, and friends in his long ministerial service.

And he is equally thankful for his parents, who molded and shaped his values and instilled a love for God and others into him. Likewise, his siblings(all still with us!)...Charlotte, Dave, Bob, Phil, and Dan...all Godly people like him, and people who have enriched his life and many others.

And finally, he is grateful to God for good health and good friends that he has made here, there, and everywhere in a long life of service to Jesus Christ.

So happy birthday, Neil....and here's to many more years of service and blessings. Thanks for what you've shown and given me.

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