Progressive?

One debate that occasionally flares up on gospel music message boards concerns the future of the genre…can it survive among ALL the different genres of not only music in general, but Christian music in particular?



It seems to me that people misunderstand the facts in the discussion before they even begin it with someone…all too often it is assumed that “gospel” is a distinct form of music that can be readily identified in the same manner as rocck ‘n’ roll, classical, jazz, or blues. It is not. Gospel music is defined not by its’ musical structure, but by its’ lyrical content. It can be expressed in almost any musical form that exists(and IS nowadays). I realize there are subgenres of gospel music that can be regarded as having unique structure and form(e.g., gospel quartet music), but generally speaking, what makes music “gospel” as opposed to “non-gospel” is the content of the lyrics, not the nature of its’ form.



In the genre known as “southern gospel”, traditionally expressed in quartet form, even there there are a number of forms in which that music is expressed. These days, along with the quartet form that has existed for decades, there are country sounding subgenres and naturally artists that are also influenced by the pop and bluegrass music around them, and they are bidding for a foothold in the southern gospel marketplace. This is perfectly understandable and reasonable, and should not be discouraged for its’ own sake. There’s room for everything under the “southern” umbrella.



More recently, a pop-influenced subgenre has reeared its’ head in the southern field, known to its’ adherents as “progressive”, an adjective that troubles me. Why does it trouble me?



First of all, the term infers that it’s music is somehow “farther ahead” of its’ competitors…how is this so? In the gospel field, there is NOTHING new or revolutionary musically about any of it…ALL of it is based on already existing forms. Is it “progressive” because it is based on more advanced forms? For one thing, much of the so-called “progressive” music is not, anyway…and even if it were, “progressive” according to whom? The term “progressive” is a relative term anyway…based on the ears of the beholder, and cannot be correctly used as a label for a genre of music created for a general, non-musically sophisticated audience.



A term such as “progressive” is a comparative term anyway, and, as was the case in the rock music field in the 1970s, is used to infer a sort of superiority to its’ alternatives in a genre. Gospel music doesn’t need a caste system to differentiate its’ various substyles.



All of the above is not to say that the so-called “progressive” sounds are not accomplished, or in any way “bad”…it’s just that in my humble estimation, the term is a very inaccurate one to use when applied to gospel music in this day and age.



So what, then, of the future of traditional southern style gospel music? Like any other genre of music that has lasted for decades, it will always be with us. And it needn’t be “watered down” by trying to change it into something that it’s fans won’t accept or recognize.



To be continued…

Back to work…

I guess I’d better post something today…people are watching…and getting tired of seeing the same old stuff up here!



I guess one thing I can definitely say today is “Thank God for gospel music!” In a world where events, weather, and people all tend to be unpredictable and unreliable, it’s nice to be able to put that needle on an LP or pop that CD into the player and know that what comes out is an unqualified blessing, inspired by God to inspire me! And that it invariably does!



I’ve been listening to a couple of older albums this week in particular that I have on CD…and they once again proved their worth to me as companions and strongholds. It may never have occurred to the Rebels Quartet when they made their “Peace In The Valley” album back in 1958, or the Couriers Quartet when they made “In Town Tonight” back in 1960 that their relatively humble album offerings would be used to bless and encourage someone over forty years after they were made, but indeed they were…and I am proof of that!



To hear the Rebels sing their spare but moving arrangements of “Peace In The Valley”, “I’m Bound For That City”, and “My God Is Real” is an experience not just for the ears, but for the heart. Likewise for the Couriers’ versions of “Room At The Cross”, “Savior, Gently Take Me Home”, “In The Cool Of Evening”, and “An Evening Prayer”…there’s just something very moving and special about a male quartet uniting their voices in praise of and testimony to God. And no matter what may be going on in one’s life, there’s something about an inspired song that can motivate and inspire a person to hang in there and outlast whatever may be ailing them.



Is there any wonder why I would love gospel music so much? Not if you know me, and know what I have to deal with on an occasional basis.

I survived!

Well, phase 1 is complete…and as I predicted, I’m quite sore…but otherwise, none the worse for wear.



Now the contractor is in my house, beginning the repair process. A few posts ago, I likened the damage in my home to the kind suffered by the victimes of Hurricane Katrina. While the phrase was an exercise in hyperbole to be sure, it may have been a bit more accurate in fact than I first imagined. After I had finished moving everything out last night, I was covered with mud…which came from the combination of the effects of the accumulated mold and moisture and the recent almost daily rains we’ve been having here. So along with a very sore back, it took a pair of showers to restore me to an acceptably presentable level.



But that is done, now the wait begins. When it’s all done, I will be looking forward to living in a virtually brand new apartment…I can hardly wait.



All of this ought to be done by the time the Great Western Gospel Fan Festival comes to town at the end of the month…needless to say, I’ll be reporting on all of it right here in this blog…the event gets better each year, and I am looking forward to that, too!



As far as any gospel music commentary for now, I’ve got to get caught up on what I may have missed in the last couple of days while I was tending to my personal business. When I get the chance, I will come back and post it…for now, if you don’t mind, I’ll catch up on the rest I missed!:-)

Two down…one to go…

…in the obstacle course that is my current housing situation.

As I posted earlier, my landlord has had a change of heart as far as asking me to evacuate my current dwelling place due to a nasty mold problem that has existed for months. Thanks be to God(I truly believe), he has consented to allow me to remain here(as I have for nearly 13 years), and is sending a contractor my way to repair the unit.

And today, God acted again in this matter…he has provided me with a place to lodge while I await the repairs. The person who is renting the room in another house that I almost moved to is allowing me to stay there while my apartment is being repaired…does that sound like a God thing, or what? You can’t convince me otherwise.

Now, my lone concern is removing my possessions from the apartment to empty it and allow the contractor the space he needs to finish his work. I have done some of that already, and it’s been backbreaking. And by this time tomorrow, I intend to be done with that too, and I know God will help me do it. He’s taken me this far. I know I’ll be sore tomorrow, but it’ll be the best kind of sore there is.

Doesn’t it seem that it’s always easier to see God at work when we know we need Him than it is when we’re just sailing along, and things appear OK? This whole episode in my life is another valuable lesson in just how God works in the lives of those who rely on Him, and not just when we’re paying attention, but ALL the time! He must shake His head often at me for my obliviousness to His presence, but surely He knows that when it all comes down to the bottom line, He knows I’m there. Maybe there’s hope for me yet.

I can hardly wait to move my things back into what will be virtually a brand new home..all of this will be worth it then.

Because my access to computers will be sporadic for the next two weeks, my posting here may be inconsistent…but you’ll know that if I’m not here, I’m tending to His business.

All is well.

God is good…again

An update on my housing situation…

I thought I was going to have to leave the humble little hovel I’ve been living in for the greater part of the past 13 years. Mold had set in, and for all the world, my place looked like one of those places damaged in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

My landlord had given me a 30-day notice, and I have been looking all week into my housing options.

My neighbor, who’s lived in front of me for about 7 years now, didn’t want me to move, so he suggested I write my landlord and tell him that I would assume the responsibility for the repairs if I could just stay there. Since my rent here is as cheap as one could imagine it to be in this day and age of inflating housing prices in the city where I live, it seemed to be worth the effort.

I wrote the letter yesterday, and faxed it to the landlord. In my prayers, I specifically asked for some closure one way or the other…would I have to move, or could I stay? This of course depended on the answer my landlord would give me.

For some reason, I had no trouble giving this to God…I really felt inside that He would take care of me, regardless of what the decision was. Far too often, although I know in my mind that God is faithful that way ALL the time, I tend to forget and get anxious instead.

Well, this morning, my landlord called…and he decided to allow me to stay on the condition that I allow the contractors he would call to do what they needed to do, and vacate my home for however long it would take them to get the repair done.

I was overjoyed and thankful…I didn’t know what to expect, but certainly this was a definite answer to my prayers. And it never fails to get me…with God’s 100% track record on this kind of thing in the 30 years I’ve known Him as Lord, why don’t I always trust Him like that? Why do I always wonder “if” and “when”? Why can’t I just turn it over to Him like this every time?

I know why…because although I profess undying faith, that faith gets put to the test whenever I’m not in contol of the situation(as if I’m ever REALLY in control)…it shouldn’t, but it does. But as this example shows, when I put my trust in God and don’t think about the outcome, it’s amazing how He works everything out.

As Dottie Rambo wrote…”if that isn’t love…then heaven’s a myth…there’s no feeling like this…if that isn’t love.” Do I deserve that kind of love? Absolutely not! I always tell people I know that one should trust God with all we have…and 19 times out of 20, I’m a quivering rock of Jello when it comes to practicing what I preach! Yet He overcomes my unbelief with love I can’t fathom or describe, in spite of how I receive it.

I bet a lot of you can say the same thing…is it any wonder why we Christians sing so passionately of God’s amazing grace?

Anyway, in just a few weeks, I’ll have what amounts to a brand new home…because of that amazing love and grace, And I’ll have learned another important lesson in the ongoing education of a believer.

Yes, God brings these periodic challenges to us to teach us His ways…will we recognize his presence and learn, or will we miss Him again?

Everytime I relax in my upgraded dwelling in the days ahead, I for one will have a constant reminder of that amazing love and grace.

Making the case…

I’m back…did you miss me?:-)

Today, an often discussed topic arose again on the SGN message boards, namely, “Who Is Your Favorite Quartet, And Why”?

Well, as you might imagine, I have a definite bias in this case. Although I ordinarily stay out of such discussions(I don’t like to step on the toes of anyone else’s favorites, after all), I couldn’t resist today. So here was my answer to that seemingly eternal question…

Well, I have been a gospel quartet fan almost all of my life. I’ve always liked all kinds of music, but ever since my ears latched on to gospel quartet singing at the age of 7, I have been hooked. Amidst all the top 40 music I loved as a kid, the country music I also experienced, and the jazz and classical music I grew to love come my high school years, quartet music has always been there…and never failed to move me.I grew up on a steady diet of the Blackwood Brothers, the Statesmen, the Rebels(w/their great bass, London Parris), the Oak Ridge Boys, the Harvesters, and the Stamps…but through it all, one quartet always has and continues to stand apart from the rest.
Without a doubt, the Couriers Quartet composed of Duane Nicholson, Neil Enloe, Don Baldwin, Dave Kyllonen, and “Little” David Young is the best and my favorite quartet of all of them I have ever heard.

And yes, I’m very familiar with the Cathedral Quartet, Gold City, the Kingsmen, and all the rest. Why the Couriers?

For openers, they were one of the most musically skilled quartets that ever sung. With two of the best musical minds in gospel music history doing their songwriting and arranging(Enloe and Young), one of the finest pure tenors in history(Nicholson), an exceedingly versatile and gifted lead singer(Enloe again), one of the most naturally gifted and expressive baritones(Baldwiin), and a often overlooked but competent bass(Kyllonen), not to mention one of the greatest pianists in gospel history(Young again), who was also an outstanding singer, the Couriers had the bases covered musically.

And in that regard, they had the universal and complete respect from almost every other group in the business….but they were always(to paraphrase Bill Gaither)about “more than the music”!

For, as Cliff(Cerce) said, they became gospel singers in obedience to a higher calling, and they have been faithful to that calling for some 50 years now. And their wives are all the helpmates one could ever hope for.

When I became a Christian in 1976, it didn’t surprise me to learn that the very men I grew up with whose singing I loved so much were such dedicated followers of Christ…if the message of their music is true(and it is), then that should be expected.

After I finally got to meet and know these heroes of mine, the really important thing about them to me isn’t that they were among the greatest gospel musicians of all time, but that they loved God with their hearts, souls, and minds…and were(and are)my friends.

So the question of who my favorite quartet is is a “slam dunk” to me…musically, no one was better.
As people, they are everything I want to be.

And while they may not get the most recognition of any gospel group, where it really counts, they are true “hall of famers”.

A thousand pardons!

Sorry I’ve not posted in a few days.

I am being forced to move from my current dwelling place(home just doesn’t seem to fit at this point)because a lot of Hurricane Katrinaesque mold has developed on the walls. The landlord sent an inspection crew out last week to give it a good look, and the day after, posted a 30-day notice for me to move out.

So for the next couple of weeks or so, my posting may be very sporadic as I attempt to secure a new place to hang my records and CDs.

If I come up with anything worth posting about, I will certainly do so…in the meantime, bear with me and pray for me as I attempt to deal with this latest curve in the road called “real life”.

How I made a million dollars just by wishing for it…

Just kidding!

Check your calendars….if you don’t get why I posted something like this here today, then this day was named for you.

Rubbing shoulders

Sometimes, the “perks” of life bring you unexpected and much needed joy…

On Wednesday, I had the rare privilege of special time with two of the greats of gospel music history.

For just over a year now, I have had the privilege of writing the SG History 101 feature of SouthernGospelNews.com. It was one of those things I just kind of “fell into”. The previous contributor to the feature, John Crenshaw, is recognized by general consensus to be the leading authority on the history of gospel music in this country…particularly when it comes to recordings. Early on in my gospel music online experience, I learned much from Mr. Crenshaw, and will always be indebted to him for not only fortifying my knowledge of gospel music(not bad to start with for a guy from California), but also contributing to some of the most cherished items in my gospel music collection on CD. It was with some trepidation, but a LOT of excitement when I was given his old spot on the SGN website. Suddenly, I was given the charge of sharing my own impressions and thoughts about the music that shaped my life and direction in so many ways.

My first real article there was on the Couriers..to me, arguably the most underappreciated group in gospel music history. To this day I maintain that that was not my greatest article by any means(would I LOVE to do THAT one over again), but what it did was forge three of the most important personal friendships of my life, with three of the best people I know..and for that alone, I am truly thankful.

Later, an article I did on the Downings brought two more wonderful people into my world…and just a few months ago, I was honored to write an article on “Little” David Young, truly a great and underrated figure in gospel music history, and made another tremendous friend as a result.

So while the pecuniary compensation has been negligible, the contribution in terms of life benefits has been beyond what I could have imagined or expected.

And my April article is on another key group in gospel music history, the Goss Brothers. Certainly they took gospel music by storm in the 1960s, and are still major contributors to it some 40 years later.

I learned much about and from them Wednesday from Roni and Lari Goss, who kindly gave their time and memories to me in an hour-long phone conversation, and not only did I learn much about them in a strictly biographical sense, I learned about them from a highly personal sense as well.

The overwhelming impression I got was how much they simply loved to make music, and do their utmost for God’s glory. Early on, they sensed that they were given a special gift from God, and chose to devote their lives to giving back to Him with that gift. It’s not so much that what they gave helped enrich the gospel music field immensely, and influenced other similarly gifted people to do likewise, but it was enough that it was their best. There is a life lesson for all of us, then, in studying the people who were foremost in blazing trails in the history of gospel music. I am honored and humbled to be chosen to increase that awareness.

More than that, I am proud and happy to call people like the Couriers and the Goss Brothers friends and brothers in Christ. To know them is to love them, and I truly hope that everyone gets to know them(and people like them)better. If I can help facilitate that, then I have done a valuable work indeed.

Back for more

Well, the four-day break was nice…but I don’t want any of you not-so-casual browsers to think that I’ve forgotten this little corner of mine(and yes, I know who you are and when you come and go), so I thought I’d remind you all that I’m still alive and well!

Thank you, Chris Becker, for your recent comment..and yes, people DO care what we think…or at least they like to satisfy their curiosity, anyway! It’s amazing where people go on the web when they’re bored(which explains why I turn up still in some forsaken corners of cyberspace)!:-)

Anyway, looks like business is picking up here…and howdies go out to Shari and Laura for discovering this little part of the web…glad to know you stop by once in a while!

So what’s been happening in gospel music? Well, another FanFair has come and gone…and like last year’s inaugural event, I neither came nor went to this one, either. My loss? I’m not sure…I haven’t heard what all my friends who went had to say about it…so I’m withholding my verdict until I get at least a reasonable idea on what happened there.

I’m not much for mega-events anyway…sure, you get to fraternize with the artists…but in gospel music, you generally do in most concerts anyway. Sometimes the buzz of being part of an “event” takes precedence over what is actually sung or done…in those cases, it kind of loses something as far as I’m concerned, anyway.

When I go to watch people sing, that is the focus of my attendance…not just to “be” somewhere. I’ve never been caught up in the “status” stuff(which is just as much a part of gospel music as it is anything else in this world)…when I go to concerts, it’s no more simple than because I want to see the people featured do what they do best…in this case, sing!

I go every year to the Great Western Southern Gospel Fan Festival here in Fresno(I do have a bit of a vested interest in THAT event), but it’s not because I HAVE to or I OUGHT to, but because I WANT to…I want to see the artists there sing, period.(and I DO like to meet the people who are in attendance as well, no question)…but it’s still primarily a music event that I come to see.

I’ve never been to the NQC, but I would go for the very same reasons, and have the very same concerns about it.

So what has that to do with FanFair? I’m not sure, but I felt led to share that much, anyway!

I’ll share more detailed observations concerning FanFair in future installments…I think I’ve written enough for tonight, and glancing around my desk, I see more pressing concerns that I need to tend to for now.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by, and may you all be blessed in various and sundry ways.

Page 29 of 31 pages « First  <  27 28 29 30 31 >