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Gospel recommendations


Phil W

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I know Alex C has asked a similar question in the past but there is always new stuff and I haven't developed my chops with the 'search' function on the new forum yet.

 

I'm looking for some recommendations of great gospel music, funky or soulful, new or old; preferably with links to Youtube or soundclips. I want to expand my listening in that area of music.

 

Thanks to Rocky and Matt for posts on the American Idol thread which have prompted this question.

 

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Ashley Cleveland Has some great stuff. The album "You Are There" has some great stuff on it, and what I have heard of the new album is pretty good too.

For worship stuff, I like Israel Houghton & New Breed . He has several CDs out that are good. Those two ought to get you started.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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Most of Beverly Crawford's albums are live church services and the quality of the recordings are really great. She has a super band behind her with a great bassist.

 

Rocky

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin

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No, I checked them today. I loved them all. Hey, one of my bass players was playing with Tommy Walker on that clip! So which are the best recordings of these guys? Any what are considered the ultimate gospel music recordings? You know like if someone asked me for 10 great jazz, funk or rock recordings I could do that but I'm sadly unaware of the history and dvelopement of Gospel music to the same extent.

 

Andrew Gouche is stunning!

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If you guys want funky uptempo gospel you have to give a listen to Bryan Duncan. He does a great cover with Bob Carlisle of Love is the Answer. It has a great bass intro. He has some very funky things like James Brown .He does several styles and with a great band and is a great singer

 

Many people overlook some of the great Brooklyn Tabernacle choir arrangements because of the choir like sound. But underneath all that are some great arrangements .Some of the best arrangements (gospel choir) in the business are Written by Bradley Knight,Geron Davis and Carol Cymbala. Lots of gospel structure blended with jazz.

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gospel is the kind of music that i most like listening to.

 

The album that i've been most intrigued with recently is:

 

"Let it rain" by Paul Morton

 

Gouche is the bass player and he's phenomenal. They have a good mixture of traditional and contemporary gospel...as well as gospel ballads. Gouche is like a gospel encyclopedia. He does a great job of demonstrating textbook gospel bass guitar chops in addition to being himself.

 

I would also recommend....ummmmm......

 

both of micah stampley's albums. (a fresh wind and songbook of micah)

 

Dissimilar to Paul Morton's album, his album isn't a big choir, but rather a group of about 10 people singing. He would fall into the category of contemporary gospel.

 

I believe the bass players that he has on his albums are darrell freeman and maurice fitzgerald. They are also encyclopedias in their own right, but you will hear a COMPLETELY different approach to playing.

 

These three players have influenced my playing significantly...not to say that i'm anywhere near their playing ability, but when I think about what a really good bass line would be for a particular song, their stuff is in my head.

 

jason

2cor5:21

Soli Deo Gloria

 

"it's the beauty of a community. it takes a village to raise a[n] [LLroomtempJ]." -robb

 

My YouTube Channel

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So which are the best recordings of these guys? Any what are considered the ultimate gospel music recordings? You know like if someone asked me for 10 great jazz, funk or rock recordings I could do that but I'm sadly unaware of the history and dvelopement of Gospel music to the same extent.

 

Well, I don't know if there is a really definitive Gospel album, because there are so many different styles of Gospel music these days. You have to remember that the whole point of Gospel music is that it's not meant to be specifically about the music, per se. Consequently, stuff that amounts to musical oatmeal

can be considered great Gospel music. That has changed a bit in the last 20 years or so, but the most popular stuff is pretty bland. The Gospel audience has always been that way, and the best stuff musically isn't always popular. So, the best music isn't always preserved more than a couple of years.

 

Up till the 60's, the only Gospel music that made it into wider sales was people like Merrill Womack and George Beverly Shea, operatic sort of voices with orchestral or piano backup. Country singers usually did the obligatory Gospel album, but it was pretty straight stuff, hymms and that sort of thing. Even Elvis, King of Rock and Roll though he was, did very traditionally styled stuff on his Gospel LPs. In the md to late 60's, Larry Norman brought rock into the Gospel scene, and got a lot of flak for doing it, too. Worst of all, it was a long time before black Gospel singers got much distribution from the big labels. That stuff was still called "race music", and no one thought there would be much of a market for it among white folks.

 

Stuff like Tommy Walker and Ron Kenoly is a pretty recent innovation in Gospel music. If you want some historic stuff, Mahalia Jackson is very well thought of, as is Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She was a great guitar player and Gospel singer in the 40's and 50's. I've seen video clips of her really tearing it up on a white 62 Les Paul, with a choir and band backing her up. Hot stuff.

 

Southern Gospel quartets are big sellers, but the music is mostly just piano. Sometimes they have a band, but not always, and the whole deal is about the vocal harmony rather than the isntrumental music.

 

The biggest sellers, I'm afraid, are the quartets or the solo singers, most of whom are pretty middle-of-the-road. Not really my cup of tea, and certqinly not what I would call a definitive Gospel album. Ilke I said, there are so many styles in Gospel music that it would be hard to call one album definitive.

 

 

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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That is great stuff Picker. I take your point about the nature of Gospel music. I have played in Church so I'm aware of the dichotomy between providing a foundation for all to become involved in praise and worship and and musicians and singers worshipping through their 'instruments'. I've played in Churches where I've found the music a little bland - maybe just the taste of the congregation. Luckily I used to play in an Anglican church witha large number of Black ex-Pentecostal members and they dug a funkier style and even got out the tambourines. I'm loking to explore the breadth of Gospel music - any great music inspired by the love and worship of the Lord. Currently I'm listening to lot of organ music and traditional hymnns and Gospel musicians like Bach and Handel but I'm trying to explore the depth of Gospel music grounded in the African American experience.
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Most black Gospel has certainly gotten Funky over the last few years. I love it. So many churchs have really expanded their music programs. My church hires professionals and we have a 15 piece orchestra. They get very funky for white guys. It is a non-denominational church with two services on Sunday with about 5,000 at each service. The pastor and his family are very musical and he blows a mean sax about 4-5 times a year. The churchs that are really growing in the US are the ones with great music and great preaching.

 

Rocky

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin

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I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church but converted to Catholicism about 10 years ago. While the music traditionally used by Catholics is fantastic, I miss the songs that I was raised on. Here are a few, presented in various styles, all of which were common in this region of the U.S. Most of it is blatantly un-funky, but it's all soulful.

 

Elvis Presley

Peace In The Valley (and Ed Sullivan's personal endorsement)

 

Jennifer Holliday

His Eye Is On The Sparrow pt. 1

His Eye Is On The Sparrow pt. 2

 

The Statler Brothers

When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

I'll Fly Away

 

Johnny Cash

I Saw The Light

 

Various

Ricky Scaggs & Kentucky Thunder

James Brown, Chaka Kahn: The Old Landmark

 

And last but not least, A Sign Of The Apocalypse!!!

Steven Tyler singing Amazing Grace (and not too badly!?!)

My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace
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I do have an alltime favorite. It is "Amazing Grace" sung by Dianne Schuur. IMHO she has the most fabulous voice I have ever heard. Count the octaves she hits at the very end of the song.

 

Rocky

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin

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