Review: Liberty Quartet – The Journey

This is the latest recording from Liberty Quartet from Boise, ID and features Keith Waggoner, Tenor; Dan Gilbert, Lead; Jordan Cragun, Baritone; Royce Mitchell, Bass with Doran Ritchey as pianist, though Doran has since left the group to join up with Phil Cross.  While this is an independent release, it was recorded at Crossroads’ Studios.

Tracks:

1. The Journey – This celtic flavored midtempo number was written by Doran Ritchey and Jim Davis and is a fine way to start the album.  I particularly the way they mix up the use of unison and two part harmonies in addition to the full four part quartet harmonies.  I also love the harmonies on the bridge.  This is a solid opener with nice vocals.  8.5/10
2. He Came Down To My Level – Dwight Liles’ classic is given an acoustic, driving country feel, and even features a mouth harp prominently in the track.  It really gives the song a unique feel from other versions.  Bass singer Royce Mitchell is featured on the verses and he does a stand up job on them.  The vocal arrangement on this song is quite different than any other one you’ve probably heard, and that’s not a bad thing.  Mitchell gets the opportunity to smack some nice low notes on the last chorus when the harmonies are inverted.  I like the way Liberty made this song their own.  9/10
3. I Made It Mine – Jordan Cragun gets his first feature on this Doran Ritchey penned tune.  It is given an acoustic/mountain midtempo feel.  Cragun’s voice really fits this story type song, and the vocals on the chorus are incredibly smooth.  This song really features some great singing.  This style isn’t normally my favorite, but this is a good song.  8.5/10
4. I Love Living In Grace – This Rodney Griffin tune is given a big band jazz type feel, and this is Liberty at their best.  The verses feature some great four part harmony.  These guys know how to sing, and they excel with the jazzy songs.  Smooth vocals and some bass echoes from Royce Mitchell on the second chorus are highlights.  The key changes and Keith Waggoner takes the melody on the chorus from Dan Gilbert.  This is one of my favorite songs on the CD.  9.5/10
5. Till There Was Jesus – A classic from W. Elmo Mercer is given a soft jazz treatment by the group.  As I said above, Liberty excels with this style.  The track features some nice jazz piano playing.  This is a great performance with some nice harmonies and chords.  Royce Mitchell gets the second verse as a solo and shows off some nice vocals.  The cascading harmonies leading into the second chorus are breathtaking.  This is a simply amazing track.  10/10
6. God Made A Way – John Robinson and Twila LaBar contribute this driving country song.  Dan Gilbert is featured on this tune and shows that he is a more than capable lead singer.  Solid quartet harmonies highlight this track.  This is just a solid, solid song.  7.5/10
7. He Came To Me – This ballad by Jeff Bumgardner is given a slightly progressive feel, and is the only song to feature tenor Keith Waggoner.  Keith is a very underrated tenor that has a nice full, smooth sound.  I really like the syncopated rhythm that shows up in spots in the chorus.  Powerful lyrics and smooth harmonies make this song another highlight of the disc.  9.5/10
8. The Welcome – Doran Ritchey is featured on this song that he penned.  It’s an acoustic ballad, that has some great harmonies.  The message of the song is very strong as well.  I also really like the percussion on the track, it’s very well done.  Solid tune.  7.5/10
9. Too Long – This Doran Ritchey tune is given a fairly straight ahead quartet reading by the group as it bounces along.  The chorus features a few solo pickup lines from Royce Mitchell.  There is some really nice close harmony in the chorus that is easy to miss if you aren’t listening closely.  Mitchell also sings the verses as a bass solo.  This is an enjoyable song.  8/10
10. He’ll Come Through – This straight ahead mid to up tempo song was written by Doran Ritchey.  Dan Gilbert is featured on the verses here and he provides some smooth lead vocals.  Smooth quartet harmonies highlight the chorus.  This is another solid song.  The round like tag on this song is worth mentioning as well, it is very well done.  7.5/10
11. In The Day Of The Lord – Jim Davis and Joel Lindsey penned this ballad, and Jordan Cragun does a fine job on the first verse.  The first chorus features almost a call and response feel from Cragun and the rest of the quartet in unison.  Cragun then sings the second verse.  The quartet comes in with nice harmony on the second that also features some nice quick cascading harmonies.  A bridge in unison builds the intensity to the last chorus again featuring smooth harmonies from the group.  This song fits the quartet like a glove, they really need to continue recording songs in this style.  Great job!  9.5/10
12. Welcome To Heaven – Phil Cross’ classic originally recorded by the Singing Americans closes out the disc.  Lead singer Dan Gilbert really puts his own spin on the song, and doesn’t try to sound like Michael English (or Clayton Inman, for that matter).  I applaud him for resisting the temptation to try and do something that wouldn’t really fit his style.  As it is, he makes the song his own while still showing off some nice range, and there are some subtle differences in the harmonies on the chorus from the original version.  They have some nice passing tones as they change chords that really add a lot to the song.  This is very well done.  9.5/10

Overall: 8.5 Liberty Quartet has produced a very fine album with The Journey.  The group does a great job of selecting songs that fit their voices well.  They have the creativity and ability to add a lot of variety to their recordings without pushing their vocal ranges out of their comfort zones.  The tracks are all very well done, and the vocal performances are great.  These guys know how to sing, and how to sing correctly.  It continues to baffle me why they haven’t been signed by a major label yet, they most certainly have the talent and creativity to be an asset to any label’s roster.  Jordan Cragun has fit in nicely with the group’s sound, Royce Mitchell is an excellent bass singer, Dan Gilbert is a quintessential quartet lead, and Keith Waggoner has one of the finest tenor voices you’ll ever find.  This is a very good CD that you really need to check out.  Great job guys!

Note: This CD was supplied at no cost to the reviewer, however, this fact in no way influences the above review.

Ed O’Neal’s Food For Thought

I was listening to the Dixie Melody Boys’ project from 1997, 100% Pure Southern Gospel yesterday, and I guess I’d always skipped the last track, which is a recitation entitled “I Love To Tell The Story”.  The recitation is Ed’s response to a letter that was sent to a gospel music publication (Singing News, I’m sure) that criticized groups for selling tapes, T-shirts, and the like.  Ed’s response is very well articulated and thought out, and details some of what all goes in to traveling and recording SG music.  It seems that every few weeks or so, another entertainment/ministry or financial debate rages on various blogs and message boards.  Take some time and seek out this track, I think Ed gives a much needed dose of perspective.

Where Are They Now? – Dale Shipley

Well, as of 7:30 PM last night, Dale was eating at the On The Border Mexican restaurant across from the Wolfchase Mall here in the Memphis area.  As was yours truly at another table across the room.  With 2 kids that were tired of shopping.  That is all. 

Hidden Gems: The Downings – “Searchin’”

OK, everyone who though that this song was introduced by the Gaithers and Talley Trio, raise your hands.  I’m ashamed to admit that mine is raised as well.  This song is one of the primary songs that catapulted the Talley Trio into the upper tier of SG artists.  However, I was unpacking a box of CDs from my recent move, and came across my CD copy of the Downings’ 1969 LP Sheltered In The Arms Of God.  This album features Sue Dodge, Ann Downing, Greg Gordon, Dickie Matthews, and Paul Downing.  Buried at track 10, lo and behold I heard this song.  Ann Downing has the melody on the verses while Greg Gordon takes the lead on the first two choruses.  The key changes and Sue Dodge takes the lead for the last chorus and tag.  I was so surprised by the inclusion of this song that I contacted Ann via Facebook.  She told me that they got the song from a then unknown writer named Nancy Harmon (who ended up with a little bit of songwriting success, to say the least), and that the song became a regular entry in their concert set list for about a year.  It’s quite amazing what treasures you sometimes find if you look in the right place.  Pull out your LP and give it a spin!

Some Questions Answered About NQC Live

Daniel Mount again has a fascinating blog post up.  This was actually contributed by Chris White of Crossroads Music, and in it he explains some of the rationale behind the NQC Live series, and how artists/songs are chosen and/or omitted from the lineup.  White’s post came from some recent discussion on Daniel’s site about the lineup for the new addition to the NQC Live series.  This is candid information that a lot of times fans are not privy to, so I applaud Chris and Crossroads for their transparency and willingness to answer some of the questions that the SG fans/customers have regarding said product.

Release Date For Next GVB CD Set

According to newreleasetuesday.com, the Gaither Vocal Band’s long awaited CD of new material, Better Day, is due to release on Jan. 26, 2010.  It was always known that Reunited was a “quickie” release to get some product out with the all star lineup of the GVB, but Better Day will give us the chance to hear new material that was chosen and arranged specifically for the quintet.  This should be a good one!

Singing News Back Issues

The Singing News now has back issues available in their online store. (hat tip, Brandon)  This is a great move by the Singing News to make these issues available.  However, be prepared to shell out some money if you are looking to get issues from very far back.  While there are spotty amounts of issues going all the way back to 1970, current year back issues are $5, last year is $8, and the prices continue to go up the farther back you go.  Want the May, 1983 issue (which is reportedly the first in a true magazine format with Kelly Nelon Thompson on the cover)?  Be prepared to pay $58.  The prices seem a bit exorbitant, but if that’s what the market will bear, more power to the SN.  I personally expect that they will have to revisit their prices before they get much business out of it, but it will be interesting to watch and see how sales go.  I may be surprised, who knows.

A Must Read Interview

Daniel Mount has posted a very heartfelt interview that he conducted at NQC with Mark Trammell.  It is a must read for any SG fan.  Kudos to Daniel, and to Mark for sharing some great insights.  I had the tremendous privilege of becoming acquainted with Mark when I was doing Gold City’s website years ago, and he remains one of my absolute favorite people in Southern Gospel.  His heart really comes through in the thoughts he shared with Daniel.

Prayer Requested For Jim Hutson

Jim Hutson, brother to the Kingsmen’s Bryan Hutson, and himself a singer and DJ, was involved in a serious accident last night.  According to Bryan’s Facebook page, Jim is scheduled for surgery at 8:00 AM this morning.  Please be in prayer for the Hutson family.

Hidden Gems: Friends IV – “The Great Medley”

This song is from the 1994 debut album from Friends IV, An Offering, and features Chuck Sullivan as tenor, Terry Blackwood on lead, Larry Orrell as baritone, and John Hall on bass.  You’ve probably heard this song before, but not exactly this version.  Anthony Burger removed all but the vocal stacks on the chorus and played this song very frequently as a piano solo.  While Anthony’s playing is exquisite, the original recording from Friends IV is just as exquisite.

Arranged by Lari Goss, this medley starts with a line from  “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, then moves on to “How Big Is God”,  which features a brilliant bass solo from John Hall and some incredibly well done harmonies on the second verse that wrap around Hall’s lead vocals.    Hall had the unenviable task of following JD Sumner with the Blackwood Brothers, which has tended to take some of the sheen off his reputation as a vocalist, but he really is a great bass vocalist.  Though he tends to be buried some in the harmonies, he shows some nice upper register.  The group then moves through a chorus of “How Great Thou Art” which again features Hall with Terry Blackwood.  Their transitions between songs and tags are simply magnificent.  They tag the medley with simply singing “Great is thy faithfulness/How great thou art, how great thou art” with an incredibly powerful ending with Goss’s trademark full orchestration behind them.

While Anthony Burger really brought this song to the forefront by playing it for numerous Gaither events, and I’m pretty sure it made at least one video, it’s well worth your while to pull out the original vocal version by Friends IV.  It’s a great performance by an all too short lived group.