Jodi Hosterman Reportedly Joining Inspirations

Daniel Mount has the scoop that Dallas Rogers has stepped down from the Inspirations and will be replaced by Skyline Boys tenor, Jodi Hosterman.  This is a very surprising move, as Rogers really had seemed to fit well with the Inspirations, as his vocal similarity to Archie Watkins had been well documented.  Hosterman is a very good tenor vocalist, and will definitely be a credit to the group, though I must confess I’ve never pictured him as being an Inspirations style tenor.  His work with the Kingdom Heirs was great, and I would have pictured him more along the lines of say the Kingsmen or even Legacy 5 in terms of style.  Still, it will be good to see Jodi in a more prominent place in SG, and will be interesting to hear how the Inspirations change vocally.  Best wishes to Dallas, Jodi, and the Inspirations as they go through this transition.

Crossroads’ Soundtrack Demos

Nate had tipped me off to this a while back, but neither of us had really checked it out much until yesterday afternoon, but Crossroads’ soundtrack demos can be previewed in their entirety and can even be purchased at their normal price of $0.99 per song.  Most of you are probably thinking, why would I want to download soundtrack demos?  The answer is this:  Most of the demos feature Arthur Rice, and others have vocalists like Lauren Talley, Jodi Hosterman, David Sutton, Jeff Chapman, and Eric Bennett.  Here are some of the most impressive ones I’ve heard so far:

• “God Handled It All” – Features Arthur Rice singing the top 3 parts of the quartet and Jeff Chapman (I’m guessing) singing bass.  Rice absolutely drills the high D that Jay Parrack hits on the end of the song.  Incredibly impressive.
• “Mary Knew” – Jodi Hosterman sings the demo for this Brian Free & Assurance song beautifully.  He needs to cover this song sometime on a proper recording.
• “Are You Ready” – David Sutton does a great job on this Gold City hit.
• “I’m Rich” – Lauren Talley steps up to the plate and does a nice job on this tune.
• “I’ll Tell It Wherever I Go” – Lauren Talley nails this GVB hit song.  It really fits her voice well.
• “Healing” – Eric Bennett and Arthur Rice team up for this Cathedrals song, with Rice again handling the 3 top parts.

Incredibly gifted athletes are sometimes referred to as “freaks of nature”, so to extend that metaphor, Arthur Rice is definitely a “freak of nature.”  And I mean that in the nicest, most complimentary way possible.  There are plenty of other great soundtrack demos on the site, so spend a little time checking them out.

SG Insights: Jodi Hosterman – Skyline Boys

I recently had a conversattion with Jodi Hosterman, tenor for the Skyline Boys, to discuss the group and their soon to be released debut album from Crossroads.  Here is the interview:

WB: Some folks may not be too familiar with the Skyline Boys. Can you give us a brief overview of the quartet?

JH:The owner of our group Dennis Powers created the Skyline Boys in 1995. The group consists of Rob Nykamp at lead, Bob Nitz at baritone, Dennis Powers at bass, and myself at tenor. This lineup has been together almost 2 years now.

WB: How were you able to catch Crossroads’ attention? What role, if any, did your connections from your Kingdom Heirs tenure play in getting signed?

JH: Our affiliation with Crossroads came about through some business dealings with Zane King who co-owned Journey Records with Dennis. Zane was actually very instrumental in brokering the deal with Crossroads and we are very grateful to him both for his work in producing 2 of our projects and for “selling” Crossroads on the Skyline Boys. To my knowledge, my tenure with the Kingdom Heirs played no role whatsoever. I’d like to think it helped on some level, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a factor.

WB: Stylistically, what can we expect from the new CD? Is it similar to what you have recorded previously and how did working with Crossroads for this release stretch you musically?

JH: This CD is what fans have come to expect from the Skyline Boys: great songs, good singing, and a diversity of styles. This project has something for everyone. We have some straightforward Southern Gospel quartet songs. We have a cover of the classic Goodmans song “Look For Me.” And we have some great inspirational ballads on this CD. Our producer, Jeff Collins, was fantastic to work with. I had worked with Jeff before and I was really looking forward to working with him again. Jeff is great to work with in that he has a very clear idea about what he wants but he allowed us to present our musical ideas as well and we combined a little of each to make a great record. We sang some very intricate harmonies on this project and it was really nice to hear our hard work rewarded in the end product. I also wanted to mention the street date for the project. It is entitled “Free And Forgiven” and will be released on Wednesday night September 10 at the National Quartet Convention.

WB: What two or three songs really stand out to you on the new project?

JH: It is really hard for me to pick just a couple songs that stand out. This is by far our best project to date and I am thrilled with the results. One song in particular is called “Blood On My Hands.” It was written by Daryl Williams and is a fantastic song. I am very surprised that someone hadn’t cut this song before us but, maybe, it was meant for us to record it. It looks at the Crucifixion from our point of view. Meaning that, even though we weren’t present at the actual Crucifixion, we are still just as guilty as the soldiers who drove the nails and that blood they spilled is on our hands as well. But it is that very blood on our hands that has brought redemption. What a message! Our first radio single is also a “stand out” song in my opinion. It is called “I’m Moving Out Of Here” and was written by the President of Crossroads Chris White. Many people don’t know that Chris had quartets and used to travel back in the day and is a very accomplished songwriter. Now let me just say that we didn’t record the song just because Chris wrote it. It was pitched to us along with about 100 other songs and we wanted to cut it from our first listen. It is as pure “Southern quartet” as you can get. We are very hopeful that radio will embrace it and that folks will love it as much as we do.

WB: How much of an adjustment was it to go from the theme park schedule back to a typical road schedule?

JH: It was really no adjustment for me at all. Prior to the Kingdom Heirs, the road was all I knew. It was a bigger adjustment for me to go from the road to the park than vice versa. Now I will say that those KH guys have the best situation there is. You are home in your own bed most every night and you can watch your kids grow up before your eyes in real life instead of through pictures and the cell phone. But they pay a high price for that luxury. I have a lot respect for those guys and the work they do.

WB: What can fans expect from a Skyline Boys concert?

JH: A Skyline Boys concert is, for the most part, what you would expect from any quartet concert. Not a lot of hair, bad jokes, and some questionable fashion choices. Apart from that though, we take the presentation of the gospel very seriously. We want to be the best we can be musically so nothing gets in the way of the message we are singing. We are presenting Jesus when we sing and we want folks to see Him in every aspect of our program. We ask permission to give an invitation at the conclusion of each service as we feel that is the most important thing we will do: to give folks the opportunity to meet this Jesus we have just sung about. That is the primary goal of each member of the Skyline Boys and we are honored that God has entrusted His call to us.

Thanks Jodi, for taking the time to share a little about your ministry and your new recording with this blog and its readers!  Be looking for a review of the CD soon.

Hidden Gems: Kingdom Heirs – “Embrace Of Grace”

This song comes off 2004′s Forever Changed album.  This was the second mainline release with the lineup of Jodi Hosterman, Arthur Rice, Steve French, and Jeff Chapman.  The album produced two monster hits for the Kingdom Heirs with the title track and “I Know I’m Going There”, but buried down at track 6 is this gem of a song penned by Phil Cross.  According to Jodi Hosterman, this song was on the end of a several song demo that Cross sent to the group.  Cross wasn’t really pitching the song to them, as he thought it was too different, but was just looking for an opinion on the song.  When they heard the song, they loved it and ended up cutting it.

Musically this song is very atypical for the Kingdom Heirs.  It is almost an Adult Contemporary/Inspirational feel ballad.  The first verse features a nice smooth unison from the group, which is very atypical for a SG recording.  The chorus splits into 4 part harmony that is performed very well.  Arthur Rice sings the first two lines of the second verse solo, then there’s a unison line, a two part line, and finally a 4 part line before repeating the chorus.  The tag features Arthur singing lead with some unison background parts before ending on a 4 part last word.

This song is really a departure from what the Kingdom Heirs have been known for, but in this case the musical stretch really pays off.  This is a gorgeous tune that is perfomed to perfection by the Kingdom Heirs.  Pull out your CD and give this track a listen, it’s a true hidden gem!

Skyline Boys Sign With Crossroads

According to a press release from Crossroads, they’ve just signed the Skyline Boys to a recording deal. Normally I refrain from posting this stuff, but what makes this interesting is that the tenor for the group is Jodi Hosterman. Hosterman, as you recall, joined the group after an all too brief tenure with the Kingdom Heirs. Nice to see that he is returning to a major label with his current group, I really liked his sound with the Kingdom Heirs.

Here is their release:

The Skyline Boys of Purceville, Va. have just signed a label agreement with Crossroads Entertainment. Having had strong success throughout their career, the quartet is poised to continue that trend with this new agreement that will include recording, retail distribution and radio support. Skyline Boys owner Dennis Powers states, “We have had some great help along the way in helping us be successful at what we do. We now believe that this new association with Crossroads can only enhance our future possibilities”.

Having posted several top 40 songs over the last few years such as Worth The Trip, When I Walk Into Heaven and their latest You’ve Never Been Alone, the Skyline Boys have established themselves in Southern Gospel radio across America. As well, major concert promoters have experienced an artist that can not only deliver great music from the platform, but can also reach into the hearts of people with the great message of God’s never ending gifts. Crossroads executive Chris White says, “The Skyline Boys are a group of seasoned performers across the front line. They bring not only talent but experience with them. We are excited to see what new heights this traditional quartet can reach in the coming years, with the help of our great staff of people”.