NQC Awards Ballot: First Round

Since several others have posted their ballots in the first round of the NQC awards voting, I will do the same.

• Bass: Tim Riley
• Baritone: Mark Trammell
• Lead: Bill Shivers
• Tenor: Gus Gaches
• Soprano: Karen Peck Gooch
• Alto: Courtney Collingsworth Metz
• Soloist: Steve Ladd
• Male Group: Gold City
• Mixed Group: Collingsworth Family
• Musician: Jeff Stice
• Album: Let It Be Known – Booth Brothers
• Song: “On The Banks Of The Promised Land” – Karen Peck and New River

A Changing View Of Albums

We’ve talked a lot on this and other blogs about how the digital age will prompt a change in philosophy in terms of SG recordings.  We’ve talked about the return of the single, and early radio releases from projects that are not commercially available yet, and other such topics.  Those thoughts and points of view are now starting to place themselves in front of artists more directly, and as Gus Gaches notes in Legacy Five’s latest blog post, may begin to change the way artists approach their recordings.  Gus’s anecdote is amusing, but his discussion that follows is very much thought provoking.  In fact, an artist I talked to recently, whose new CD I will be reviewing shortly, said that they had changed their philosophy for this recording along these same lines.  Give the L5 post a read, it’s worth your time to get an artist’s perspective on the changing times.

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

Wow, where to start.  I spend a little less than a week on vacation and everything goes to pot.  First off, thanks to Nate for doing the wonderful job of keeping things posted for me while I was gone.  I also want to thank DeeAnn for the report from the first concert with the new Gold City lineup.  I guess I’ll just jump right in:

• EHSS Changes. This came as quite a surprise.  EH&SS is riding high right now, so any changes are unexpected, but not too surprising.  Out of the four vocalists, I probably would have pegged Ryan Seaton as the first to leave, no real reason for that, just my hunch.  I think McGlamery is a great addition for the group.  Devin has been to my church with the Dixie Melody Boys a couple of times in the past, and he is a great quartet lead singer.  Even though KP&NR is a different dynamic as a mixed trio, traveling with Karen can only help one’s vocal ability and stage presence, as Karen is truly one of the greats.  Don’t expect EHSS to miss a beat (pun intended, of course) with the change.
• Gold City 2010. I really enjoyed DeeAnn’s report, and after watching the videos posted on various blogs, I am genuinely excited to see what is in store for this group.  For one three hour practice, Josh Cobb did rather well, he struggled with lyrics and his part in a couple of places, but did a great job considering.  I was also surprised at how clear and strong his upper register seemed to be, as Legacy Five didn’t really pitch their songs high enough for me to get a good handle on his range.  I also appreciated Daniel Riley’s candor in this interview when he states that he knew he had to make a big splash with this transition, as that he knew the fans were questioning the group’s viability.  I’m sure it wasn’t hard to see, but I appreciate his honesty instead of glossing over the concern.  This particular lineup has a world of potential, and I’m a bit eased by the fact that he specifically mentioned Roy Webb’s commitment to the quartet, and his comments to me sounded like Roy is fulfilling his previous engagements, and will schedule solo concerts around GC’s schedule, instead of making the GC dates around his solo schedule.  I’m looking for big things from these guys.
• Gus Gaches/Legacy Five. Brandon’s blog post is worth reading, and the videos on Daniel’s blog tell the story.  Gus will become one of the top tenors in SG with Legacy Five.  He already was with Priority, but with the increased exposure he will get with Legacy Five, he will cement himself in the top tier of tenors.  Yes, he’s that good.

That’s all I can think of for right now, but I’m sure I’ll come up with some more things that I missed while enjoying sunny and mild (if not warm) Florida.  By the way, Mickey said to tell all of you hello, and don’t look for Donald to hit the quartet ranks any time soon!

More From Gus Gaches

Legacy Five has a blog post up with a light hearted “interview” with Gus Gaches.  I don’t think Tim Parton will be challenging Oprah or Geraldo for interviews any time soon, but it is a nice entertaining read.

YouTube Clip Revisited – Gus Gaches

Here is a great song featuring Legacy Five’s new tenor, Gus Gaches.  This was originally posted on September 9, 2009.

https://burkesbrainwork.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/youtube-clip-28-priority-quartet/

Gus Gaches New Tenor For Legacy Five

Legacy Five has just announced that Gus Gaches is their new tenor.  Gus had been singing tenor for Priority, and has one of the smoothest tenor voices you’ll hear.  Congratulations to Gus and Legacy Five.

YouTube Clip #28 – Priority Quartet

I had the honor of having Priority (formerly known as The Mike LeFevre Quartet) at my church a few weeks ago.  Here is a clip off their live DVD featuring a song from “Total Praise.”  This is a great feature for their tenor Gus Gaches, who in my opinion is one of the best full voice tenors out there.  Take a listen and you’ll understand why  he is quickly becoming a favorite.