Genius, Guts, and Glory
Today, Daniel Mount asked his blog readers to name Southern Gospel performers in three categories: often overlooked geniuses who typically perform at a more sophisticated level than their average audiences appreciate, performers who make their act sell by sheer force of will and an innate ability to connect with an audience, and those rare intensely intelligent performers who have tremendous rapport with their fans as well.
I limited myself to three in each category:
Underrated Geniuses: Stan Whitmire, Jason Webb, Otis Forrest (three keyboard guys typically found behind the scenes…no surprise)
Gutsy Success Stories: Vestal Goodman, Jim Hamill, Chris Freeman
Glorified Geniuses: JD Sumner, Lari Goss, Janet Paschal
(UPDATE: My auto-Amazon.com linking code just found a 1998 Jason Webb solo CD that I knew nothing about…and they have it available as MP3 downloads, too! If Webb’s name isn’t highlighted above for you, click HERE. I’ll be downloading this one.)
How about those who are called “geniuses” or considered to be a a highly sophisticated level, but it’s actually hype? Bet you could name more than three in that group.
David, I would absolutely agree with Stan Whitmire and Jason Webb. I haven’t heard enough of Otis Forrest’s stuff to have an opinion. Whitmire is now our greatest live-audience player in SG music (actually I think he was better than the great Anthony Burger…..he couldn’t move across the keyboard as fast, but his playing and feel for the moment was/is better). Jason Webb is sensational. I have watched him work in the studio myself as a session leader and pianist. He is very inventive and has a feel for the perfect fill that fits the moment in a song. He’s a very nice guy as well. I’m convinced there’s not another pianist in Nashville who can top Webb.
No one on this site or Daniel’s has mentioned Johnny Minick. That says it all. Should be on list #1. The average fan has no idea how talented this guy is. He is the poster-child for “underrated”…really.