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Dave's Top Eight
1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars) Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.
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Most Recent Articles
Why blog? (Three years and counting)
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-----------July 2, 2007NQC Article In Christian Voice MagazineOver the last few days, I've been putting together a feature article for Christian Voice magazine. The article should appear in their August issue. It's all about the National Quartet Convention, both the history of the event and what to expect in Louisville this September. One of the more precise details I obtained while rounding up info for the article concerns access to Freedom Hall from the Exhibit Hall. Due to construction, the Exhibit Hall will again be located in South Wings A and B this year. However, you won't have to go outside to get to Freedom Hall and you won't have to walk through a tunnel either. Instead, you'll have easier access through the brand new lobby of East Hall. I didn't include that little tidbit in the article, but I thought I'd go ahead and pass it along here for anyone who is interested. Labels: NQC March 1, 2007AUDIO/PODCAST INTERVIEW>> The PfeifersHere's my interview with John and Candy Pfeifer (siblings) and good friend Mary Jane Carter who collectively make up the unique Gospel sound of the Pfeifers. BONUS: When you listen to the interview, you'll also hear some industry discussion about the new American Gospel Music brand and the Pfeifers' involvement. Labels: audio, Interviews, NQC, podcast February 2, 2007NQC 2007 ScheduleThe 2007 schedule for NQC has been posted (subject to change, of course). Click HERE for Mon-Wed and HERE for Thur-Sat. Comparing the 2007 schedule to the 2006 schedule, several changes stick out. 1. First and foremost, quartet night is gone. For years, the evening concert on Monday night has been limited to male quartets, but in 2007, Monday evening will be just like the rest of the week with a mixture of quartets and trios. That really stinks...worse than the Singing News Fan Awards changes, in my opinion. Fortunately, the non-male quartets on the program for Monday night are mostly solid names, including the Booth Brothers, Greater Vision, Hoppers, Karen Peck & New River, Mark Trammell Trio, Perrys, and the Talley Trio. The Pfeifers and a couple of somewhat lesser known quartets (Torchmen and Southern Sound out of Nashville, TN) round out the evening. 2. The evening concerts in 2006 featured 17-18 acts per night with the exception of Thursday, which had 12 acts plus the Singing New Fan Awards event. The 2007 schedule currently has one or two fewer acts listed per night, but it's possible more artists will be added before the event. 3. Two groups will kick off the week with a Sunday night concert again. This year's groups are Legacy Five and the Booth Brothers. 4. Wednesday's three showcases are the same as 2006...Vintage Quartets, Artist Spotlight, and Dennis Swanberg (comedy). On the Vintage Quartet showcase, the Dove Brothers, Florida Boys, and Kingdom Heirs return for another year. The Perrys and Palmetto State have been replaced by Brian Free & Assurance and Gold City. On the Artist Spotlight showcase, the Diplomats, Gospel Enforcers, Sons Family, and Singing Ambassadors are back. The Hayes Family and Ricky Atkinson & Compassion have been replaced by Called Out and Heirline. (RA&C graduated to the main stage.) 6. Thursday's showcases are mostly fresh for 2007. The Bluegrass Pickin' Jamboree hosted by Tim Surrett and Les Butler is back, but gone are Mosie's Men, the Artist Spotlight Showcase, and the Low Bass Competition. These have been replaced with the Sevier Heights Baptist Choir and Orchestra, Aaron Wilburn (comedy), and a relocated Instrumentalists Jam Session hosted by Tim Lovelace. (The jam session was on Saturday last year.) 7. Friday will follow the same schedule as 2006. Showcases include Dr. David Jeremiah, two Artist Spotlight showcases, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers, and Mike Speck's Choral Extravaganza. The first Artist Spotlight will have 3 for 1, the Duvalls, and the pink suited Northmen, just as in 2006. Amy Lambert, the Torchmen, and the Hoskins Family have been replaced by the Browns, Collingsworth Family, and Daryl Williams Trio. (The Torchmen return to the main stage after a two-year absence.) The second Artist Spotlight on Friday has the Gabbards, New Ground, and Jubilation returning. The Rick Webb Trio and Poet Voices return to the main stage. Their replacements are the Greesons, the Crist Family, and the Freemans. 8. Saturday's showcases will again include Pianorama, a Songwriter's showcase, and two Artist Spotlight showcases. The Crabb Jam and the Instrumentalists Jam Session (shifted to Thursday) have been replaced with a Hoppers 50th Anniversary showcase. Pianorama has been lengthened from just one hour in 2006 to an hour and 45 minutes in 2007. Saturday's first Artist Spotlight has Mark Bishop, the Roarks, and Shiloh reprising their 2006 roles. The Pfeifers won't appear in 2007 on this showcase, but Michael Combs, the Galloways, and the McCraes will. The second Artist Spotlight on Saturday will feature the return of Paid In Full, the Songfellows, Crystal River, and the Mike Lefevre Quartet. The Ruppes and the Jody Brown Indian Family (aka JBIF) will appear on the main stage this year. In their place in this showcase will be Mercy's Mark and the Gann Brothers. Mercy's Mark will also be on the main stage Monday night. 9. Finally, here's a rundown of who's new and who's out on the main stage for 2007. NEW: Ricky Atkinson & Compassion, Valor, Mike Lefevre Quartet, and JBIF...also Poet Voices and the Torchmen return to the main stage after having been away for a couple of years. Of these, the group I'm most eager to hear in a live setting is Valor. OUT: Freemans, Monument Quartet, Hoskins Family, Safe Harbor, Mike Bowling Group (or Mike & Kelly Bowling), Crabb Family, Cumberland Quartet, Galloways, Isaacs, Martins, and Lordsong Of the groups that are out, the Freemans have been bumped to an afternoon showcase, which is downright mind boggling considering their current radio success. They should be on the main stage. The Crabb Family will be retired by this point. Layer on the losses of the Isaacs (who put on the most tremendous display of musical talent of any group at NQC in 2006) and the outstanding vocals of LordSong, and it's clear the losses currently outweigh the additions. Of course, we must keep in mind that some of these groups may be added to the main stage schedule, just as several changes were made in 2006. It certainly isn't carved in stone yet. Labels: NQC, Observations September 19, 2006NQC 2006: One Major Thing To Fix For 2007I heard a lot of complaints about the main stage sound quality this year, and not just from the fans. Sometimes it was very obvious, even to the fans, that the mix was off. A prime example was the Dixie Echoes set on Monday night when they struggled to be heard. Other times, it may have appeared that the group was doing a poor job when in fact they were just having difficulty hearing themselves. I've never heard Ed O'Neal off pitch to the degree he was on Monday night, for example. I have cited the difficulty of having so many groups on the same program in the past, and I've commented that the NQC sound crew generally does a good job when you consider the sheer magnitude of their task. However, this year was definitely not up to snuff, even when you allow for that handicap. When a group is on stage, their mics should be on...so explain why a tenor is featured on the first part of the program and it takes a few words before his mic comes up in the mix and then later in the program, the same thing happens with the same mic AGAIN. Whoever was running the board liked to ride the faders WAY too much, they were unfamiliar with the material, and they were always a few beats behind getting the level brought up. That's not the way to mix groups that emphasize vocal harmony. Southern Gospel is not a melody vocal very hot in the mix with three background vocals barely being heard. It's full on multi-part harmony. And the tracks...the tracks were barely heard in the mix...what was there was all highs. Strangely, the mix was always better when live musicians were on stage, which really makes no sense at all. If I can hear Myron Cook's upright bass occupying the lower frequencies of the house mix, why can't I hear ANY bass on Greater Vision's tracks? Maybe it's time to contract sound with a different crew. Labels: NQC, Observations September 16, 2006NQC 2006: Fan Awards AftermathThe biggest topic of discussion at SGN's message board regarding the Fan Awards has centered around whether or not the unprecedented Traditional Quartet tie was a literal equal number of votes or just very, very close. In presenting the award, Jerry Kirksey said it was a "percentage tie," which would seem to indicate the latter. Assuming EH&SS and the Inspirations got much more of the vote than the other three nominees...like say 40% each, with the other three sharing the remaining 20%...I think it was appropriate to call it a tie. On the other hand, if the vote results were more like 21%, 21%, 20%, 19.5%, and 18.5%, then I think the award should have gone to the group with the most literal votes. This is a trivial issue, and I'm not going to expend the effort of asking the Singing News to disclose their vote count; I'm fairly confident they don't want to set a precedent of disclosing vote counts, but if any of you do and get an answer, you're welcome to share what you learn in the comments section or send it to me and I'll be glad to pass it along. Also, some have expressed an interest in getting confirmation about the Perrys calling the Crabb Family on stage and giving them their Mixed Group award. Would I really make any of this stuff up? Oh well...if you can't take my word for it, listen for yourself. :o) (Note that Solid Gospel DJ Greg Goodman assumes incorrectly that the Crabb Family won't be eligible for the Mixed Quartet award next year...um...by the time the Crabb Family retires in August 2007, all the Fan Award voting will be over, so yes, they will be eligible.) Labels: NQC, Observations September 14, 2006NQC 2006: Fan Awards, Part 21. Greater Vision wins Website This is a new award, and Greater Vision wins it. Like Steve French said when he was trying his hand at stand-up comedy, we really need a new award in order to keep the Fan Awards moving. In his acceptance speech, Gerald mentions that bloggers have said that Greater Vision doesn't have the slickest looking website. I remember saying Greater Vision's site was "OK," so I guess he was possibly talking about me. I also said this category was more of a "Favorite Artist" vote, since subscribers to the Singing News who don't care about the internet would just vote for their favorite group anyway, and if any new award is to be added, it really ought to be an overall award for favorite Artist. 2. The Crabb Family sings their nominated song, "Shepherd's Call." 3. Ernie Haase wins Tenor. Haase accepts via video from Cape Town, South Africa. 4. Gerald Wolfe wins Lead. In his acceptance speech, Wolfe lets everyone in on the fact that he usually sings baritone. We'll see if he switches categories next year. 5. The Booth Brothers sing their nominated song, "He Saw It All." Jason Crabb and Lauren Talley come to the stage to try their hand at stand-up comedy, but Solid Gospel goes to an extended break as the top of the hour approaches. (Right now, I'm listening to dead air...ah, finally, there's the news...I'm going to miss several presentations and/or performances, but hopefully Goodman will recap what happened in the past ten minutes when we go back to the broadcast...nah, he doesn't. By applying logical deduction, I think I must have missed Legacy 5 performing their nominated song, "Out Of My Darkness"...I'm not sure if Ernie Haase & Signature Sound performed "Do You Want To Be Forgiven" via video from South Africa or not.) 6. Rodney Griffin wins Baritone. 7. Tim Duncan wins Bass. He accepts via video from South Africa. 8. The Whisnants sing their nominated song, "New Day Dawning." 9. "He Saw It All" wins Song Of The Year. This award is accepted by the group, but they bring the songwriter to the stage to have a part in the acceptance as well...good for them. In my opinion, this award really ought to go to the writer rather than the group that sung it. Of course, the group plays a big part in the success of the song, but if Singing News had an overall award for favorite Artist, this particular award could put more of a focus on the people who write the songs. Usually an artist wins the Songwriter category, and this year is no exception. The person who wrote the favorite song this year wasn't an artist, but the average fan doesn't know who Daryl Mosely is...thankfully, the Booth Brothers gave him some time in the spotlight. 10. Rodney Griffin wins Songwriter. 11. The Perrys win Album for Remembering The Happy Goodmans. 12. The Inspirations and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound make history by tying for Traditional Quartet. I hope everyone has enjoyed my remote commentary on the Fan Awards, as well as my posts based on my eyewitness experience at NQC 2006 for the past three days. NQC was a blast. Please don't take any of my criticisms personally if you have a stake in NQC...I'm a fan of what NQC is doing, and I hope the event continues to improve each year. 13. Ivan Parker closes the Fan Awards with "Midnight Cry" backed by a large choir. Roger Bennett recognizes the twentieth anniversary of the song. It looks like they finished before the intermission was supposed to be over. The Martins are scheduled to take the stage at 8:45, and it looks like they'll do it on schedule. (I think it's safe to say that most of the credit for finishing on time goes to taped acceptance speeches, which were all very brief.) No, I'm not going to stay up to listen to the bitter end of tonight's concert with an hour delay, but my Replay A/V software is capturing it for me to hear later. In his recap of the award winners, Solid Gospel host, Greg Goodman, just referred to the favorite "pianoist"...not "pianist"..."pianOist." I didn't know there was such a thing. If you read it all...thanks for reading! I know these last two posts have been rambling. I'll have a few more thoughts on the week to share after I've had a day or two to rest, listen to the recordings captured by my software, and condense what I have to say. Labels: Concert Review, NQC, Observations NQC 2006: Fan Awards, Part 1
I got home in time to hear the Fan Awards on a one hour delayed broadcast via KWFC. You can hear portions of the Friday and Saturday night concerts at the same link. Note that the times printed are Central Daylight Time, so adjust accordingly if you aren't in that time zone. Greg Goodman of Solid Gospel is the host. You don't get to hear every minute of the main stage performances, but there's enough to get a good gist of what is taking place.
I thought I'd keep a running commentary like I did last year. If you're only interested in the pertinent info, and don't really care about my comments, look at the numbered lines with print in bold...I aim to please! 1. Brian Free & Assurance kick off the evening singing last year's Song Of The Year winner, "Long As I Got King Jesus." Roger Bennett and Janet Paschal are the first to get access to the mic and try their hands at stand-up comedy. Bennett's going to "make this quick," he says, and then wastes about five more minutes fooling around with silly random jokes about having to hurry because he has reservations at Steak & Shake, getting food in his cumberbund, etc. Eventually, they manage to present an award. 2. Ivan Parker won Soloist. Bennett makes a joke about Ivan marrying a booking agent. This is the sort of thing that makes Southern Gospel's "biggest night" drag on forever...Greg Goodman, the Solid Gospel emcee, just cut in to say the night is probably going to run long. 3. Triumphant Quartet sings their nominated song, "Don't Let The Sandal Fool Ya." 4. Wes Hampton wins Horizon Individual. I'm not sure who accepted on his behalf or if he happened to be there...Solid Gospel had cut away while the award was being presented. 5. The Lefevre Quartet wins Horizon Group. 6. Jason Waldroup wins Young Artist. This will be Waldroup's last time to win this award. He is not eligible in 2007, having turned 30 this past year. His acceptance speech turned into a mini-sermon with a great challenge to upcoming younger artists about keeping their focus. (Greg Goodman didn't know 30 was the cutoff for Young Artist eligibility.) 7. The Perrys sing their nominated song, "His Name Was John." The track skips in the middle of their song, abruptly going to another section. Goodman calls it a "track malfunction"...I didn't want to think of Janet Jackson, just now...Goodman cuts in after the song to say Mark Trammell's son, "Will," has just joined the Perrys...in reality, Mark Trammell's son, Nick, has just joined the Perrys. Michael Booth and Susan Whisnant come to the stage to try their hand at stand-up comedy. Booth uses a Larry The Cable Guy line, and presents Roger Bennett with a pacifier, according to Goodman. 8. Kim Hopper wins Female Singer Solid Gospel takes a break to run a few ads. So far, all the winners have kept their acceptance speeches brief and to the point. Maybe the evening will move quickly in spite of the presenters. 9. Ivan Parker wins Male Singer 10. John Pfiefer wins Musician 11. Brian Free & Assurance sings their nominated song, "Healed." Tim Surrett and Karen Peck are the next to get their opportunity at stand-up comedy. Peck gets tongue tied trying to tell a dumb blond joke. I'm not making this up. 12. Kim Hopper wins Soprano 13. Libbi Stuffle wins Alto 14. The Perrys win Mixed Group Tracy Stuffle calls the Crabb Family on stage during their acceptance speech to give them a word of encouragement, then he gives their award to the Crabb Family. As Greg Goodman said, I don't know if that has ever happened before. The Perrys always find a way to make their acceptance speeches memorable, and they sure did it again this year. 15. The Inspirations sing their nominated song, "I'm Not Ashamed." ...and boy, does it ever sound rough. 16. Anthony Burger's arrangement of "Claire de lune"/"Jesus Loves Me" is played while a series of photographs is shown in memory of Warren Parker, Doug Riley, and Burger, three young artists who died this past year. 17. A group of legends (Ed O'Neal, Glen Allred, Archie Watkins, Jim Hamill, and Eddie Crook) perform "I'm Winging My Way Back Home." ...and boy, does it ever sound rough...of course, Hamill makes it entertaining and draws in the crowd anyway. Danny Jones comes to the mic to try his hand at stand-up comedy. Roger Bennett asks Jones to ask the crowd to pray that the O'Neal, Allred, Watkins, Hamill, and Crook NOT buy a bus and hit the road. 18. Jones announces the DJ winners: John Whisnant, Carol Davis, and Wayne Wallace and also Wayne and Judy Rhear won Super Fan. 19. Greater Vision sings their nominated song, "Paid In Full Through Jesus, Amen." Kim Hopper and Mark Bishop come to the mic to try their hand at stand-up comedy. I lost my feed in the midst of their announcement of the winner for favorite Band. I'll come back and fill it in below when I find out who won. (Updated now...) 20. Kingdom Heirs Band wins Band 21. Roger Bennett wins Pianist Bennett's acceptance speech is lengthy, but genuinely funny and touches the heart as well. 22. Greater Vision wins Trio Solid Gospel goes to a commercial break as a group is being brought to the stage to sing a nominated song. Unfortunately, the break was made before the group name and the song title were announced. I'll have more on Part 2... Labels: NQC, Observations NQC 2006: Day 3I heard a lot of music today, some great, some so-so, and some that sounded like a train wreck. I took in a few non-official/off-campus showcases during the day. First it was over to Executive Inn for the Heavensound showcase. I have to say one thing about this showcase...I like my music good and loud, but a guy who works on jet engines WHILE THEY'RE RUNNING leaned over to me at one point and screamed, "Dang, that's loud!" Highlights of this showcase were the Imperials, who performed "Arise, My Love," "Praise The Lord," and a Southern Gospel song...the title escapes me at the moment...their new CD is supposed to be out in a couple of weeks. Next, it was over to the Executive West after lunch for the New City Talent showcase. I only stayed for about an hour. The highlight of that hour was Lulu Roman, who mixed some comedy with her singing. I heard a few train wrecks at this one, including number where the band had no idea what chords they were supposed to be playing. I then walked down the hall to catch some of the SGPA showcase...highlights were Brothers Forever and Soul'd Out Quartet. After heading over to KFEC, I stayed in the Exhibit Hall for about four hours before going over to the main stage. A guy named James Hales was supposed to meet me and Dean Adkins at 4:00 PM in the food court, but I guess he got lost or something. From what I understand, he's bad with directions...and the art of using a cell phone, too, evidently. :o) On the main stage I saw the following groups... 1. Rick Webb Trio: This group has really blossomed with new soprano Lynn Westafer. (I hope I'm spelling that right.) 2. Naomi And The Segos: This set was fairly average until the last number when human bass and drum players joined the group on stage. (They also have a pianist.) Then the crowd really got into what they were doing, which was "I'll Put On A Crown." (This proves my idea of a house band for all main stage groups would be a great addition to NQC.) 3. *Isaacs: Plagued with sound issues at first, the Isaacs soldiered on and gave one of the best performances of the evening. 4. Three Bridges 5. *Greenes: The Greenes were in good form again, though they did a somewhat slower set than Tuesday night's. 6. Jeff & Sheri Easter 7. Ruppes 8. Reggie Saddler Family 9. *Legacy Five: The crowd stayed to hear L5...after their set, about two thirds of the auditorium emptied vs. Tuesday night when 80 percent of the crowd was still there as the last group was taking the stage. (This proves my idea of a "power hour" at the end each evening would be an improvement to NQC. On Tuesday, you had Greater Vision at 11PM followed by the Hoppers. Having only one of the top draws positioned at the end is not enough to hold the crowds...not to take anything away from the Chuck Wagon Gang or the Whisnants...but they should go on earlier in the night. L5 and the Kingdom Heirs at the end of the evening would probably have held the crowd, where the Kingdom Heirs alone and/or the combination of the Chucks and Whisnants in between wasn't enough to keep them there. The later ending time probably had something to do with it as well, but it gets worse. The last group on Thursday night is scheduled to take the stage at 12:32 AM, which is ridiculous. If someone stays to the end, let me know how many people are still there then. They have a pretty impressive closing lineup with Triumphant, the Perrys, and the Kingsmen, but I don't think that will be enough to hold the crowd at that hour.) 10. Chuck Wagon Gang 11. Whisnants 12. *Kingdom Heirs: They did great...singing to about 20 percent of the crowd who had remained to hear them. 'Til next year... Labels: NQC, Observations September 13, 2006NQC 2006: Day 2Day 2 of NQC consisted of 4 1/2 hours of showcase groups, and a full slate on the main stage. I didn't hear every single group today. I spent some time in the Exhibit Hall, meeting friends, hopefully making a few new friends, and just generally wandering around. I won't list all the artists who were on the showcase, but some of the highlights included: Route 77 - This new group consists of Angelina McKeithan and a girl who used to travel with the Lewis Family. They're looking for a third female singer/player. Crossmen - A very solid male quartet. Skyline Boys - With Jodi Hosterman now singing tenor, this group has stepped up a notch over last year. Mercy's Well - Smooth like butter...this was my first chance to hear these guys in a live setting. They did two slower arrangements from their Hymns CD, and both went over well. That's significant, considering they were on next to last, and crowds generally want more upbeat stuff or at least a mix. Gene Shell, who traveled to NQC with me this year, said he was most impressed by Soul'd Out Quartet on the showcase. Soul'd Out is a young group with a great sound. The groups I heard on the Tuesday evening main stage concert are listed below. The groups that were most impressive to me have stars by their names with a few random comments here and there. 1. *Hope's Call - This group made a huge impression their first time on the main stage...two slower songs, with standing ovations for both songs. 2. Karen Peck & New River 3. Weatherfords 4. *Greenes: Gene said the Greenes were the second best act of the evening, behind the Crabbs. They did do a good job. 5. *Freemans - This group was impressive, especially when you consider the circumstances of their set. Earlier in the day, the group learned that Chris Freeman's brother Mike had passed away...it was also his 51st birthday. They decided to go ahead and do their set, and needless to say, it was emotionally charged. Please remember this family in your prayers. 6. Pfiefers - The Pfiefers have their moments, but they're a lot better players than singers. They know how to work the crowd, though...you have to give them that...huge ovation and calls for "more" at the end. 7. *Booth Brothers - The Booth Brothers own the stage. 8. Talleys 9. *Crabb Family - Great bands make a huge difference. This group could take us anywhere they wanted to go. They had the best set of the night. 10. Perrys 11. Mark Trammell Trio 12. Lesters 13. Greater Vision Several other groups performed, but I didn't catch their sets. Labels: Concert Review, NQC, Observations September 12, 2006NQC 2006: Day 1Well, the first day of NQC is over and I've enjoyed another "Quartet Night." I don't know if I've ever actually done this in the past or not, but this year I was there from the beginning to the end of the evening concert. First things first, though... The new Exhibit Hall in the South Wing is much wider, but not nearly as deep as the former location...which is totally gone...flattened by the wrecking crews who are prepping to build a brand new East Wing. I walked through about half of it (the South Wing, that is...not the East Wing) before 6:00 PM...same old stuff...groups you've heard mixed in with groups you haven't...and in between those are all the "flea market" style booths we've come to love. There's more than one bus to view this year. Here's who I heard tonight...I put stars beside the groups that gave the best performances plus a few random comments. I started keeping a set list...I was willing, but my pen was weak...I gave up on that idea after it dried up. 1. Opening - September 11 Remembrance: This began with a slide show accompanied by loud music and soft sound clips of people like President Bush talking. It was good, but could have been better if it had been balanced. It then shifted to a live performance with a soloist followed by the Florida Boys singing the National Anthem while a fireman, policeman, and a soldier stood on stage. The live elements were very good. 2. Monument Quartet 3. Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet 4. Dixie Melody Boys: Ed O'Neal struggled with pitch issues for most of their set, unfortunately...we're talking off by a half step...but he still got a good response from the crowd with a bass feature near the end of the group's stand. 5. Toney Brothers 6. Southern Sound 7. Palmetto State Quartet 8. *Gold City: Aaron McCune is fitting into the bass role nicely with Gold City. 9. Florida Boys 10. Legacy Five 11. *Brian Free & Assurance: They did mostly new songs and still had the crowd's attention from the moment they stepped on stage until they left. Gene Shell, who traveled to NQC with me this year, agreed with me that their set was the highlight of the evening. 12. *Mercy's Mark: They did everything right, but the crowd starred at them like a mule looking at a new gate...a great set, but it was evidently for the wrong crowd. I liked it. 13. Melody Boys 14. *Kingsmen: I know people have said the "Kingsmen are back" several times in the last few years, but this is the first set I've seen them do that made me feel like they really and truly are back. Of course, they never really went anywhere, but the energy and the quality are there this year. 15. Inspirations 16. Anchormen 17. Dixie Echoes: The Dixie Echoes did a good job, but the sound crew evidently wasn't able to adjust the gain properly for the studio mics they wanted to use...so we strained to hear them thru their entire set until they finally got it right on the last song...seems like that happened last year...and the year before. Oh well. 18. *Dove Brothers: With only a tenth of the 6:00 PM crowd remaining at 11:30 PM, the Doves had the second best set of the evening. After hearing several new selections plus "Lonesome Road" and responding well, the crowd came to their feet spontaneously for "Didn't It Rain." Hey...if it works, you gotta dance with the one that brung ya... Labels: Concert Review, NQC, Observations September 8, 2006NQC Begins SundayThis year, NQC is getting things rolling a day earlier with a Sunday evening concert event in the South Wing. Featured will be Triumphant Quartet and Brian Free & Assurance. We can only pray to God that the Louisville Courier-Journal and other Louisville media will dispatch reporters to cover the opening event. If they wait until the Monday afternoon showcases, chances are strong that they'll gravitate towards the gaudiest looking amateur group on stage and treat them as the poster child for NQC. Labels: NQC, Observations September 7, 2006NQC T-Shirt Over at averyfineline, there's been a suggestion to create a t-shirt (in fun) that reads "Spiritually Certified by NQC" ... It kept staring me in the face when I would read it... so, I couldn't resist. It's been designed, you can buy it and maybe even have it shipped by NQC time. Who knows. Here's the link: https://www.spreadshirt.com/shop.php?sid=49585 (note: really, this is just for fun. no disrespect is meant. hey, and it's free press for CMP!) -Daniel Britt Labels: NQC November 14, 2005Singing News Fan Awards on XMSinging News announced today that the 2005 Fan Awards will be broadcast on two XM channels this coming Monday, November 21 at 9:00 (EST). The channels are XM10 "America" (which is available over XM satelite and DirecTV) and XM34 "enLighten" (which is available only if you have XM online or DirectTV Ch. 828 with a premier package). What's strange is that it's going out on both XM channels at the exact same time. I haven't figured out their logic for doing that. Anyone who can get XM's enLighten can also get America. It would make more sense to stagger the times on the channels, so that people in the Eastern US aren't up until 1 AM trying to hear it all. Promising "four hours," it appears the broadcast will be in all of its glory rather than picking the most pertinent parts and removing the silliness. Singing News touts the Tim Lovelace/Tim Surrett presentation (which culminated with Surrett literally breaking the podium according to the Solid Gospel feed I heard) as if it was a highlight. Speaking of Solid Gospel, I'm hoping it's not the Solid Gospel feed that they're going to air, but rather just the actual awards (with dead air hopefully edited out). There's enough corniness in the awards themselves without adding to it a DJ who pronounces Whisnants as "Whiz-nuts" and says there'll be a spelling test later...or who gives out wrong information such as saying Les Beasley started NQC. Anyway, if you have XM or DirecTV (which adds XM channels on November 15), I thought you might want to tune in. Labels: NQC September 16, 2005NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 6Snapshots From Friday Evening 11:02 John Pfeifer pays tribute to the veterans of foreign wars with a special emphasis on the veterans of Vietnam. NQC typically has a major patriotic feature like this. As the voice of President Bush is heard over the intro to the next song, I'm sure the Pfeifers have prepared a video tribute to go along with it. The Pfeifers then sing "United Through It All." They sound like they're turning their vocal cords inside out...I wonder if that's physically possible. 11:11 DJ Greg Goodman is now reading the list of winners in the Diamond Awards. Those winners stand in sharp contrast to the winners of the Singing News Fan Awards...progressive vs. traditional in almost every category. 11:14 The Crabb Family opens their set with "Greater Is He." 11:19 They continue with "To Me, He Is So Wonderful." I'm not sure who the Crabb's piano player is now, but I like his jazzy playing style. 11:20 Jason pulls Mike Bowling (who protests because he isn't wearing his stage clothes) up on stage to sing "That I Can Still Go Free," an old Hinsons song. 11:27 Next up is "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus," a black gospel standard that the Crabbs have adapted. Well, folks, that's going to do it for me. There's a couple more groups on tonight and of course, there's another full day of NQC 2005 tomorrow. I will be attending a local concert tomorrow night, so I won't be doing any more reporting. I hope readers who couldn't attend NQC or get the internet feed have enjoyed experiencing the event vicariously through my blog. It was my pleasure to bring it to you. If you haven't already done so, leave a comment and let me know you were here. Labels: Concert Review, NQC NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 5
Snapshots From Friday Evening
10:01 Reggie Saddler Family performs "The Real Thing," as Reggie continues to pump up the crowd. 10:04 The group closes their set with "We've Got To Tell The Truth," featuring Reggie's daughter Ingra. She has a strong voice. 10:08 Reggie Saddler gives an enthusiastic introduction to Gold City. They open their set with "Heaven." 10:11 "When I Get Carried Away" 10:15 "Non Stop Flight To Gloryland"...Gold City is sounding good. 10:19 Tim is there tonight, and shares a few words of encouragement before singing "Under Control." What a great song. 10:24 Gold City wraps up an excellent and energetic set with "When He Calls Me." It sounds like Tim stayed on stage for their final song. 10:29 Daniel Riley introduces Karen Peck as "someone I've been listening to all my life, and I don't mean that as a slam." Peck opens with "Rejoice In The Lord Always." Whoever is playing bass needs to figure out the key. (They found it by the end of the first verse.) :o) 10:34 Promising to perform a set of some of their most requested songs, they launch into a medley that begins with "God Still Answers Prayers." It segues to a chorus of "Daddy's Home," then "God Likes To Work," and finally a full version of "Four Days Late." 10:45 Peck is wrapping up her set with "I'll Fly Away" after we return from a commercial break on Solid Gospel. 10:48 Karen Peck introduces the Pfeifers. They open their set with an instrumental version of "How Great Thou Art." This group always goes over well with the NQC crowd...big ripping trumpet solos sound great in a huge arena. 10:52 There's a vocal solo now called "More Than Just Religion." Who does John Pfeifer think he is? Louis Armstrong? Those are some scratchy sounding vocals. 10:55 Things settle down with "We're In Father's House," an easy going tune with less agression in the vocals. Labels: NQC NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 4Snapshots From Friday Evening 9:01 The Talley Trio has the audience sing "The Old Rugged Cross," then Debra Talley introduces the Florida Boys. They open up their set with a 1970s sounding arrangement of "I Can't Even Walk." 9:08 The Florida Boys are singing "On Some Sweet Day" featuring tenor singer Harold Reed. They did this on Monday night, as well. 9:11 53-year veteran baritone Glen Allred is featured next on "More About Jesus." That's 53 years with the Florida Boys, not his age. Allred performed with the Oak Ridge Boys previously, when he was still a teenager. The Florida Boys were known by a different name when he joined them, incidentally. See my Florida Boys Biography for more information. 9:16 The Florida Boys are doing the same songs in the same order as Monday night. They were singing "Tell Me Why" when Solid Gospel's DJ broke in to interview Ronnie Page and Shaye Truax. 9:23 The Kingdom Heirs open up their set with "I'll Be A Friend To Jesus," a song they also performed earlier in the week at the Vintage Quartet Showcase. The internet mix has too much tenor, no baritone, and very little bass...sounds like the group is singing good, though. 9:26 Next up is "Sing, Shout, Dance," a song from their new CD. The mix is better now...still too much tenor, but it's OK on this tune since he has the melody most of the time. 9:28 "Good News From The Graveyard" is a cool bass feature song. 9:32 The band is featured on "Keep On The Firing Line" with a touch of the "Overture from William Tell" thrown in for good measure. They were awarded the Favorite Band Fan Award last night. After the song is finished, Adam Harman is prompted by Steve French to reprise his piano part with no help from the rest of the band. 9:36 Arthur Rice is featured next on the title cut from the group's last CD, "Forever Changed." What a voice. 9:46 After some commercials and DJ ramblings on Solid Gospel, the Reggie Saddler Family takes the stage and opens with an a cappella rendition of "The Lord's Prayer." 9:50 "I've Got Me A Home" features Reggie, with his family providing back up. He draws the audience in by throwing in lines like, "How am I doing?" and "You people in wheelchairs are gonna like this verse." 9:53 "Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere" features the ladies of the group. 9:57 Reggie lists his rules for the men his daughters are allowed to marry. His wife "Sugar Baby," then sings the classic "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." Labels: NQC NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 3Snapshots From Friday Evening 8:02 Dean Hopper just mentioned that his mother was recognized as a Living Legend by the presenters of the Diamond Awards earlier today. He then plugs the Gaither videos and launches into the song "Jerusalem." 8:08 "Shoutin' Time"...they've worn that one out, but it goes well with "Jerusalem" musically. This should wrap up the Hoppers' set. 8:14 Kim Hopper works in a plug for the Fresno convention as she introduces Legacy Five. Roger Bennett calls Robbie Hiner to the stage, then tells some lady in the audience to meet Hiner in the lobby...strange. L5 starts with an a cappella hymn arrangement of "Praise Him, Praise Him" mixed with "I Will Sing Of My Redeemer." They sound fairly solid...Fowler bobbles a bit on the last note, but comes back with a strong swell at the end. 8:19 "When The Angels Rejoiced"...Fowler is continuing to have some vocal problems tonight. Otherwise, they're sounding great. 8:26 Glenn Dustin is featured on "Raised To Walk." L5 was as good as I'd ever heard them on Wednesday night. They're doing pretty good tonight, but not quite up to the level they were earlier in the week. 8:30 Roger Bennett sets up Scott Howard to sing a Randy Travis song called "Walk With Me." He throws in a little "Willie" at one point. 8:35 "Out Of My Darkness" is up next. When L5 performed this on Monday night, Roger joined the singers on stage and Stewart Varnado played piano. It sounds like Roger is still on the piano at the moment, though. I just heard a distinctively Bennett piano lick. 8:42 The Talley Trio comes out with "I'm Happy With You, Lord," featuring Roger Talley. On Wednesday, their set consisted mostly of praise and worship numbers. This could arguably be said to be P&W as well, but the music feels more traditional. 8:44 Next up is an a cappella version of "His Glorious Love." They're sounding fantastic. 8:48 Lauren is featured on "That Name," a cut from her latest CD. 8:52 The Talley Trio sings "The Healer" next. 8:56 "His Life For Mine" ends the Talley Trio set on a slow, but dramatic note. Labels: NQC NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 2Snapshots From Friday Evening 7:00 The McKameys are singing "Right On Time" in their traditional style. 7:04 Peg is reporting on Ruben Bean's health condition. He couldn't join them for the concert tonight due to a flare-up of sciatica yesterday. Mark Trammell paused during his set last night to pray for Ruben, and Peg just thanked him for taking time to do that. She reported that Ruben is feeling much better today. 7:07 Connie Fortner is singing now. She has a nice voice that is often overlooked due to the group's collective onstage persona. It's good to hear them feature her. 7:10 Now they're onto "Under His Feet"...there's that collective persona I was talking about! My, my, my...God bless 'em! :o) 7:14 "I'm Home"...Peg is speaking the lines as an echo to Carol as she's singing her solo part...let her sing it, Peg! :o) 7:16 They just launched into "God On The Mountain," a great song. This is the type of song that is remembered because of the lyric, regardless of who sings it. As a classic, it's begging to be re-arranged and presented fresh by a modern artist...Mercy's Mark comes to mind. 7:22 Solid Gospel is interviewing Ed Crawford of the Mystery Men Quartet now. He's a great guy...wonderful personality. 7:27 Greater Vision opens their set with "'Til The Storm Passes By." The Greenes performed this song earlier in the week and gave it a personal context with regard to their family's health issues. 7:31 Greater Vision sings "My Name Is Lazarus" next. It was a huge hit in the late 1990s. 7:34 Next up is "So Much God." So far, Greater Vision is going down memory lane with this set. You'd think they'd be pushing songs from Faces right off the bat. It was received recognition as the Favorite Album in the Fan Awards last night. 7:45 Gerald Wolfe is having some fun at Rodney Griffin's expense when Solid Gospel breaks from commercials and extended DJ chit chat. Greater Vision ends their set with the song "Faces," which also won Favorite Song in the Fan Awards last night. 7:52 The Hoppers take the stage seven minutes later than scheduled. The McKameys started a minute before their scheduled start time...guess who ran over...yep, it was the Favorite Trio of 2005. :o) 7:54 Connie Hopper is featured on "I've Come Too Far To Look Back" to start the Hoppers' set. 7:58 It's "Look For Me Around The Throne" now. This group is so precise vocally. Labels: Concert Review, NQC NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 1Snapshots From Friday Evening 6:10 Brenda Ruppe is doing what she does best...crying on pitch! :o) 6:15 Mercy's Mark is singing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and sounding just as good as they do on their recording. Turn on the bass singer's mic, for goodness sake! 6:19 The new song by Mercy's Mark sounds like a keeper..."I'm Gonna Be Moving"...hopefully that's going to be a new single. 6:23 I like the way Mercy's Mark takes an old song and gives it new life as they did with "I'm On The Battlefield" previously. They're performing "I'm Too Near Home" at the moment in an uptempo Country style. This is MUCH better than simply re-recording someone else's arrangement. 6:42 The Kingsmen are featuring Ray Reese on a song from their new project called "I'll Not Turn Back." 6:47 The Kingsmen's current version of "Saints Will Rise" lacks the magic of the older version. 6:49 They are now paying tribute to Buck Morton, who has been an emcee at NQC for the past thirty years. Clark Beasley is doing the honors. He just said Morton will be retiring this year, so that info is pertinent along with the recognition. Labels: NQC NQC By Internet, ThursdayWell, I made it back home to NC in time to catch most of the live internet feed of NQC last night. It's a totally different experience, of course, from being there. The internet feed has the vocals mixed dry...which is probably how they are being sent to the main speakers in the arena as well. That's fine for a big arena with lots of natural reverb, but it doesn't come across so great into a home setting. People who are off pitch sound REALLY off when it's dry. Anyway, I kept a running commentary on a couple of threads HERE and HERE, so you can check those out if you like. I'll summarize below. Fan Awards 1. Once again, everyone is in shock that the Inspirations won Traditional Male Quartet. It shouldn't be a shock by now. I don't care for their style of music at all, but many traditional fans do. This can be proved by their consistently larger audiences at concerts. They come to my town once a year on a series, and generally have crowds that exceed other top name groups. I don't get the appeal of Archie Watkins' vocals mixed with Martin Cook's choppy piano and his son's never in tune bass guitar, but there's no accounting for taste. People suggesting a conspiracy on the part of their record label Crossroads have too much time on their hands. I could tell you a story regarding that specific topic, but I'll stop short of there by saying these are record producers and market people. In other words, they of all people know good music when they hear it. Don't you think they'd push a better artist (Kingdom Heirs/Dove Brothers/Palmetto State/Kingsmen) if they truly held that much sway over who wins this award? 2. Interesting that the male quartet part awards all went to people from different groups. 3. I thought someone besides Kim Hopper, Roger Bennett and Rodney Griffin would have won this year, but they continue to win because they won the year before. 4. It's ironic, of course, that Frank Seamans won Horizon Individual. At least he's still with L5 for the moment, as was Josh Cobb several years ago. It would have been awkward if Gold City had won in the band category. 5. One of the guys I pushed randomly in the DJ categories won...Beecher Hyde...but the other two didn't. I was hoping all three would sweep, showing my deep influence on this industry. Oh well! :o) 6. I thought Mark Trammell's acceptance speech was the best of the evening...granted, I didn't hear them all because Solid Gospel had to air ads from time to time during the evening. Thursday Evening Concert I heard parts of the concert...from time to time, Solid Gospel would air a "flashback" from a previous NQC or have an interview. Combined with the ads, I probably heard half of the actual live events. Here's my thoughts... 1. Naomi And The Segos: She's a legend with severe intonation issues at this point in her career. Give her a spot to do two or three songs on an afternoon showcase next year. 2. Whisnants: Greg Goodman, the DJ for Solid Gospel, kept referring to this group as the "Whiz-nuts." After their set, he said there would be a test on how to spell their name later...then he said he wasn't sure how to spell it himself. No wonder he had no idea how to pronounce it. 3. Kingdom Heirs: Their sets I saw earlier in the week on Wednesday night and at the Vintage Quartet Showcase on Wednesday afternoon were great. It sounded like Hodges was too shrill over the internet feed Thursday night, but otherwise it was pretty good...just not quite up to their other performances of the week. 4. Specks: Bad pitch issues plagued them throughout their set. 5. Dove Brothers: The Doves seemed to be turning in one of their typical stellar performances. I'm probably the only one who noticed Eric singing about Jesus cleansing the "leopards" on their first song. That Bladenboro accent will get you every time! :o) I thought Hester was especially good on the song "One More Miracle." I would have picked a fast song to end on, though. "I'll Praise The Lamb" is good, but it followed Hester's slow solo. One thing I noted was how they sounded virtually as solid live as they do on a recording. That's pretty remarkable, considering how much they move around. 6. Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet: They sounded rough as a cob on "There's a Brighter Day." 7. Stamps Quartet: They sounded much more polished on Monday night. Their set was pretty rough as well on Thursday. 8. Chosen Few: I only heard part of one song. 9. Mark Trammell Trio: They sounded just like they do on their recordings...very polished...and now they have some material that is produced at a top notch level, so I think they are poised to become more popular as a result. I missed the last two groups. I watched part of the new Mark Lowry video instead. Regarding Solid Gospel in general, they did a fairly good job covering this event. My only gripe was with DJ Greg Goodman, who made a number of factually inaccurate statements due to ignorance about his topic. At one point, he said Les Beasley started the NQC, for example. The entire history of NQC is printed right there in the program book. All he had to do was read it. On the other hand, the way he described what was going on when there were pauses in the audio during the Fan Awards was very good. He also provided a run down of the Fan Award winners at two different points later in the broadcast. Labels: Concert Review, NQC September 15, 2005Road Trip Final ThoughtsI thought I would wrap up my Road Trip with some final thoughts as I sit at home listening to the live feed of the Singing News Fan Awards here on Thursday night. Jonathan Wilburn just won Favorite Lead, but they cut into his acceptance speech to run a bunch of ads...a necessary evil in radio, unfortunately...sounds like the presenters are as corny as ever... Top 20 Male Quartets I've updated my list of Top 20 Male Quartets after seeing most of them perform over the past few days. These are my personal favorites, in the order that I would go see them if more than one was in town on the same night. If you are new to male quartet music, this list of artists would be a great place to start. "Wish I Had A Camera" Moments 1. I was walking past the booth for "Faith Magazine" on Monday evening and it was totally bare...I guess they didn't have enough faith! 2. On the way home, I got behind a tanker truck. It had a label on the back with the words "Non Edible" in three inch capital letters. Are they having trouble with folks trying to eat tanker trucks? Word Of Advice Don't stay at the Rodeway hotel on Phillips Lane unless you enjoy the sound of screaming jets 300 yards directly over your head at two o'clock in the morning. Thanks I enjoyed meeting several folks from the message boards at Sogospelnews and SG Nuts...several for the first time. DaJudge has posted some photos at the Nuts board if anyone is interested in seeing what some of us look like. We took photos every day of message board folks who were there. It was also enjoyable chatting with the artists and industry folks. I'll probably leave some out, but thanks to the following for taking a moment to chew the fat during my Road Trip: Mark Trammell, Eric Phillips, Joseph Smith, Jodi Hosterman, Jonathan Farley, Josh Spencer, Bryan Hutson, Nick Bruno, Scott Inman, Daniel Riley, Channing Eleton (thanks for the "shop talk" about music software), McCray Dove, David Hester, Charlie Waller, Donna Beauvais, Ron Epley, Masters Singers, Josh Franks, Steve French, Nick Succi, Tank Tackett, Rick Webb, RP Wendall, "Big Gene" (of Holy City), John Rulapaugh, and Andrew Ishee Also, thanks to all who let me know you read this blog during my trip. It was my pleasure to give you my view on the GVB/SSQ, MTT, and NQC events. Labels: NQC Road Trip Review, Day 5, Part AWednesday Afternoon Showcase, September 13, 2005 - NQC As usual...comments are in blue. Asterisks (*) are beside groups that impressed me with their performances. Apologies for incorrect titles. Hour 1 - Vintage Quartet Showcase (This event featured four top groups singing in the "old style" with just piano and two mics.) *Perrys - "God Walks The Dark Hills"/"When They Ring The Bells Of Heaven"/"When It All Starts Happening" *Palmetto State Quartet - "Roll On, Jordan"/"Unworthy"/"I Want To Go There" *Florida Boys - "Palms Of Victory"/"I Will Meet You In The Morning"/"Rainbow Of Love" *Kingdom Heirs - "I'll Be A Friend To Jesus"/"Pray For Me"/"I'm Saying So Long" *Gold City - "Way Down Deep In My Soul"/"I'm Saved" with "Amazing Grace"/"Angels From The Realms Of Glory" (a cappella) Hour 2 - Artist Spotlight Showcase *Gospel Enforcers - "Sign Me Up"/"There's Still Room In The Upper Room" Ricky Atkinson and Compassion - "Feasting At The Table Of The King"/"Not What I Am"/"There Must Be Something In The Water" *Torchmen - "He Took It Upon Himself"/"No Longer A Stranger To Me"/"Here, There, Or In The Air" Sons Family - "Waiting For My Ride"/"No One Can Wear My Robe But Me"/"I Never Shall Forget The Day" Duvalls - "Dying Like I'm Gonna Live"/"Hard Not To Cry"/"He's Alive" Hour 3 - Dennis Swanberg Showcase Swanberg is a very funny guy, but he had a surprising number of sexual innuendo jokes in his routine. He drew things to a close with some great applications, though. Labels: NQC September 14, 2005Road Trip Review, Day 5, Part BWednesday Evening, September 14, 2005 - NQC As usual...comments are in blue. Asterisks (*) are beside groups that impressed me with their performances. Apologies for incorrect titles. Sixteen groups performed on Wednesday evening at NQC. I have complete setlists for eight and a partial list for one other. I caught the tail end of the Pfeifers' set as well, but I was eating one of those butter pecan waffle cones and didn't get it written down. Can you believe I went three days to NQC and only had ONE waffle cone? I'm trying to take some weight off, and this proves my determination, I think. :o) I missed the Jody Brown Indian Family, the first group on the program. In retrospect I really wish I had made an effort to see them. It was their first main stage appearance at NQC, IIRC. They were followed by the Pfeifers. *Jeff And Sheri Easter (Sheri was GREAT with child...she has about five weeks left before her baby is due. She sounded terrific, and Jeff had several comedic moments about the situation..."I have three words...Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!") "Why Don't You Try Jesus"/"The Missing Peace"/"Praise His Name"/"You're My Best Friend"/"As Good As Goodbye Gets" (They featured Charlotte on a song. It's about time!)/"Boomerang" Paid In Full "Lovin' Out Loud"/"Jesus Did A Work Of Grace"/"When I'll Be In The Rapture" Greenes "Miracle In Me" (with an a cappella encore)/"There You Are"/"'Til The Storm Passes By"/"Hold On"/"He's All I Need" *Kingdom Heirs "I'll Be A Friend"/"Sing, Shout, Dance"/"Mighty Deep Well"/"Forever Changed"/"I Know I'm Going There" *Karen Peck And New River "I Wanna Know How It Feels"/"Just One Touch"/"I'm Gonna Get Up"/"My Lord And I"/"Amazing Grace" (a cappella)/"Four Days Late" Karen Peck/Charlie Waller/The Dove Brothers Waller and Peck did a commercial for the SGMA and their Vestal bears at this point in the program while the crew was setting up for Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. The Dove Brothers concluded the spot with an a cappella jingle. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver "Lay Your Burdens At The Feet Of Jesus"/"As I Sit By The Side Of The Road"/"I Have Found The Way"/"Beyond The Sunset For Me"/"That's All He's Asking"/"Sweet Hour Of Prayer" with "At Calvary"/They concluded with an instrumental that had been popularized by Bill Monroe. They didn't say the title and I didn't recognize it. I missed seeing the Freemans, Mark Trammell Trio, and the Weatherfords. Ernie Haase And Signature Sound This set was already underway when I got back. Tim Lovelace and Tim Surrett were on stage doing something with Ernie's tie. They went into an encore of "Stand By Me" with Lovelace and Surrett joining them in their dance steps and getting them all wrong. After that, they did "This Is What God Says"/"Heaven Holds Much More"/"This Could Be The Dawning Of That Day" *Talley Trio "Shout To The Lord" with "How Great Thou Art"/"I Live" (Lauren Talley solo)/"No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus"/"He Is High And Lifted Up" with "Hallelujah Chorus"/"My Jesus I Love Thee" (Roger piano solo)/"Total Praise" *Legacy Five (This was the best set I've ever seen L5 do...good sound, and seemingly spontaneous humor throughout...though you realized after the fact that most of the jokes were probably planned. L5 was joined on drums by Michael Booth, which I don't think they expected, because Roger asked, "Who's playing drums?" They did the first three songs with no tracks.) "Shout All Over Heaven"/"Winging My Way Back Home" (The Scotts swapped places with Frank and Glenn on an encore of this. It was Fowler-tenor, Seamans-lead, Dustin-baritone, and Howard-bass. Howard mocked some of Dustin's gestures, and the crowd ate it up.)/"I Want To Be Just Like My Lord"/"Calvary Reminds Me"/"Meeting In The Air" I missed the last two artists, which were the Hoskins Family and the Booth Brothers. Labels: NQC Road Trip Review, Day 4, Part ATuesday Afternoon Showcase, September 13, 2005 - NQC As usual...comments are in blue. Asterisks (*) are beside groups that impressed me with their performances. Apologies for incorrect titles. Canada's Double Portion "Love Did"/"If That Don't Make You Wanna Go" Fourfold "He Left It All"/"I've Been Revived" Parker Trio "Tear Down The Walls"/"Thank God For Calvary" Hissong "Get On Home"/"It Can't Be Long" *Heather Noel (This new solo artist is 18 years old, and she has a huge voice...similar to Kim Hopper in tone, but very country with her diction.) "The Old Weapons Still Work"/"The Soldiers Are Through" *Hope's Call "You Are Loved"/"How Great Thou Art" (This was a cappella, and wow, what an arrangement.) Skyline Boys Quartet "Oh What A Savior" (There's always one second tier group who attempts this classic for some reason...and they never do a unique arrangement...always the Statesmen version.)/"What A Celebration" Riffle Family "There'd Been A Resurrection"/"So Much To Look Forward To" Nicole Watts Jenkins "When I Step Into The Presence"/"Jesus Is There For Me" *Crystal River Quartet "The First Time"/"What He's Done For Me" *Brian Arnold (This pianist plays with his right hand only. His left arm is paralyzed. His arrangements are remarkably full, and he sings as well...not to mention his skills as a comedian. I had seen him previously with the group Chosen Few, but he's MUCH more effective as a solo performer.) "The Lord's Prayer" (Piano instrumental)/"I Can Do All Things Through Christ" *Crossmen Quartet "When I Come To The End Of The Road"/"Old Landmark" Mystery Men Quartet "Love Will Roll The Clouds Away"/"America, I Thank God Right Here" (There are better patriotic songs than this one. The Mystery Men gave a pretty good performance, but I've heard them do better in the past.) Testify "Mercy Came Running"/"With A Name Like His" *David Patillo (I am always blown away by David Patillo's easy going delivery and songwriting skills. His daughter sang and signed the first song, so I actually only rated him on the second song. It's a gem.) "The Lord's Prayer"/"Make Me A Promise" The Allens "I Will Glory In The Cross"/"I'm Saved" Misty Freeman (Freeman's first song was outstanding, but the second was pitched too high for her voice, IMO) "My Name Is Faith"/"One Of These Days" Daryl Williams Trio "It Wasn't Too Late"/"I've Come Too Far To Look Back" *The Beene Family (This group has a good mix of stage presence and creative arrangements.) "Then Came The Morning"/"Beautiful Home" Soul Real "Lovin' Out Loud"/"The King Of Who I Am" Labels: NQC Road Trip Review, Day 4, Part BTuesday Evening Concert, September 13, 2005 - NQC There were seventeen groups on the Tuesday evening concert at NQC. I saw nine of them perform complete sets, and caught the tail end of two others. Tuesday night is typically the night I spend more time in the Exhibit Hall chatting with artists and message board friends. You probably know this drill by now...comments are in blue. Asterisks (*) are beside groups that impressed me with their performances. Apologies for incorrect titles. Overall, I've sensed an improvement in the professionalism at this year's event...more variety in how they get artists on the stage and the crew has been quick this year. Also, I have seen NO commercials on video during the evening concerts this year. I missed the Galloways, Squire Parsons Trio, Down East, and Reggie Saddler Family. The Primitives were on their last song when I took my seat, but I didn't get there in time to catch the song title. Dr. Buck Morton was tonight's emcee, but he turned his duties over to Dennis Swanberg part of the time. I didn't hear Morton use the phrase "sing the notes off the page" a single time. *Perrys (Their whole set consisted of songs from their new CD, Remembering The Happy Goodmans. They used a full live band for their set, including Rick Goodman on drums, Jeff Easter on bass, Steve Easter on steel, Tim Surrett on rhythm guitar, and their regular piano player.) "I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now"/"The Eastern Gate"/"What A Beautiful Day"/"Who Am I?"/"Living In Canaan Now" Crossway (Paul Lancaster was filling in for one of the guys whose wife recently gave birth to triplets.) "The Long Arm Of Love"/"I'll Fly Away" (This was performed with one of the singers playing a guitar for accompaniment...they did a unique version on this song, which was very nice)/"I See A Savior" Rick Webb Trio "Bells Of Heaven"/"Let The Church Roll On" (This was a novelty song...cute lyrics, but the arrangement repeated the chorus too much, IMO.)/"Mercy Stepped In"/"Let Us Stand" Lesters "You Sure Do Need Him Now" with "Standin' In The Need Of Prayer"/"I've Seen The Light"/"I'm Standing My Ground"/"On Jesus Alone We Will Stand" *Booth Brothers "His Grace Is Sufficient"/"Livin' For The Moment" (This is the best cut on their new CD, IMO...lots of energy, which they do so well.)/"He Saw It All" (This is their current single, and it got a great response.)/"Still Feeling Fine"/"He Saw It All" (A reprise of the chorus, with just acoustic guitar played by Ronnie Booth for accompaniment...smart move, IMO...they made sure the audience didn't forget their current single after hearing "Still Feeling Fine.")/"Through It All" (Ronnie Booth sounded a lot like Larry Gatlin on this.) *Crabb Family "Amazing Grace" (Harmonica, then vocal solo)/"Please Forgive Me"/"Through The Fire"/"Don't You Wanna Go?"/"Redeemer" | |||
