S. Frank Frazier Singing Christmas Carols Voice of Psalm Music Unknown Year

S. Frank Frazier Singing Christmas Carols Voice of Psalm Music Unknown Year CAT #D1026

I don't celebrate the Christmas holiday, but I can dig some soulful gospel renditions of holiday classics. S. Frank Frazier was a Kansas City native doing his thing at the Metropolitan Spiritual Church in KCK. By 1971, he started Voice of Psalm Music and  put out a number of Gospel LPs.

As this is a Christmas LP, I can't say I recommend it...but, there are some originals and again, the tunes here bring a lot of soul. Based on the back cover, you'd think this album is going to be amazing, but again, Christmas songs, no matter how many times you rearrange them, you gotta be one of those people that just loves the holiday to find a lot of value in it.

I have another S. Frank Frazier LP I'm hoping I can blow doors off with. Apparently in 1961, Frazier recorded a blues single that charted and sold well. So, the guy has some secular cred. Additionally, the players and his voice are top-notch on this record, So, I'm expecting big things from additional LPs.

Greater Corinthian Nondenominational Church of Kansas City, Missouri Close to Thee HSE of America 1980

Greater Corinthian Nondenominational Church of Kansas City, Missouri Close to Thee HSE of America 1980 CAT #HSE 1543

This LP is hot fire. The title and opening track 'Close to Thee' starts funky with a rootsy choir, the lead male takes over taking a standard approach, then, I can't tell if it's the same guy or someone pairing with him, but this insane falsetto voice starts and owns the song. The next track, 'Sanctified, Justified, Glorified' is uptempo gospel, maybe a little too fast for the church's own sake as everyone has a hard time keeping up, but it makes the song real and live. It also continues for over 10 minutes. Third and final track on the 1st side, 'Plenty Good Room', slows things down considerably, but there's still plenty of fire pouring through it's grooves.

The second side starts hot with female led track, 'By and By'. After that, the album finishes with a winding gospel jam that is followed by an exit prayer, exploding in gospel music in the last minute.

As the title states, the church was located in Kansas City. The record was put out by the Nashville, TN gospel lable, HSE of America. Don't know much about the players, but they're great. Solid LP.

Sanctified, Justified, Glorified

Deryl Barnett The Gospel Soul of the Saxophone and the Evangelist Temple Inspirational Youth Choir Savoy 1977

Deryl Barnett The Gospel Soul of the Saxophone and the Evangelist Temple Inspirational Youth Choir Savoy 1977 CAT# Savy 14428

Deryl Barnett is a native Kansas City saxophone player who grew up in the church as his father was a Reverend. This album was recorded live in KC and put out by the Savoy record label. Savoy is a rather diverse label and put out numerous quality gospel LPs as well as a host of jazz releases.

This album is centered around Barnett's soulful saxophone. It flirts with jazz, but he basically runs soulful lines throughout numerous gospel songs. The Evangelist Temple Inspirational Youth Choir takes a back seat to Barnett throughout the LP, but when they're featured, it's in the best parts of the album.

Appears this is really the only thing Barnett released. Although, who knows, maybe there are some locally pressed 45s and the like, but it does appear this LP is about it. Which is odd. You'd think releasing a saxophone LP on the Savoy label would lead to some other recordings, whether it be as a front man are part of a group, but the dude just dropped this LP and must have went onto to concentrate on God's work.

Ottawa University Quartet S/T Audio House 1975

Ottawa University Quartet S/T Audio House 1975 CAT# AHS 176F75

Picking this up, I was thinking it's either going to be either really great or just really boring. The year, 1975 is about right for some killer Gospel sides. However, looking at it, there was no mention of instrumentation, which had me thinking this might not be that great. Unfortunately, it lands on the boring side, it's just the four voices accompanied by a piano, there isn't enough here, although they are good signers. There is a vocal work out on "Do You Know The Way to Jesus?" with some clever harmonies. The first track on Side 2, "I Kept on Serching [Searching] till I Found the King of Kings" gets soulful with just the minimal accompaniment. Other than that, it's really just a lot of Andre Couch covers.

The Ottawa University Quartet put this out on the Audio House label. Ottawa University is about 30 minutes outside of Lawrence, KS and not none for being hip, but hey, they're close enough to Lawrence. This group of singers actually only features one local from Kansas City, KS, two of the singers are from St. Louis and another from Pennsylvania. 

Rev. Steve Ray & the Shiloh Young Adult Choir God Is Ar'Nett Record Co. Unknown Year

Rev. Steve Ray & the Shiloh Young Adult Chori God Is Ar'Nett Record Co. Unknown Year NO CAT#

Came across this local gospel release with a grip of really great non-local gospel titles. Most of the other titles were in the 70's soul and funk era of gospel, so this was promising. The year on this release isn't listed, but the back liners indicate Rev. Steve Ray took the pastor position at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in 1979, so it can be assumed this album followed shortly after, likely in the early 80's.

The Shiloh Missionary Baptist church still exists, in Shawnee, KS, but at the time of this release it was located at 2213 North Third Street in Kansas City, Kansas. The church website mentions Steve Ray and advises he served as the pastor until his death in 1988, it also mentions this LP. However, little else is out there on the pastor as far as any sort of musical upbringing or musical forays before or after the release of this album.

The first side starts with a sermon with a lot of "HUH!s" and "CAN YOU HEAR ME!s" No real fire and brimstone, but entertaining and uplifting...he's go into a Kentucky Fried Chicken and soda bit, which is pretty interesting, because I think the point is G-d is better than KFC and soda, or something. The sermon leads into the second track on which is the sermon continued, only with music creeping in, Lots of dirty bass and guitar lines finding their way into all the "HUH!s", but still a sermon. Then, for a minute at the very end of Side 1, the sermon bleeds into a controlled church recording "This Little Light of Mine," which is super funky, sleazy, and just sliding all over the place, but it's only there for a minute.

The second side is all music. The first track is decent, it's got a wobbly horn line that runs on the chorus and the drumming is superb along with some splashes of guitar, it just could have been more bombastic. Rev. Steve Ray sings on about half the tracks, he tends to the limit the songs. The remainder of the second side delivers on the promise of "This Little Light of Mine,"sometimes only in moments of songs, but the LP gets there. Adding a horn section to the band makes this better than most obscure gospel records you could run across. The drummer is fantastic and could provide a beat jockey hours of fun with samples. The guitarists (there are several) can come across inventive and loose.  Most the players sound as if they could done it professionally and may have, although Discogs doesn't return much on their names. The Shiloh Young Adult Choir is solid, the singers that take lead are female and a better option than the Reverend. The recording quality is decent, it's obviously a bit homespun, but reviewing the backside it appears the Church did entrust a local producer, but appears he recorded the tracks live in the church and had limited means to get things perfect.

Overall, this will likely cost a dollar at a thrift store or possibly even an actual record store. If so, it's worth it. Never sleep on the local gospel records.

The Sensational Wonders Moving Up Shur Fine Gospel 1986

The Sensational Wonders Moving Up Shur Fine Gospel 1986 CAT# SFG-55031

The back cover of this LP indicates the Sensational Wonders are from the "twin cities of Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas)." Which means that we have singers from both sides of the border and the groups record label never bothered to visit Kansas City. If they had, especially in 1986, they would have realized that Kansas City, Kansas has nothing but the KU Med Center and is at best, Kansas City, Missouri's evil twin.

That aside, these guys provided their own instrumentation and soaring vocals. The production is weighted in 80's slickness, but it's not a terrible album. The Sensational Wonders go from soulful, to a country gospel on this LP. Some solid call and response moments, great vocals, and the group gets pretty fevered on a number of occasions.

Also of note, this LP was released from a Shur Fine Records in Georgia. Indicating the band's gospel reach went a good distance outside the metro area, they were part of a national gospel scene. Not dealing with a privately released church album here.

A much later and younger version of the Sensational Wonders

Laverne Harvey Lord I Try Cory Records 1982

Laverne Harvey Lord I Try Cory Records 1982 CAT# C-108

Had some high hopes for this LP. Found it sealed somewhere for a dollar. It would appear to be soulful gospel, it's on a local label that released a really great kid's choir LP, and the ubiquitous cover that turns up on tons of sought after private press releases. The only hold up was the year: 1982. Not a lot of funk or soul going on in 1982, but again, for a dollar, wasn't going to pass up a possible gem.

The LP doesn't live up to the high hopes, but it's not a total loss. Laverne Harvey is a strong, soulful singer.  Had she been surrounded by the right players, this could have been great. Everything is just done up so average with little excitement, putting this into middle of the road territory. Outside of Harvey's pipes, there isn't much going on. A few organ breaks, but, nothing really exciting. Fortunately, it doesn't get all slick and contemporary like it could have in 1982. To the albums benefit, it stays pretty traditional with live instrumentation.

It was recorded at the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. I'm not sure of the size of the church, but I'm guessing it's large as the recording also brings this to the middle of the road territory. It goes loud to soft over and over. Even Harvey's vocals get to quiet at times. Again, not a total loss though, it's far better than white gospel and like many regional releases, there are a couple highlights worth exploring.

However, despite the middle of the road gospel. The thing that has to be mentioned is the album was arranged by Charles Love Jr. of Bloodstone Fame. Despite Bloodstone's busy touring and constant travel, Love Jr. seemed to stay grounded to Kansas City. He probably arranged the record primarily because, Laverene Harvey, was his daughter. That said, it's still pretty middle of the road, but man, this should have been amazing.

Bill Freeman "Live Spiritbound" NIM Records 1977

Bill Freeman "Live Spiritbound" NIM Records 1977 CAT# 74-27

You'd think a 70's gospel album with a stock photo for a cover from 1977 would be awful, but Bill Freeman has soul.  The first track, "I Want to Be Ready/Everytime I Feel the Spirit" sounds like it was recorded in a basement, but man, crazy organ runs all throughout.  Just intense organ riffs with moog and synths thrown in, some of it distorted, it's an experience.  Based on the first track, Bill Freeman was filled with some sorta crazy God-love.

Then you flip to the back cover and Bill Freeman just looks crazy.  Something about his photo makes it look as if he's wearing make-up (maybe he is), it's kind of creepy.  He's also got some weird-ass fur vest, a saber-tooth necklace, and rings on his fingers.  He doesn't look scary, just crazy, but, maybe we can chalk most of it up to the late-70's.

The notes indicate the album was recorded live at the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Kansas where Bill's father was the pastor.  It was released under the NMI lable out of Kansas City, which did release a handful of local releases, most of which are not religious but center around soul, funk and later disco.  Personally, my favorite part of the back notes is that Bill thanks the Ebony Club.  I have no idea what the Ebony Club of Kansas City was about, but it sounds awesome.

The remainder of the album (sorry, but not sorry for the pun) is a spirited affair.  While the first track features no vocals and is the "warm-up", the remainder are reworked gospel tunes.  The tracks are worth checking out for the moog running throughout along with some pretty great vocals.  I assume Freeman sings in a soulful falsetto, but there's a chorus with talented female singers and a male baritone that takes some front end work.  It's very motivated and again, the organ runs, synths and moog make it worth checking out.

Kansas East Sunshine Band Children's Choir Churces of God In Christ Young and Gifted Cory 1982

Kansas East Sunshine Band Children's Choir Churces of God In Christ Young and Gifted Cory 1982 CAT#C110

So, I purchased this at Goodwill.  I don't know how often everybody else shops at Goodwill, but the people that work there are always entertaining.  On this occasion, this was the only record I was purchasing.  The lady at the register grabbed it and began to look it over and thought to myself, 'Great, here we go again.'  I recalled the time I bought two Johnny Cash LPS and the cashier with knuckle tattoos looked at them, looked back at me and said, "I already have these."  Like it was some sort of competition I was suddenly involved in.  Or the countless times I've discussed with Goodwill employees how most of this "stuff" is on CD.  Or the many times I've been told, "My parents used to have records."  All that is flashing through my mind when I she says, "This is good.  It's a collector's item."  To which I replied, "What?"  "I bet it's rare," said the cashier, "you could probably sell it."  "Oh," I replied, "it's local children singing for church, I'm not sure there's a huge market for it, but yeah, it's probably rare."  I'm literally handing her the $1 and a few cents I owe her just to get out of the store and she hasn't even rung it up.  "So, have you heard it?" I asked to try and move things along.  "No, it just looks good, I wish I had a record player."  Then she rang it up and I continued on.

She was right, though.  There are amazing moments in this album.  It's soul inflicted gospel and like the cover reads, it's virtually all children.  The instrumentation is handled by the some of the older kids in the church, a 16 year old bassist, a twelve year old drummer, there are adults on saxophone and trumpet, and one of the directors leads at her organ.  But, other than that, you're looking at an all children chorus and a brilliant music directors.

The back cover reads, "This unique choir, with a membership of 200-plus children, ages 3-12, are featured on this album on this album singing contemporary gospel music music that has been written and arranged by their leaders, Mrs. Jean Henderson and Mrs. Carolyn Cofield, who have dedicated their lives to encouraging young people to develop their highest potential in all aspects of life."  These ladies were winning.  The songs and arrangements are rooted in great 60's soul.  They really got these kids to perform and I got to think, surprised anyone that would have seen them.  I mean, this is a church group, I don't think there was much time to focus children on this music, not with school, home life, etc.  Still they got amazing performances out of these kids.  Not to mention, Linda Cofield's organ is straight funky.  Admittedly, there are some cough ups throughout, but these are children performing after all.  Overall, this is incredible and will easily be one of the greatest things I hear for the rest of the year (it's still January and I'm sure of this).

The Kansas East Sunshine Band Children's Choir still performs to this day.  Appears Jean Henderson is the only one still directing.  They're still amazing, though.

Much more recent performance