I Feel Brand New: A look at October and November's happenings!

The GMIML Radio Show, Russ Taff, Marion Williams, Reba Rambo & more!

November marks the one year anniversary of the God’s Music Is My Life Radio Show! It’s been a true honor to be a part of Pastor Darin Freeman’s vision for gospel radio in Nashville. Every Saturday and Sunday at 6 PM CST on 101.9 WEDA FM, I have the privilege of playing two hours of traditional gospel music. Some of my fondest memories of my youth were of hearing Sister Pat Hauser on the area in the Tampa Bay on WMNF doing the same thing. It was through her program that I was introduced to some of the greatest gospel music of the 80s and 90s.

I marvel and shutter at how much the world (and music) have changed since those days. I think about how much sustenance our community drew from those hours that Sister Hauser was on the air, the ways those songs carried us, and drove many of us to the record store to pick up the albums those songs came from. Today, music seems to be much less impactful and far more disposable. Music was not “content,” it was a force that was a central component to the ways we understood Spirit, ourselves and each other.

As I curate the playlist every month for this program and for Church of the Good Groove, I am looking for songs of survival because that’s what I’ve always understood and experienced music to be. I hope that in hearing these songs, younger people will feel the tug on their souls from these great artists who shared from their innermost beings with such abandon.

I’m sharing the October edition of the show here for your listening pleasure.

Hour One

He's Worthy--Dr. Jonathan Greer & the Cathedral of Faith Choir
(This song was written by John Askew, who you can read about here)
Psalm 27--Daryl Coley & Bruce Parham with the GMWA Youth Mass Choir
The Good Shepherd--The GMWA Mass Choir featuring Hank Neal
(Don’t miss Yolanda Adams’ brilliant cover of this song here)
I Feel Brand New--Bibleway Radio Choir
There's Been a Great Change--Dr. Charles Fold & the Charles Fold Singers
Everything You Do, Do It In The Spirit--Philadelphia Mass Choir
Seek Life Eternal--Southwest Michigan State Choir featuring Rev. Richard 'Mr. Clean' White
God Shall Wipe Away All Tears--Stan Lee Chorale
Fill Me With Your Spirit--Lucylle Lemon Gospel Chorus

Hour Two

I'm Encouraged--Thomas Whitfield Company
I'm Happy With Jesus Alone--St. James Choir
Tell it All--New York Community Choir
(I’m hard at work on revisions for the New York Community Choir book. My aim for completion is September 2025! Read about NYCC here!. Donate to support the project here.)
Music in the Air--Voices of East Harlem
I Won't Give Up--Bobby Jones and New Life featuring Charles Miller
If You Believe--GMWA Mass Choir featuring Charlene Moore
All He Wants Is You--Johnny Whittaker & the Twenty-First Century Singers
(It was an honor to pay tribute to the Twenty-First Century Singers in September. Hear the tribute and see photos here.)
God Has Been Gracious--Big Nick & The Gospel Heavyweights
Lest I Forget--Hulah Gene Hurley and her daughter Carolyne
Oh How I Love Jesus--Gwen Carter and Company
I've Been In The Storm Too Long--Albertina Walker
(This is a rare B-side from 1979!)
Safe in the Arms of Jesus--Wanda Nero Butler
(Don’t miss our 2023 feature on this great artist!)

October/November Happenings

If you’ve been reading God’s Music Is My Life for any length of time, then you most likely have read about the great Russ Taff. (Click here to read my essay about his 1985 album Medals and to hear/see my interview with his co-writer/spouse Tori). He is about to release an incredible new album titled Cover Story that has him interpreting songs by Bob Dylan, Duran Duran, Prince, Blind Willie Johnson, U2, Bill Withers and others. (Read and hear more about that from Russ and our friends at True Tunes here!) I sojourned to Russ and Tori’s annual event in Bell Buckle, TN with my friend Angela Primm—for whom I’m producing a ‘best of’ project—and got to witness them both in action.

From L to R: Noelle Taylor, myself, Milik Kashad, Dr. Karen Moore, Robin Williams

In October, I had the opportunity to curate and moderate a panel at the National Museum of African American Music about gospel pioneer, Marion Williams. The panel consisted of Marion’s son, Robin Williams and Dr. Karen Moore who produced the recent documentary, The Legendary Marion Williams, as well as Milik Kashad of the Black Music Archive, who shared a preview of his own groundbreaking work on Ms. Williams (See “The Link Between Gospel and Classical Singing” here). A special thanks to Noelle Taylor of NMAAM for opening the museum’s doors to us and to Robin Williams for allowing me to be a part of this incredible tribute to his mother’s enduring legacy!

This year has been one for the books: I’ve produced 12 reissues (half of which will break into the world next year), written liner notes for four additional projects, collaborated with the Black Music Archive on half a dozen scripts and have been a consultant on a forthcoming podcast and online video series. Of all of those projects though, nothing has been more meaningful to me than the work I’ve gotten to do about Reba Rambo’s historical work and her forthcoming work. In December, her new website will launch…which will include some special new products. Go ahead and bookmark rebaramboministries.org now….and get ready! Launch date to be announced soon!

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