New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Very few musical experiences stir the soul the way listening to a locked-in gospel quartet does. Members of the legendary group The Fairfield Four have drawn on that power for nearly a century.
On March 10, the group will celebrate the heritage and tradition of both the music and its makers with the release of Still Rockin' My Soul - its first under the Fairfield Four Records banner.
"Gospel quartets were the precursors to the rock 'n' roll band," said NPR music correspondent Ann Powers on a recent PBS special that celebrated The Fairfield Four and Gospel Music, titled "Rock My Soul." "Every element in a rock 'n' roll band that really makes it special - the camaraderie, the competitiveness, the virtuosity, but also the interplay - that's all in the gospel quartet."
The latest iteration of The Fairfield Four features members Bobbye Sherrell, Joseph Thompson, Larrice Byrd and Levert Allison, who carry on the tradition that started in Nashville's Fairfield Baptist Church in 1921.
Through the decades, members weaved in and out of the group, yet The Fairfield Four stood as one of the most prominent and respected names in gospel music. Their blend of rich harmonies, joined with the simultaneously grand and humble vision of soulful singers clad in tuxedo jackets and coveralls, made for an experience unmatched in pop, soul, R&B and gospel music.
On Still Rockin' My Soul, the group's signature vocal sounds appear on 11-tracks of both familiar and contemporary hymns, such as "Rock My Soul," "Jesus Gave Me Water," "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around," "Baptism of Jesus" and a collaboration with country's soulful
Lee Ann Womack on the track "Children Go Where I Send Thee."
The Fairfield Four will continue to tour in 2015, including an April 5 date at the Ryman Auditorium as part of the ongoing Sam's Place showcase.
The live experience brings forth The Fairfield Four's energy, passing along both feeling and message to the audience's core. "The Fairfield Four, they come to these venues, and it's like having church," says
Michael Gray of the Country
Music Hall of Fame. "They know how to lift your spirits, and they also give people a good dose of America's roots music and heritage."
Stinll Rockin' My Soul Tracklist:
1. Rock My Soul
2. Come On In This House
3. Baptism of Jesus
4. Children Go Where I Send Thee
5. Jesus Gave Me Water
6. I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry
7. My Rock
8. I've Got Jesus, That's Enough
9. Don't You Let Nobody Turn You Around
10. Highway to Heaven
11. I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry (Reprise)
