Acoustic Southern gospel music has a great deal in common with bluegrass. The instruments, for instance, are usually comprised of guitars, mandolins, and banjos, and both styles pride themselves on vocal finesse. Gospel groups like Dick Kimmel & Co., however, set themselves apart by their combination of fundamental Christian material and group harmony. Songs like "Ain't Gonna Lay My Armor Down" and the familiar "Tramp on the Street," for instance, start with group harmony before moving toward a more standard lead vocal. ...
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Acoustic Southern gospel music has a great deal in common with bluegrass. The instruments, for instance, are usually comprised of guitars, mandolins, and banjos, and both styles pride themselves on vocal finesse. Gospel groups like Dick Kimmel & Co., however, set themselves apart by their combination of fundamental Christian material and group harmony. Songs like "Ain't Gonna Lay My Armor Down" and the familiar "Tramp on the Street," for instance, start with group harmony before moving toward a more standard lead vocal. That means that nearly everyone in the band needs to be a good singer, and in the case of Kimmel & Co., this is true. While Kimmel takes most of the leads, he kindly shares these chores with guitarist Darrell Fuhr, bassist Paul Horrisberger, singer Jerilyn Kjellberg, and banjoist Tim O'Connor. The combination of solid leads and first-rate harmony gives My Lord Keeps a Record lots of variety, and even old warhorses like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" sound fresh here. Kimmel & Co. manages to fit some 16 songs within the space of 47 minutes, and there's a nice mix of old and new material. For gospel fans, My Lord Keeps a Record delivers an enjoyable wallop of good singing, good picking, and good songs. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi
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