Southern Sound Quartet - We Will Stand, ReviewsCD Review

Dec

2005

Southern Sound Quartet - We Will Stand

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[3] Comments

Label: 4 Square
Producer: Eddie Crook
Website: http://www.southernsoundquartet.com
Song Titles: "Day By Day," "We Will Stand," "God's Promises Will Stand," "Happy To Say," "God Must Have Sent Down An Angel," "The Bigger The Mountain," "If Everybody Prayed," "Something To Shout About," "What Only Mercy Can Do," "Let Your Love," and "The Haven Of Rest"

Pardon me for a moment while I explain something for the benefit of readers who know me personally. No...I'm not reviewing my own group. And for the benefit of those who don't know me, the reason I needed to say that is because I've played keyboard since 1994 for a part-time group in North Carolina called Southern Sounds Quartet.

Southern Sound is based in Nashville, TN. They've been singing traditional quartet music since 1997. Their 2005 release titled We Will Stand features Charles Brantley (bass), Trevor Haley (baritone), Ben Harris (lead), Jeremy Calloway (tenor), and Woody Beatty (piano). Harris is noted for his work as a sound system consultant and recording engineer, having worked in the latter capacity for Ronnie Milsap (to drop one name you should recognize). Beatty is a quartet veteran best known for playing with Palmetto State Quartet, Jake Hess, and Rozie Rozell and the Searchers.

We Will Stand summed up in one word is "smooth." Even on an up-tempo track like "Something To Shout About," it's impressive to hear four voices pronouncing their words the same way with a compatible, blending tone quality. Brantley in particular demonstrates his flexibility as a bass singer on tracks like the opening "Day By Day" where he goes up the baritone range to create interesting harmonies with the other three voices and then switches effortlessly to a solo part in his lower register.

Haley and Beatty contributed one song each to We Will Stand. Haley's title track is a slow anthem, starting soft and gradually building to a big climactic ending. Beatty's mid-tempo "Happy To Say" puts some chromatic chord progressions into play and gives Calloway a chance to show us some smooth tenor octave leaps in the vein of the classic song "Over The Moon." Other tracks on the CD draw from classic writers such as Mosie Lister ("Something To Shout About"), Jack Toney ("God Must Have Sent Down An Angel" and "Let Your Love"), and Buford Abner ("Day By Day"). The music track for "God's Promises Will Stand" (written by Ben Scroggs) is a bit of a stylistic departure from the rest of the CD, but Southern Sound makes the cut their own with special chord structures in their vocal arrangement and an excellent blend. Did I mention their vocals are smooth?

Actually, We Will Stand is a project I wish all harmonizing groups in Southern Gospel industry would buy and utilize as a study guide. No matter your vocal style, the key to good harmony is having every singer on the same stylistic page and developing that into a single vocal unit. We Will Stand is not a big budget recording. They have some well known studio players involved, but it doesn't have the slick produced sound of a major studio release musically speaking. It's the quality of the vocals that elevates this recording to a higher rating than it would have probably received otherwise. When I say "vocals," I'm not just refering to the tone quality, blend or energy of the singers. The vocal arrangements are also a major factor. My hat is off to Harris, Beatty, and Haley who were responsible for those arrangements. Well done.

Reader Comments

Let me second David's comments about this project. I have all of Southern Sound's projects and each one seems to get better and better.
The addition of Jeremy gives them a fresh sound and Trevor has really stepped it up a notch. Of course Ben, Charles and Woody are still right on top of their game too!

Dean

Commented by On 01/01/2006

This is a fantastic CD. I keep it in my car and listen to it several times per week. Outstanding SG harmony is alive and well with Southern Sound.

Mike Wiggington

Commented by On 01/02/2006

Nobody does it better than Southern Sound. Man for man, voice for voice, these guys can stand flat footed and sing with the best of them. I have all their cd's as a matter of fact, their live cd was recorded at the church where I am Pastor. I had the priviledge of introducing them on the recording. But I believe "I will Stand" is their best one yet. Buy it, listen to it once, and you will be hooked. And I agree, all part time quartets and singing groups could learn from these guys who are truly professional.

Preacherp

peace & grace,
preacherp

Commented by On 03/24/2006

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