A Reliable
Voice in the
Community
Volume 6
Issue 17
July 8 - 14, 2009
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A Reliable Volume 6 |
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Bay Area group’s ‘do-wop’ gospel music captivates young followers
After singing for years individually, they became a group in 1995. Current members include Rev. Sam Cox, Paul Foster Jr., Bobby Reed, Rev. Melvin Williams and Mack Williams. Consonance has appeared throughout Northern California, including shows at the Monterey Blues Festival, the city of Oakland’s Art and Soul Festival, the cities of San Francisco’s and Richmond’s Juneteenth festivals and the Marin City Blues Festival. This weekend was real treat — the Bay Area had more than a dozen festivals and outdoor events to choose from. We are so blessed here locally to have so many free options, including tons of art and wine activities to select from. Consonance is part of this. They are an outstanding group of gospel singers with a unique style similar to “do-wop” groups of the past. The guys are clearly innovators of this new twist on an old style and almost-forgotten genre of music. Their arrangements aren’t typical of most gospel quartets and that’s what makes them so fresh and distinctive. They hit you with their “good news blues gospel” featuring some contemporary versions and traditional renditions with real soul. Like all genres of music, it’s hard to stay on top more than a year or so for pop artists — and double that for everybody else. Consonance impressed me again this weekend at the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco where I saw them steal the crowd during the early morning hours of the event. It’s so tough to keep good singing groups together these days, but it looks like these dudes have survived a few bumps in the road and appear to be enjoying things right now. Please support our local cats trying to make it in the music game. Learn more about Consonance at www.consonancegospel.com. |
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One of the Bay Area’s contemporary gospel groups, Consonance, is fresh off its 2009 Bay Area Blues Society’s “Best Gospel Group” award and has found a new focus. The members of the group admit they are enjoying the recognition, too. 