Evelyn Turrentine-Agee | There’s Gonna Be A Meeting
Evelyn Turrentine-Agee – There’s Gonna Be A Meeting
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As one of the most respected female quartet singers in urban gospel music, Evelyn Turrentine-Agee fully understands the principles of vocal harmonies. Being born into a family of eighteen siblings, one can bet harmony played a major role in relating to such a huge number of personalities under one roof. Turrentine-Agee’s journey to the queen of quartets began at the age three witnessing her father singing quartet music while growing up in St. Louis, Missouri His influence obviously rubbed off on her because she has stayed faithful to the church and quartet traditions ever since. Before she became a teenager, Turrentine-Agee’s father formed a quartet – The Tylerettes – originally an all female quartet. However, when the three other girls departed,three male cousins were brought in – sort of a Gladys Knight & The Pips scenario. The renamed Tyler Singers recorded a regional single,“Precious Lord” in 1958. Eventually the quartet disbanded and Turrentine-Agee’s moved to Detroit for her husband’s job. And she has lived up to the city’s rich history singing with various groups including War on Sin and her long-time associates – The Gospel Warriors,while bringing fundamental church service to her audiences. Though Turrentine-Agee is now crowned the “Queen of Quartets,” female quartets such as The Caravans and The Gospel Harmonettes always played a key role during gospel’s golden era. Currently, Turrentine-Agee represents one of several female warriors who continue to carry the traditional gospel torch along with Dorothy Norwood, Pastor Shirley Caesar and Dottie Peoples. The next generation of the Turrentine family, both male and female, are also involved in spreading the joy of gospel quartet harmonies.
Turrentine-Agee finally released her solo effort, In God’s Own Time, in 1992. However, the project got lost in the record distribution shuffle. But she bounced back to what would stake her quartet music claim. Both the album and single, God Did It (released on Turrentine-Agee’s company WOS which stands for War on Sin), featuring The Gospel Warriors, was nominated for a 2002 Stellar Award for Traditional Female Vocalist. Turrentine-Agee was in excellent company with her fellow nominees Caesar, Peoples and Angela Spivey. To say the least, the print and radio media was all over this foot stomping classic. Though “God Did It” was the track that got the ball rolling, Turrentine-Agee released several hits such as “It’s Already Done” and four discs for AIR Gospel, Light and WOS, mixing the tradition with contemporary praise and worship.
Her latest release, There’s Gonna Be A Meeting,is the first time since “God Did It” where Turrentine-Agee sticks primarily to her first love of roots gospel. The Shanachie Entertainment disc is guided by quartet veteran, Alton Hollis from Lee Williams & The Spirituals QC’s. And there is a musical feast of raise the roof praise (“Work It Out,” “Fresh Anointing,”), smooth shuffles (“New Life,” “My Job Is Working For Jesus”), classic soul aftertaste (“Meeting,” “God On My Side”) and country blues (“Yes He Can,” “He’s Using Me”). Though the lone track, “So Good,” definitely strays from the quartet setting, The Christiannaires’ Paul Porter channels The Gap Band for a rip-roaring duet. Two of the extended Turrentine-Agee family, Chara Turrentine-Walker and Harold Turrentine & Peculiar, are also on board.
Turrentine-Agee convincingly brings back those gospel glory days and old-fashioned harmonies on There’s Gonna Be A Meeting. So whenever your spirit needs to be re-energized from a down-trodden day, the waiting is now over. Now let the gospel meeting begin.
Tracks:
Work It Out
So Good
Meeting
Yes He Can
Fresh Anointing
God Is On My Side
Bye and Bye
God Will Come
Traveling Shoes
He’s Using Me
New Life
My Job Is Working For Jesus
Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene