Echoes of Praise: Gospel Music in NY's Capital Region

Home I'm coming I'm coming home - I would dare say gospel music means everything to me.

- I grew up singing gospel but then as I got older and really understood what the words meant, it's comforting.

It's a Christian experience.

- It's not a tradition where you just sit.

You sing along, you sing in harmony, hopefully you live in harmony.

- Some of 'em were singing, you know, secular songs and some were singing gospel songs.

Myself, I chose gospel.

- Out of the blue, they said, "You should come down and play guitar with us, we have a gospel group."

It's been probably the best thing that could have happened to me.

I'm coming - "Do you not know what happened here at Caffe Lena?"

I'm like, "Apparently not."

I'm coming on home Yeah (audience applauds) (peaceful blues music) - My first experience with gospel music goes back so far, I can't even tell you when it started.

Gospel music has been in my life all of my life.

I come from a family of church musicians, my mother was Minister of Music at our home church, The Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church of Albany.

She was Minister of Music for some 50 plus years.

My paternal grandmother, she was a musician.

My maternal great-grandmother, she was a church musician.

But the earliest time that I can reflect on gospel music really being prevalent in my life, was around six, seven years old.

I was the Director of our Junior Choir at our home church, and I first became a Director of Music, a hired Director of Music at a church when I was about 12 years old.

Gospel music is critically important to the African American church, to the world.

It plays a very large and critical role in all of our worship services.

The songs speak of our pain but it also publishes our peace.

Gospel music speaks of our trials, but it also speaks of our triumphs.

Gospel music is very near and dear to my heart till this day.

All hail Emmanuel (upbeat gospel music) All hail King Jesus (upbeat gospel music) All hail Emmanuel He reigns forever And evermore He reigns forever He reigns forever and evermore When you look at the term gospel music, you have to break it down and look at gospel.

Gospel speaks of the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And so when we look at gospel music, it sings of that, it sings about who our Savior is, it sings about our relationship, it sings about how we were brought into salvation by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Trust in him He wont leave you We have what's called our Minister of Music, or our Praise and Worship Leader.

Their main goal is to get the church engaged.

- It's almost like we're the hype-men for the pastor, getting everybody ready before he preaches.

The choir that I have, I feed off of them, they feed off of me.

So I'm in front of them, so I'm like, "Let's go, let's go, pick it up, pick it up."

Hold onto His hand Hold onto Gods Gods unchanging hand Everybody call to his name Hold onto Gods unchanging hand Build your hopes on things eternal And just hold to God's unchanging hand - In the Capital Region, gospel has always been prominent in this area, in the Albany, Troy, Schenectady area especially, and some churches were known for certain styles of music.

(ethereal music) Schenectady, you had churches that were just known for phenomenal gospel music, Refreshing Springs Church of God in Christ.

In the Albany area, there were numerous.

Morning Star, my home church was always known for the hymns and the anthems.

Metropolitan was always contemporary gospel, traditional gospel.

And Troy, there was Bethel Baptist Church who had the late Professor Rudolph Stinney who was a icon.

Professor Stinney was all of our music mentor.

There's not a musician who came through the Capital Region area where Professor Stinney didn't have a hand or some interaction.

He nurtured church musicians.

(angelic choir music) - I learned a lot from Rudolph because he had a way of bringing out of you, the most of your talents and your abilities.

(indistinct beautiful gospel music) He was the Minister of Music here at Bethel Baptist, and he provided leadership and guidance, and musical direction to several choirs.

Can call him I can call him in the morning Call him in the middle of the night In the middle of the night But when I call him But when I call him He makes everything alright And I can call him I can call him in the morning We decided that it was time to recognize Rudolph in this tangible way that we could, and the best way to do that was to memorialize the choir room for the memory of Rudolph because of his numerous contributions to the Bethel Church itself.

- I sang in the Rudolph V Stinney Choir Ensemble, and I was a tenor there when I was a teenager.

And he had a way of speaking to all of us and then us individually.

In fact, don't tell anybody but I can't sing, but he taught me voice and how to play the piano because he would just take that kind of time with one who didn't have the talent.

We stand on his shoulders.

(upbeat music) I will be celebrating my 14th year as the Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church, which is a historic church in Schenectady area.

We are now 104 years old, and I'm proud to be the Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church.

I'm a church boy, I was raised in the church, I was born in the church, first place I went was to church.

My dad was a pastor for 40 years in the area.

My history with gospel music comes from my mother.

She was the youngest of 12, and her whole family were vocalists.

We used to say that gospel music or singing ran in my family and when it got to me, it had run out because I'm not a great vocalist, but I grew up hearing great music.

(uplifting gospel music) Light of the world Light of the world Light of the world Hes the road out of darkness The brightest way out Jesus is the light of the world Prior to Friendship Baptist Church, I was an Associate at the Metropolitan Baptist Church under the direction of Reverend Dr.

Damone Paul Johnson.

I was licensed there, I was ordained there, they continue to be instrumental in my formation as a pastor.

And so when I came to Friendship Baptist, I was very pleased to find out that they had a rich history with spirituals, with regards to gospel music because it actually moves the service.

It makes preaching easy when we are celebrating the Lord in song.

Clap your hands Clap your hands, holy people Shout unto God with the voice of triumph Clap your hands Clap your hands - Gospel music is meant to inspire, so when you hear good gospel music and it resonates with you, you can't help but start to sing with it and join in.

For the Lord most high is over all the Earth Gospel music, it gives me life.

On a good day, I'll sing, on a bad day, I'll sing.

And it just encourages me, it lifts my spirit.

Now let us have a little talk with Jesus Let us tell him all about our troubles He will hear our faintest cry He will answer by and by Now when you feel a little prayerwheel turning And you know a little fire is burning You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right - The Minister of Music here, she is my wife, and I will share that she's an integral part of the worship here at Friendship Baptist Church.

- Friendship Baptist Church is what I would consider a traditional church.

So we tend to sing more traditional gospel music, but what I am trying to introduce is a little more contemporary.

He's my home He's my life - The style of music here has changed in the 14 years I've been here, with Nicole coming here and bringing in a youthfulness.

We celebrate with more contemporary music now, but not forgetting our past and it is joyous.

Eyes have not seen I don't believe that people worship the same way.

We have different experiences and I believe the music should represent the members that are coming in.

Young people don't sing what the older people did.

They don't want to do that, they don't worship that way anymore.

And so if we're going to get or attract the younger, we have to have a music that they can sing, that resonates with them.

(uplifting gospel music) Oh, we magnify We magnify your name Glorify your name, oh God - It is my heart's desire to give to the choir, to the church, and to God, the gift that he's given within me.

So God gave me the gift to sing, to direct, to encourage, to inspire, so I wanna share that with his people and at the same time hoping the songs that we sing minister to someone else, so that's my goal.

I won't say that I'm the best at it.

I won't say that I'm a professional but I give it all I got each and every time I stand up there.

We magnify your name - Gospel music is for me more than the notes, more than the sound even.

It's the blending, it is worship unto God.

I believe that he hears the prayer and the praise of his people.

And so when we sing corporately, I believe it reaches the ears of God and I believe he is pleased because we're instruments of praise.

We magnify We magnify your name We glorify Glorify your name Oh God Oh God (congregation applauds) - My name is Hayes Coleman.

I am a member of the Heavenly Echoes.

Home I'm coming I'm coming on home - Those brothers... They have been an institution in the Capital Region that every time I see them, I almost bow to them, right?

I'm like... They're like, "Hey, come here young brother, you know, come here for a second."

And I'm like, "Oh my God, oh my God."

Because they represent the thread in the Capital Region of Spirit, meets gospel, meets doo-wop, and they are just Godly.

Hey I'm coming, yeah - We used to have what they call doo-wop corners.

You know, there'd be certain guys would get together on a certain corner and everybody harmonizing, you know, or singing.

Some of 'em were singing, you know, secular songs and some were singing gospel songs.

Myself, I chose gospel because it had more meaning to it - The Heavenly Echoes was organized by one of the deacons of our church, Deacon James Edmonds, he's deceased now.

- He started the Echoes early to mid sixties to sing outside of churches or not necessarily be affiliated with any particular church.

I testify for Jesus While I have a chance Because I may not have a chance - My involvement with the Heavenly Echoes was just a happy accident.

I had gotten to know a couple of the members of the group, Peter Marshall and his brother Willie Marshall.

I got to know through various open mics that were held around the Albany area.

Out of the blue, they said, "You know, you should come down and play guitar with us, we have a gospel group.

And it's good group, you'll have fun."

They invited me down to Sweet Pilgrim, and it turns out that this was not a rehearsal.

This was the Heavenly Echoes doing a program at Sweet Pilgrim for, I believe it was the Heavenly Echoes anniversary.

Well can't nobody no Do me like Jesus Can't nobody no, do me like the Lord well Now I found myself in the middle of this, it was incredible.

James Edmonds said, "Do you promise that you will come to rehearsals every Tuesday?"

And I said, "Yeah."

And he said, "Well, then you're in the group."

Do me like Jesus Can't nobody do me like the Lord Well, can't nobody, no, do me like Jesus He's my friend Well It's been probably the best thing that could have happened to me, and still is.

I've become a much fussier musician, the standard is authenticity for me now, it's not technical proficiency or anything.

I mean, I'm wowed by by lead guitar players but my whole standard now has been like real, you know?

How real is this?

How heartfelt?

Can't nobody, no do me like the Lord Can't nobody, no do me like - I get a real uplifting out of people enjoying the songs.

Long as I'm able to do it, I'm gonna do it.

Can't nobody, no do me like Jesus Can't nobody - It's authentic, straight praise and worship gospel music, and I just love them all.

Can't nobody, no do me like Jesus He's my friend Gospel to me is, as I always say, soul music.

As I've come to define it as being life in music.

Really, it's just about coming from a heritage of, you know, the African American tradition by way of, as I like to say, a troubled past but still keeping their eyes on the prize.

That sense of hope, that sense of there's a better glory beyond our current situation.

That is really the power of gospel music, powered with praise and worship for God and Jesus Christ.

But even for those who didn't believe and having coming from a Christian background, you still can have that sense of hope, that power, that enthusiasm, that joy, that just pretty much just gets an entire room charged up, that's gospel to me.

(uplifting music) A brother by the name of Joel Moss, who happens to be a multi award-winning producer, he stepped to me one day in early 2018 and was like, "Hey, you know, we need to do something..." We needed to do something musical that would help raise the spirits of our community and him knowing that I had a gospel background and was like, "Hey, can we do something that would get everyone involved regardless of faith?"

I said, "Absolutely."

So I reached out to my brother, Azzaam Hameed another, a fantastic gospel artist and musician in his own right in the Capital Region to be Music Directors, to put together this vocal group.

- When Garland called me and told me what Joel Moss's vision was, I was immediately on board and interested because it also is efficient that I've had songs of hope and inspiration with universal lyrics.

- We are sitting now in Caffe Lena, when Joel asked us to be, to do something here, it was like, "Why here?"

And it was like, "Well, do you not know what this... What happened here at Caffe Lena?"

I'm like, "Apparently not."

(jazz music) Miss Lena had this folk house going on for a little bit, where artists like Bob Dylan and you know, Richie Havens, they all kind of came through here.

But there was also another place in Saratoga Springs called Hattie's Chicken Shack.

A lot of brothers and sisters through the track and other summer activities came up here.

So there was a woman by the name of Bernice Johnson, who was from Georgia in the Civil Rights Movement in 1962, who was waitressing at Hattie's, making some extra dough for the track season, everything is cool.

And while she was serving food, someone overheard her, I think Miss.

Lena and said, "Hey, you know, maybe you should come sing at Caffe Lena real quick."

And she was like, "Well, I don't... I don't really know."

So she came up, did the open mic and realized that this was a great opportunity to do something.

So when she went back home, back to Georgia, she went back and formed a four person singing group called The Freedom Singers that literally did everything for the Civil Rights movement.

They marched with MLK, even things leading up to the March on Washington.

And periodically they would come back up here to Saratoga and perform here at Caffe Lena.

And that is one of the earliest first gospel shows, Caffe Lena has ever seen, The Freedom Singers.

So at the time I didn't real... I said, "Why we should do it here at Caffe Lena?

We can go to some church down the street."

This is the perfect home to start this kind of spirit choir, here at Caffe Lena.

So after we did some evaluating, we realized that A Joyful Noise was the project that we were going to start.

And A Joyful Noise really is the Capital Region Spirit Choir.

So I kind of stripped the gospel out for a minute because we wanted to make sure that this was clear, if we're talking about the gospel, soul music, life in music, different artists that are not church have written amazingly moving songs that will just have that same gospel impact.

You know, Blowing in the Wind comes to mind, there's a reason why Aretha Franklin did it, right?

There are artists like James Taylor that have written like Shower the People, in terms of uplifting the spirit and having our minds be hopeful towards something.

So we felt that if we can blend that kind of style with traditional gospel music and modern gospel, then all of a sudden we can get that participatory interactivity in addition to the energy needed, that's A Joyful Noise.

(uplifting music) (upbeat uplifting jazz music) I don't know what you come to do I don't know what you come to do I don't know what you come to do, yeah I don't know what you come to do I'm gonna walk, walk, walk Walk, walk, walk Come on, I'm gonna walk, walk, walk Walk, walk, walk I don't know what you come to do I don't know what you come to do I don't know what you come to do, yeah I don't know what you come to do I came to clap my hands My hands I came to clap my hands My hands I came to clap my hands My hands I came to clap my hands My hands (uplifting lively gospel jazz music) (Garland exclaims) (uplifting lively gospel jazz music) I don't know what you come to do I don't know what you come to do I don't know, I don't know what you come to do, yeah I don't know what you come to do I came to praise his name His name I came to praise his name His name I came to praise his name His name I came to praise his name His name I don't know what y'all come to do I don't know what you come to do Oh we're gonna walk, walk, walk, walk, walk Walk, walk, walk Gonna walk, walk, walk, walk, walk Walk, walk, walk Yeah (uplifting lively gospel jazz music) I don't know what y'all come to do I don't know what you come to do