The Fairfield Four and The McCrary Sisters Live at Perth Concert Hall

Perth Concert Hall, Sunday 2nd August 2015 concert review by Lins Honeyman

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The finale of Perth's Southern Fried Festival - a celebration of American roots music that is now in its eighth year - saw legendary gospel vocal groups the Fairfield Four and the McCrary Sisters take to the Scottish city's Concert Hall stage last Sunday in an event that closed a memorable weekend in rip-roaring fashion whilst continuing a longstanding musical legacy shared by the two acts.

Dubbed Rock My Soul, the evening kicked off with both the Fairfield Four and McCrary Sisters - inextricably linked through the siblings' late father and Fairfield Four stalwart Sam McCrary - walking on stage to rapturous applause to perform an a cappella version of "Come In This House" before the McCrarys exited stage left to leave their father's old group to declare that "this is church."

Continuing in that vein, Bobbye Sherrell along with fellow tenor Levert Allison, baritone Larrice Byrd and bass man Joe Thompson - all clad in their trademark combo of work dungarees and tuxedo jackets - managed to extract some hallelujahs and amens from an initially reticent but eventually game Perth crowd before launching into an up tempo and handclap-driven set of spirituals that left the audience in no doubt that this was an evening of praise as much as entertainment. A number of songs in, the good-humoured Levert Allison won the crowd over by leading a stunning version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and a combination of their trademark quartet harmonies and onstage camaraderie made up for their failure to perform "Lonesome Valley" - arguably their most recognisable work thanks to its inclusion on the career-boosting 'O Brother Where Art Thou' soundtrack - despite mentioning their involvement in the Coen Brothers film to thunderous applause.

With each member getting their chance to shine ranging from Joe Thompson's rumbling bass voice tearing through "These Bones" to Levert's crowd-aided descent from the stage to stir up some fervour, the group were joined by Old Crow Medicine Show's Willie Watson for a version of "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" before finishing a set that proved that the current incarnation of the Fairfield Four has what it takes to ensure the group extends to beyond its centenary in 2021.

After the interval, the McCrary Sisters (comprising of Ann, Deborah, Regina and Alfreda in age order) and their ever-reliant four piece band continued where the Fairfield Four had left off with a high octane version of "Come On" from their 2013 'All The Way' release before taking the audience on a whirlwind tour of gospel standards, spirituals and new songs that showcased the innate sense of harmony and musical intuition that perhaps comes most naturally to sibling groups. Whilst Ann was the obvious leader on the night, she was keen to let her sisters take the spotlight which resulted in some truly affecting moments including the group's self-confessed baby Freda pulling off a breathtaking vocal on her own, "He Cares", before Ann herself showed why she has been backing vocalist of choice for countless artists (famously including Elvis Presley) with a sensational rendition of her self-penned "Train".

Most moving was the Deborah-penned "Hello Jesus" which was written during her recovery from a devastating double stroke and, thanks to an impassioned performance of the song by Ann, showcased not only the love between the sisters but also their gratitude to God for his part in Deborah's healing. Nashville country singer Doug Seegers took Buddy Miller's part on a rendition of "Hold The Wind" from the foursome's new album 'Let's Go' and UK singer Yola Carter fitted right in on "That's Enough". However, the night belonged to Regina McCrary who, through an array of powerhouse vocal performances and sheer energy, wooed the crowd and even pulled off a frantic tambourine solo during Deborah's song of surrender "Let It Go".

After an instantaneous standing ovation, the McCrarys and their band came back on stage to perform the infectiously upbeat "Bible Study" before the Fairfield Four and the three guest artists returned for a crowd-pleasing sing-a-long of the veteran group's "Rock My Soul" to close an incredible evening of stellar vocal quartet gospel that succeeded in living up to its title by rocking the soul as well as the very foundations of Perth Concert Hall. 

Review: The Fairfield Four - Still Rockin' My Soul

By Jude Orakwe Full article here.

The Fairfield Four, a vocal quartet that has existed for almost a century, presently includes Levert Allison (tenor), Larrice Byrd, Sr. (baritone), Bobbye Sherrell (tenor) and Joe Thompson (bass). The quartet has been dedicated to performing traditional gospel music in the traditional “a cappella” manner since its founding in 1921. Jerry Zolten, who penned the liner notes, characterizes the a cappella singing style of the Fairfield Four as “intertwined voices rhythmically pulsating in harmony, anchored by a deep bass, lead vocal over the top” and “rooted in that hazy past before the era of recorded sound.” This history is recounted in the PledgeMusic video promo for the album.

The traditional bent of the Fairfield Four is easily understandable when one recalls that the ensemble originated within Nashville’s Fairfield Baptist Church. Their prominence was heightened by the role played by their songs. For example, Zolten explicitly indicates that their “voices were heard on the soundtrack that inspired and propelled the Civil Rights Movement,” including the song “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around” (track 9).  The Fairfield Four therefore see themselves as bearers and custodians of a tradition. Larrice Byrd, Sr. comments, “We all grew up listening to this style of music and we understand it. We want to keep the tradition alive forever.”

The Fairfield Four’s new album, Still Rockin’ My Soul, is their first release in almost 20 years. Concerning the musical selections, Zolten affirms that “the songs collected here are all part and parcel of the traditional Fairfield Four canon.” The opening track, “Rock My Soul,” is accompanied only by hand clapping and foot tapping, while on the spiritual “Children Go Where I Send Thee” country music singer Lee Ann Womack joins Joe Thompson on lead vocals. In “I Love the Lord (He Heard My Cry)” and the reprise which closes the album, one hears the organ accompanying a melodic chanting characteristic of the African American devotional line-out hymn. Additional tracks include “Come on in this House,” “Baptism of Jesus,” “Jesus Gave Me Water” (by Lucie E. Campbell), “My Rock,” “I Got Jesus and That’s Enough” (by Dorothy Love Coates), “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around,” and “Highway to Heaven” (by Thomas A. Dorsey).

In sum, if one accepts the fact – and this, with good reason – that the human voice is the best of musical instruments, then the Fairfield Four exemplifies this in a most convincing way on Still Rockin’ My Soul. Gospel music historian Bil Carpenter has mentioned the instrument-like timbre of the Fairfield Four quartet, noting that “when the Fairfield Four sang, they utilized the full extent of their voices, moving easily from deep, rolling basslines to the staccato upper peaks of the tenor range, all executed with precise, intricate harmonies and ever-shifting leads.” Call it instrumental vocality, or vocal instrumentality, if you like!

Review: The Fairfield Four - Still Rockin' My Soul

Journal of Gospel Music / By Bob Marovich  

In 1925, when the Fairfield Four organized in Nashville, Tennessee, quartet singing was done a cappella. No instruments, just the human voice.  And God saw that it was good. No–great.

Over the years, quartets added to the mix an ever-expanding combo of guitar, piano, organ, drums, electric bass, and synthesizer until the music threatened to overpower the vocal harmonies. Whether or not you are a fan of quartet singing with music, we can agree that there’s something seriously magical about hearing a cappella vocal singing. The Fairfield Four has satiated this appetite in the twenty-first century with their new album, Still Rockin’ My Soul.

Comprised of Levert Allison, Larrice Byrd Sr., Bobbye Sherrell, and Joe Thompson, the Fairfield Four delivers a handful of gospels and spirituals, such as “Baptism of Jesus,” “My Rock,” “Jesus Gave Me Water,” and “Highway to Heaven.” Allison even incorporates Sam McCrary’s audience-pleasing vocal glissando on “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around.”

All but one track is done a cappella, with handclapping and Thompson’s bass voice providing the rhythm. The sole instrument is an organ drone that supports the men who, like church deacons on Sunday morning, lift up the long meter standard, “I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry.”  Another surprise is when country star Lee Ann Womack joins the quartet for a joyous rendition of the Christmas spiritual, “Children Go Where I Send Thee.”

While the original members of the group are long deceased, the new members capture the vocal color that once made the Fairfield Four one of the nation’s most popular gospel quartets. Thompson, in particular, shows effective tutelage from listening to the Fairfield Four’s iconic bass, Isaac “Dickie” Freeman.

The liner notes, penned by Jerry Zolten, not only provide a brief history of the Fairfield Four, but also reveal the current members’ interesting connections to the original members. Incidentally, if a biography is to be written about the group, Zolten is the guy to do it. He had a hand in introducing the Fairfield Four to a wider audience in the 1980s. Thereafter, the reconstituted quartet went on to garner Grammy awards and made an appearance in the Coen Brothers film, O Brother Where Art Thou.

Still Rockin’ My Soul was completed with financial help from a successful crowdfunding campaign. It’s a sad commentary that a group with this much talent has to resort to crowdfunding, while pop artists who can only sing with the benefit of Autotune get major label attention. Nevertheless, I am glad the campaign was successful because this album is a solid reminder of the transformative power of human voices blended in harmony.

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