The Harmonizing Four
One of the top gospel quartets of the postwar era, the Harmonizing Four were also a relative anomaly of the period; as their contemporaries raced to modernize their sound, rejecting the traditional jubilee style in favor of the intensity of the burgeoning "hard gospel" movement, the Four remained true to their roots, focusing instead on the spirituals and hymns of a time gone by. For all of their renown, little is known about the group's formative years -- their leader and manager, Joseph "Gospel Joe" Williams, forbade any of the members to agree to interviews unless they were paid in advance, and as a result, the anecdotal information that does exist is sketchy and incomplete. Records have indicated that the Four made their formal debut at a grammar school in their native Richmond, VA on October 27, 1927; founding members included Thomas "Goat" Johnson and Levi Handly, with Williams signing on in 1933 and Lonnie Smith -- the father of jazz pianist Lonnie Liston Smith -- joining four years later.
The Harmonizing Four made their recorded debut on Decca in 1943; in all likelihood they came to the label at the behest of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whom they frequently backed both on record and in concert. After World War II, they landed on the tiny Coleman label; included in the roster during much of this period was Tommy Ellison, later of the Chosen Gospel Singers. A brief tenure on Gotham followed, and after 1952, the Harmonizing Four cut only one record, a single for the Religious Recordings label, prior to arriving at Vee-Jay in 1957. There, the group -- Williams, Smith, Thomas Johnson, and Jimmy Jones -- finally began earning the fame long due them, honing their close harmony style to mellow perfection; Jones, in particular, earned renown as perhaps the greatest basso in gospel history, his canyon-deep voice distinguishing hits like "Motherless Child." After leaving Vee-Jay during the early '60s, the Harmonizing Four recorded for Nashboro, slowly easing into retirement in the years that followed.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
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The Harmonizing Four & God Will Take Care Of You
Gospel - Lançado por Vee-Jay Records em 01/01/1993
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I'll Trust in the Lord
Gospel - Lançado por Gulf Coast Records em 18/08/2016
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All Things Are Possible / I Shall Not Be Moved (Mono Version)
Pop - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/1960
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All Things Are Possible
Gospel - Lançado por HHO em 03/06/2020
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The Harmonizing Four - Motherless Child
Pop - Lançado por Albany em 26/08/2016
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I Shall Not Be Moved
Gospel - Lançado por Sonorous Records Inc. em 24/01/2022
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Keep Me All The Way
Gospel - Lançado por Sonorous Records Inc. em 13/01/2022
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Jesus Is a Friend to Us All
Soul - Lançado por 45 RPM Records em 02/06/2017
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Jesus Is a Friend To Everyone (Recordings Of 1950 - 1952)
Gospel - Lançado por Gospel Train em 30/11/2020
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Vintage Vocal Jazz / Swing No. 152 - EP: Negro Spirituals
Gospel - Lançado por Vintage Music em 04/07/1960
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Amazing Grace
Gospel - Lançado por Serenity Records em 03/01/2014
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Negro Spirituals
Gospel - Lançado por Vintage Music em 10/09/2011
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Watch Over Me (Recordings Of 1950 - 1954)
Gospel - Lançado por Gospel Train em 30/11/2020
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Stars In My Crown
Gospel - Lançado por Sonorous Records Inc. em 31/01/2022
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I Shall Not Be Moved
Pop - Lançado por Charly Records em 14/04/2006
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I Shall Not Be Moved (Recordings of 1952 -1954)
Pop - Lançado por Gospel Train em 30/11/2020
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How Great Thou Art
Gospel - Lançado por StarPointe Records em 26/09/2016
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Lord is Here
Pop - Lançado por Shami Media Group 3 em 21/12/2015
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