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
Discography
17 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Harmonizing Four & God Will Take Care Of You
Gospel - Released by Vee-Jay Records on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I'll Trust in the Lord
Gospel - Released by Gulf Coast Records on Aug 18, 2016
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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I Shall Not Be Moved
Gospel - Released by Sonorous Records Inc. on Jan 24, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Keep Me All The Way
Gospel - Released by Sonorous Records Inc. on Jan 13, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jesus Is a Friend to Us All
Soul - Released by 45 RPM Records on Jun 2, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Working For The Lord
Pop - Released by Jewel Records on Nov 17, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Vintage Vocal Jazz / Swing No. 152 - EP: Negro Spirituals
Gospel - Released by Vintage Music on Jul 4, 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gospel in My Soul - Classic Album + Bonus Tracks
Gospel - Released by Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. on Oct 26, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Negro Spirituals
Gospel - Released by Vintage Music on Sep 10, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stars In My Crown
Gospel - Released by Sonorous Records Inc. on Jan 31, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
How Great Thou Art
Gospel - Released by StarPointe Records on Sep 26, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Trust In God
Gospel - Released by Sonorous Records Inc. on Apr 23, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo