Photo credit: Kelsea McCulloch
So what if many of those attending Friday’s third annual Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee weren’t regulars at the predominantly African American churches where this music is most often heard? The reverent jubilation of the eight acts on the bill remains uplifting regardless of the audience or the space in which their artistic ministry is presented.
Many in the audience likely caught some of the bill’s lineup at the latest series of free, monthly brunch concerts with local soul gospel acts at Colectivo Coffee’s Prospect Avenue location, to which this was the ticketed finale. They all benefit Progressive Community Health Centers, and how inspired it is for songs of spiritual healing to serve clinics that serve their patients’ physical and behavioral health. Inspired also many have been the jubilee’s change of venue from the plusher Pabst Theater to the plainer environs of Turner Hall Ballroom. Though less finely appointed, Turner’s space seemed to ignite fierier performances from the participating groups than last year.
The evening began from the back of the hall, as teen female vocal ensemble Spirit Of Charms sang a couple of numbers a capella from the balcony. The maturation of their solo voices and harmonies was easily perceptible from their appearance at last February’s Pabst event, and even their set last October at the first date of the last Colectivo brunch programs. Another dose of distaff talent followed with some liturgical choreography from The Holy Hill Dancers. Hailing from the same family as the dancers, The Holy Hill Ensemble followed with old-school, multi-generational coed vocals and electric guitar tones rich in tremolo.
Blood ties distinguish much of the jubilee’s roster. Among the other familial groups present was The Levi Gospel Singers, a mixed-gender quartet of cousins among whose three a capella selections was a distinctly humble take on Israel Houghton’s usually cheery “(I Am A) Friend Of God.”
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If there was one area in which this year’s jubilee was deficient from 2015’s, it was in its absence of any choral presence. But as a bit of compensation, perhaps, The Milwaukee Community Quartet and former major gospel label act The New Gospel Five both have one member more than their names would indicate. Both groups are comprised of men old enough to recreate the sound of their genre’s classic 1950s-’70s male harmony acts from memory. The Five’s transformation of children’s song “Jesus Loves Me” into a much gruffer, shouted number made for great fun. And hearing the Community Quartet’s elderly, cane-wielding member wail with the gusto of someone young enough to have been his son should have given hope to most anyone within earshot.
Minister Dexter Trice and the Voices Of Faith wrapped up the night with a final blast of genially rambling neo-traditionalism. Trice has become much more the showman than he was at last year’s jubilee, but not to the distraction of his preacherly presence and his female complement’s backup. The band backing them, and eventually most everyone who preceded them, came back up on stage, ably connecting the dots from gospel’s historically symbiotic relationship to R&B up to the grooves of current Southern soul.
Whether it was a divine directive for Progressive Community Health Centers to partner with Milwaukee’s gospel community can be left to more theologically astute minds to decide. That the partnership brings some vital music to Downtown to the benefit of a worthwhile non-profit, is, however, a heavenly thing.
