Having held to their commitment of sharing the message of salvation for thirty seven years, The Churchmen have continued to uplift and inspire audiences with their brand of bluegrass gospel music. The group’s latest release Will You Be Going on Mountain Fever Records, provides songs with themes of prayer, perseverance, and the hope that can be found in faith.
A good chunk of these eleven selections are originals. The title track, Will You Be Going, was penned by the band’s mandolinist Greg Jones, and asks the all-important question that most believers find themselves thinking about. Sung by banjoist Caroll Arnn, he is accompanied by Jones and guitarist Jay Adams on harmony vocals, as well as Christian Gillikin on fiddle and Keith Clark on bass.
He’s Coming Back was written by Sandra Jennings and is an appropriate song to follow the aforementioned title track. Greg Jones is featured on lead vocals, with Jay Adams and Keith Clark on harmony vocals. On this particular selection, Adams is heard playing banjo and Keith Souther is heard here playing guitar.
Maker’s Mark by Connor Lambert cleverly tells the story of a man replacing his thirst for alcohol with a never-ending supply of grace and love from Jesus Christ. Tell Me Again by Jay Adams is a song about how we can constantly learn from the stories of the Bible, no matter how many times we hear or read it.
Two of the songs here will probably be familiar to longtime listeners of gospel and country music. I Just Steal Away and Pray was written by the legendary Albert E. Brumley, and has been recorded by scores of artists over the years. Long Black Train was first made a hit on country radio by Josh Turner in 2003. The Churchmen render it here in a lively, up-tempo fashion.
Will You Be Going shows once again why The Churchmen are a beloved group within the bluegrass gospel world. With inspiring messages of transformation and wholeness that can be found in Christ, the Churchmen have graced us with an inspiring, positive effort.
