It’s time to raise the tent, spread the sawdust on the floor, and pull out the old red-back! The long awaited second single, “The Old-Fashioned Meeting” from Rebekah Speer’s anticipated bluegrass gospel project will bring back your memories of those old camp meetings. The songs, emotions, and spiritual connections made at many of the all-night singings still follow people to this day.
“It was the all-night singings where everyone would come, rich and poor, young and old, to lift their voices in the old convention/shape-note singing style. Bluegrass and Southern Gospel have never been too far apart from each other. In fact, most gospel songs you hear in the world of bluegrass came from these old shape-note all-night sings.That’s what I wanted to recreate with bluegrass instrumentation.” says Speer.
The new release from Turnberry Records has certainly done just that. A stellar cast of performers have joined Speer on this project. Guest vocalists include Grammy Award winning and Singing News Fan Award artist Jimmy Blackwood (The Blackwood Brothers) who has come out of retirement to sing lead on the back side. One of the best alto singers in southern gospel, Sheri Easter (Jeff & Sheri Easter, daughter of the great Polly Lewis of The Lewis Family – The First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music), completes the trio with Speer and her identical twin. Little Roy Lewis, an original member of The Lewis Family, plays banjo. USA Today called Little Roy, “a banjo master, truly a picker’s picker”. Multi-Dove award winner, Lizzy Long, Speer’s identical twin and Lewis’s on-stage partner in The Little Roy Lewis & Lizzy Long Show, adds fiddle tracks as well. Round it all out with the mandolin from IBMA & SPBGMA Mandolin Player of the Year Alan Bibey and Evan Winsor on upright bass, you’ve got a sound reminiscent of The Lewis Family & The Singing Speer Family – The First Family of Southern Gospel Music. Listen, and let it take you back!
Rebekah Speer has 20 plus years in the music industry in front of the glass and behind it. She has numerous credits to her name and has worked alongside the best in Bluegrass, Country, Southern Gospel, and Americana music. Find out more at www.rebekahspeer.com
