CD Review: “Take A Stand” by Justified Quartet

Happy New Year, friends!

My first Album Review of 2019 features one of my favorite quartets on the road today. Take A Stand  is the brand new recording from Michigan’s Justified Quartet. The groups lineup, comprised of Dave Potts on tenor, lead singer Carl Ledford, Mark Jacoby on baritone, and bass vocalist Tim Caldwell have been putting out some of the best recordings in Southern Gospel in the last 6 years, while building a fan base across the Wolverine State and other states in the Midwest.  Produced by respected Southern Gospel veteran Bob Caldwell (Kingdom Heirs, Brian Free & Assurance, Statesmen & Won By One), Take A Stand features a mix of great new songs and some familiar tunes that SG fans will recognize. 

The project kicks off with the title cut, “Take A Stand”, written by Daryl Williams and Scotty Inman. It took me a while to listen past this song. I love this song, and it definitely will be a tune Gospel Music radio will love. “ Next up is a new Dianne WIlkinson song, “Even So Come Lord Jesus“, which features Ledford on the verses. This is a great song, with a funky, groovy, soulful vibe and Carl sings it. Things slow down a bit for “Don’t Be Caught Dead Without Jesus“, which features Caldwell. Next up is another song that will be familiar to many fans, “We’ve Got Our Ways”. Originally recorded by Won By One, I always loved this song and am so glad Justified has brought it back. Things slow down a bit for the ballad, “It Should Have Rained“. The Kingsmen recorded this song a couple years ago on their acclaimed Battle Cry project, but Justified’s arrangement is markedly different, featuring the tenor rather than lead. Potts does a great job on this song. 

The second half of the project starts with a great song, “We’re In The Same Boat“, which features Jacoby on the verses. Written by Rebecca Peck, this is a really good song with a great lyric, that tells the listener they have nothing to fear when the Lord is in your boat. Next up is “Heaven Is The Place Where Dreams Come True“, which features some good four part harmony. “Can’t Wait To Hear The Sound“, is a great song about the rapture that features Ledford. The guys tackle another great song Won By One fans will remember, “It Took A Lamb”, which features Jacoby. An excellent song that paints The project comes to a close with a great ballad “I Still Cling To The Old Rugged Cross” which features Potts.

When we talk about the top quartets in Southern Gospel, we mention Triumphant, The Kingdom Heirs, Tribute and others. In this writers opinion, another name should be added to the list, Justified Quartet and you’ll hear the proof for yourself on Take A Stand. In an industry where multiple groups are produced by the same producers and everyone sounds alike, Justified stands out. Not only are they talented singers individually, but they have a blend that is second to none, coupled with superb song selection and innovative arrangements to boot. Producer Bob Caldwell is one of the best kept secrets in our genre, I would put his arranging and production talent on the same level as Wayne Haun or Jeff Collins. When you combine all of these elements, you have one of the finest quartets on the road today. If you’ve never heard Justified, this would be a great introduction. I guarantee you will love this project!

Take A Stand releases on January 20th, and if you’re in the Michigan area you won’t want to miss the group’s CD Release Concert that night in Flint, MI at Central Church of The Nazarene. To find out more details about the concert or learn more about Justified, visit their website or Facebook page.

Review copy provided. 

What’s New On The Table? : Another Glorious Day by Justified

For this edition of What’s New On The Table, I wanted to tell you about a cd that I’ve been listening to lately. A little while ago, I wrote about some friends of mine here in the state of Michigan, a great quartet called Justified. The group, composed of tenor David Potts, lead singer Carl Ledford, baritone vocalist Mark Jacoby, and Tim Caldwell singing the bass with his brother Dave Caldwell on keyboards, are one of the finest quartets, not just in our state, but anywhere. Their latest cd, Another Glorious Day, was just released a few weeks ago. Produced by Tim and Dave’s brother and a name familiar to Southern Gospel fans, Bob Caldwell, this is another excellent project filled with songs every listener will enjoy.

With quartet classics like “When I Wake Up (To Sleep No More)“. “Sing Your Blues Away“, “Telling The World About His Love“, and “Somebody Touched The Lord“, to newer favorites such as “Every Question Will Be Answered“, “That Little Baby“, “Just Preach It” and more.

Some of my favorite songs on the project include “It’s Still The Cross“, which Mark does a fantastic job on. David also turns in a great performance on one of my all time favorite songs, “Jesus Cares For You“. Carl also shines on a song that is a classic, “Welcome To Heaven“. The project comes to a close with the very energetic, “Oh Glorious Day“.

As a fan of great quartets, I’d like to think that I know a good one when I hear them. Folks, these guys are the real deal. When you listen to a recording from Justified, you will hear excellent song selection, fresh arrangements and fantastic vocals.  I had the privilege of hearing them sing last weekend, performing nearly all of this project to a capacity crowd at the Lloyd Severance Thumb Gospel Music Convention in Sebewaing, MI. The crowd was encouraged, entertained, and the Lord was exalted by the music of this great quartet.  I thoroughly enjoyed Another Glorious Day, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this project. You’ll be glad you did!

To order this cd and other recordings by Justified, visit their website here. You can also find them on Facebook.

Check out these videos of a couple songs from Another Glorious Day.

I’m Telling The World About His Love

Oh Glorious Day

An Artist You Should Know/Album Review “I Love To Tell” by Justified Quartet

Here on Fuson’ s Findings, the majority of what we cover is news items, album reviews, and commentary on national groups within the Southern Gospel industry. But from time to time, I like to bring artists to the attention of my readers that may not be someone you’ve heard of, but definitely someone you should get acquainted with. I’ve entitled this segment “An Artist You Should Know”.  Today’s artist is a new group on the Southern Gospel scene that I believe is quickly going to be well known to fans all across the country.

Justified is a brand new group, that has been together for over a year. They hale from my home state, the great Wolverine state of Michigan. The group is comprised of Dave Potts on Tenor, Carl Ledford on Lead, Mark Jacoby on Baritone, and brothers Tim Caldwell on bass, and Dave Caldwell on piano. Although this is a new group, the members have long been a part of Gospel Music here in Michigan (Jacoby & Ledford were both members of the prestigious Calvarymen Quartet. Potts sang with the Gospelmen, and both Caldwell’s were involved in various groups, most notably Chosen (Tim) and The Vaughan’s (Dave).

They have just released a new project, entitled “I Love To Tell“. This is without a doubt one of the finest recordings I have heard in 2013, by a national or regional artist. Produced & Arranged by Tim & Dave’s brother, Bob Caldwell (former bass vocalist with The Kingdom Heirs, Statesmen, Brian Free & Assurance, Won By One), it has a great mix of old and new songs that absolutely hit the spot and showcase a vocal blend that is second to none.

The album kicks off with a great quartet song, and the title track, “I Love To Tell“. Right off the bat, the guys establish a great, solid quartet blend. Next up is “When I Cross“, a great country-rocker vibe song. Lead singer Carl Ledford carries the lead throughout the song, and sings the second verse. Third is one of my personal favorites, “Never Failed Me Yet“, featuring tenor Dave Potts on the verses. Ledford takes the over the lead on the chorus. It’s a great song, with a contemporary, progressive feel. Theres some great, tight cool modern group harmony on the chorus (a staple of a Bob Caldwell arrangement).

The bluesy “Trade This Old Body” is an outstanding song. I love the vocals on this one, Ledford is featured on the second verse, and sounds so soulful throughout the song. Another one of my favorite cuts for sure. The next cut is another up tempo song, “When I Rested In The Lord“, and is the first to feature baritone Mark Jacoby, who sings the first verse. Ledford sings the second verse. There’s a great transition on the bridge, where Caldwell, Jacoby, and Ledford each do a step out line, leading into a rocking key change.

The second half of the recording starts out with “Angels Are Waiting“, which is the first song to feature bass singer Tim Caldwell. Tim bass vocals sounds very close to his brother Bob, but Tim is a fine bass in his own right. Tenor Potts sings the second verse, and the group sounds fantastic on the chorus. Next up is “A Wonderful Life“; with Jacoby & Ledford on the verses respectively. I love how this song gets up and goes, and theres some nice step out lines for Ledford, Potts, and Caldwell on the chorus.  The next song “God Made A Way“, is a bouncy-bluesy number featuring Ledford, that has a great groove to it. Ledford is such a treat to listen to, he’s a great lead singer that puts a lot of feeling into his vocals. The group continues to supply great, tight harmonies on the chorus.

Next up is “This Old Sinner Testifies”, a familiar song to many Southern Gospel fans. The group sounds great on this one as well, with Ledford featured on the second verse, which also features a step out line for Caldwell. The album comes to a close with “This Would Be The Day“, a great ballad that features Jacoby & Ledford on the verses. It has a great lyric that centers around the crucifixion, describing the day itself and the pain Our Saviour endured that day. Once again, I love the feeling that both Jacoby & Ledford put into both of their solos.  The chorus is absolutely phenomenal, some of the best singing you will hear on this cd. The harmony is tight, and the group ends it on a definite high note.

With so many new groups vying for the attention of fans in our industry, make no mistake that Justified is a group that you need to hear. “I Love To Tell” is an excellent recording, that must be experienced from start to finish.  With top tier vocals, excellent song selection, and great arrangements, this is a group that has all the talent in the world. I can easily see these guys going on to accomplish great things together. To find out more about Justified or to hear songs from  “I Love To Tell”, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook. Get yourself a copy of this great project!

Review copy provided.