Quinn Records TM Remembers The Southern Harmonizers

by Dwight L. Quinn

The Southern Harmonizers were at that time a Radio Artist of Station WIBV in Belleville, Illinois and WESL located in East St. Louis, Illinois. Broadcasting on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and were  sponsored by the Ebony Insurance Company, Pat's Barber Shop, Totsie Hair Grower, New York Cleaners and Crisp Confectionery.My first awareness and contact with this group came when I was at the age of 12 years old. I would hear them rehearsing at a house next door to a neighborhood friend of mine that lived one block over from where I was living. The power of those voices with harmony so tight, it would be difficult to get air between the notes would leave me spelled-bound. They were singing without microphones and used no special effects tools like they do today. I  and my friends would stop playing marbles  and we would just listen, like the other neighbors was doing, they had us in their grasp, awesome entertainment coming from a house that made us,my friend and I wish that it was our house that they were rehearsing at, just to give us a boasting edge at school the next day. It was the kind of direct-to-the-point promoting that got real good attention.


The Southern Harmonizers were organized and founded in 1942 by Bro. Leonard Bell and Richard Orange. The original group members were Bro. Leonard Bell, Register Harris, Henry Summers, Harry Lee Barnes and Richard Orange.

At the beginning Bro.Richard Orange served as the Groups Manager from 1942 til 1945 when Bro. Rollie Davis joined the Group and later became it's Manager and served in that capacity until his death in 1972.
Under the the leadership of Bro. Rollie Davis, the following members united in the Group, Leslie Johnson, Alex Yates, Wilbert Jackson, Rev. Jimmie Harris, Leroy Crisp, Robert Wooten, Lee Mosby, Jesse Lawrence, John Thurman, Wiley Whitfield, Booker Jackson, and  Robert McAllister. After the death of Bro. Rollie Davis, Bro. Leroy Crisp took over the rein of Manger that lasted for one year. Bro. Crisp resigned because of the demands of his work. Bro. Register Harris became the the Groups 4th Manager and served in the managers capacity until poor health caused him to resign. The resignation of  Bro. Harris through the Group in limbo and caused them to become inactive for several years, until Bro. Leroy Crisp reactivated the Group and under his guidance and leadership the Group flourish once again. Bro. Crisp recruited several new members under his rein that included, Bro. Alonzo Collier, Bro. Larry Williams, Bro. Sylvester Davis, Bro. John Mathis, Rev. Anderson Sparks, Bro. John Wright, Bro. Rodney Richards and Bro. Raphael.

The Southern Harmonizers under the leadership of Bro. Leroy Crisp signed on to the Quinn Records TM label March 6th, 2006. They did not need to submit a demo, because those regular group rehearsal next door to my friend house in 1958 superseded  that Company's policy.

Bro. Leroy Crisp served as Manager of the Southern Harmonizers until his death in 2010.

ALBUM: Sixty-three Years Of Service For The Lord
CAT.#   : QR 061145-1
UPC      :662154652131
GENRE: Gospel

Keep Your Ears Up

TWO ROSTER ARTISTS
TO WATCH IN 2013

It's already established that 2013 is a big year for World music  by RIAA's account, music Sales has increased by a rather promising percentage. By all accounts the label scene is more vibrant than it has been in years. Steadfast positive attitude and optimism can have a strange feel to it but with our awesome demeanor towards self-appreciation  the news brings sure of relief. But, lately our music deserves it and some. In keeping, here are two Quinn Records TM 
roster artists that deserve your attention in 2013.

KL&R2: Kevin is taking on an ambitious undertaking that is bigger than what the group have experimented with in the past.
When KL&R2 first came to the label, they were hard-core hip/hop with many different focal points, but something changed in the making of their fifth single, things took off in  an entirely  different direction and today, with Kevin at  the helm as lead vocalist of KL&R2 the group is converted and re vamped itself into the World of R&B/Soul and when they lay their style down Live on stage they gets your attention. What the group is gearing up for today is touring. Kevin has put together a whole new band made up of funk jazz, soul and blues musicians that has a wealth of on stage experience.
KL&R2 is magic in that they manage to still have that hip/hop feel while venturing way out there in the world of R&B/Soul. But it's working, whatever the formula, the audiences are showing their pleasure with it and the group seems to gain a multitude of fans with every performance.
Don't be surprise what the group might do, they always have something in their show that is fresh and new, it might be their dress wear,a cover song, roses for the ladies, but there's one thing that is for sure, the group takes themselves very seriously. - Jus Brown

James Gilbert: Kansas City' James Gilbert a.k.a Jimmy G, came to the label by way of a Music Submission by the late Big Woody band. The demo was filed away in the our Music Library for nearly two years before it was selected for a new upcoming project that was planned to be release in September,2012. The singer,songwriter and multi-talented musician has already made a name for himself in the industry performing as an opening act and sideman for and with some of the top names in the business like,John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Phil Guy, Little Milton Campbell, Little Johnny Taylor, A.C. Reed, David Dee, Tinsly Ellis, Charley Musselewhite, Little Hatch, Mary Moore, Lavalle White, Chick Willis, Vernon Garrett, Little Joe Blue, Blues Boy Willie, Buster Benton, Millie Jackson, Gary BB Coleman, Zapp, Bobby Bland,Koko Taylor, Johnny Taylor, Johnny Winter, Delbert McClinton, War, Doyle, Bramhall,Screaming Jay Hawkins, Tyrone Davis and Denise LaSalle. James can take his fans from one sphere to another with personal lyrics delivered in mellow baritone vocals reminiscence of Brook Benton,Jerry Butler  and Chuck Jackson to name a few. He transcends to this almost Super-star like Karma  when appear on  stage and we have heard it said many times that James sounds notoriously better Live than he do on his recordings. James will undoubtedly sell a lot records while building an huge dedicated fan base. -  Fred Walker  

DISC SPOTLIGHT- the cd

by Dwight L. Quinn
OLIVER JOHNSON &; NITE TRAIN -Oliver Johnson & Nite Train ( QR 061202-1, 2012)
Lu v n' Thing; Lu v n'Thing,Come Back Baby,Hello Time, Do You Love Me Not, Scheming Me,Lied For The First Time, Drink To Much,If You Repay Evil For Good,Take Me Baby, Drink To Much Instrumental.


It was this time last year, that I first en-lighted on a track from this cd and said at the time; this album is so filled with good dance, story-telling lyrics and strong Ballard that any one track could have been pulled off to go under the spotlight. Although it was intimated that a full look may well follow, such a quick return was not fully on the cards until the tally of individual tracks was pulled together and proved to be something of a " Soul mix, with over 50% going in that direction. Consequently, it seemed fitting  to look at a group for the spotlight and where better..?  'Nite Train' may well be Oliver Johnson, whose name is prominent on the album as lead vocalist and band leader, along side Nephew Davis-bassist, Oswald Peters-lead guitar, Mike Bell-drums,Oliver Johnson-trumpet,keyboard and Dwight Quinn-background vocals. The album was produced and arranged by Dwight L. Quinn.

The proceeding start with"Luv n' Thing', rocking , soulful trot that commonly associated with Soul music, heavy bass licks infusing something of the 'Funk' and indeed, once the song gets under way, the use of Nephews thumping bass licks to support the vibrancy of Oliver Johnson's lead voice invokes a hot soul party. Cloaking-in at under four minutes - the longest track on album is 6:14 - it's over all to soon. 'Come Back Baby ' was originally written for Lil Aaron Mosby who passed away before completing his second album  on  the Quinn Records TM label, is up beat urban blues rocker filled with a crazy piano part that reminiscence of the great-late,Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Johnson, a style that has been missing in newer blues music. Oliver Johnson did a magnificent job in laying down the piano part that makes 'Come Back Baby ', sensational. Talking dialog intro by Oliver Johnson, trumpet instrumentation, background vocal is joined by percussion to get,' Hello Time', off the starting blocks. 
Well placed trumpet solo, the insistent rhythm and the rapport between the lead vocalist and background singers makes this irresistible. Although this is a 2009 set, the next two songs were written by Dwight at the start of the decade, in fact there is something in the blues-ballad, 
'Do You Love Me Not', that sounds even earlier - maybe it's the use of the organ. It's a tale of incompatibility in a relationship as the storyteller reflects on the difference in the word...' Some people are made for each other, they stay together- til death do 'em part. See they got love and understanding-they can stop a wind storm before it start. But now me and my baby, our love is like house built up on a rock,-you see everybody scared to move-cause if we do-our house is going drop...'
Mid way of the album Oliver Johnson & Nite Train, and despite its moody sound, under the surface once again the lyrics have their serious side.

Down middle ways of the album, 'Scheming Me', reflects Dwight's time with first relationships that gone bad. Wondering along life way thinking that everything is all well when in fact that it's not. Here again, Oliver lays down what I think is the best trumpet solo part in the whole entire album. You'll probably, like myself while to this track multiple times just to hear this hot trump works. Not quite a complete 'slam-dump' but certainly a few center court free throws, 'Lied For The First Time', is an atmospheric r&b-ballad performed principally as a choral effort and,surprisingly, complemented by a  slow-jam guitar that takes over the song three-quarters through and on to the fade. 'Drink To Much', keeps the tempo up and again Dwight Quinn lyric's have to be commented... 'If You Repay Evil For Good', making the most of Rock music... It's one of those Studio fill jobs, that in this case worked. You can have fun with the track...'Take Me', is a big effort, maybe a little out of place within the whole, as it has a distinctly ' 70' pop flavor and seems undecided whether it should that a" more power to the people pop road. No such problem with the instrumental version soulful,"Drink To Much'.. Once again Oliver Johnson is given full rein to rock his way through the climax and take things out on a higher-playing field.

SPRING SUMMER AND THAN COME'S FALL!

by Dwight L. Quinn
This Summer you'll be hearing a lots more R&B coming out of our doors in these Summer Releases due out June,2013. Kevin of KL&R2 in particular are working on an aggressive Soul project that will almost surely put him and KL&R 2 in a demanding position. 
And,James Gilbert our hot,new Recording Artist that hails from Kansas City, Missouri has already shown us what he can do. James has brought a whole new dimension and broadness to our sound and the fans are letting us know that by keeping James at the very Top of our Song Chart each week. James is expected to be releasing his second Album on the Quinn Records Label this Summer. With new and original cuts,and you guest it, it will have all of that KC "Rock" in each of the Songs along with those powerful vocal cords spurting out  soulful tunes.Oliver Johnson, the guy that brought the trumpet to soul, said that he has a bunch of new songs that he put together between gigs. Oliver will be offering a bit of both,Jazz and Soul in this package this Summer. I can't promise you how the weather is going to be out of doors but I can surely promise you that inside of Quinn Records TM, it's going to be HOT! And than comes Fall, this is the time when we usually Releases our last project for the year,i.e. October, but there's something usual about this coming October 27th, 2013 but from my perspective, it doesn't seen like it's been that long,but time doesn't lie either. This October 27th, 2013 will be marking our 42nd year in the Blues Business,"My-My Ain't It Funny How Time,Just Slips On Away?.-GO SLOW-Blues Crossing! 

JAMES GILBERT QUINN NEWEST MEMBER TO IT'S FAMILY OF RECORDING ARTIST IS BEING WELL RECEIVED BY RADIO PROFESSIONALS

James Gilbert made his debut presence  known on the Quinn Records TM label on September 28th, 2013 with a reissued  original  hot cut  titled "Keep On Keeping On", his version of Brook Benton's "63" R&B hit song,"Rainy Night In Georgia" "and a original  slow-moody Blues cut,titled "Blues In The Morning". The songs has made James Gilbert one of the most recognizable new up coming R&B/Blues artist  in the industry today. To further prove this statement ,Airplay reports received by Quinn is used to compile Quinn's Top-10 Song Chart and James songs has been ranked on nearly all of the Charts since the release of his  debut CD,"Keep On Keeping On". Kansas City is where James Gilbert calls home.  KC has always been a key market for Blues Music and over the years Kansas City have produced some of the biggest names in  R&B/Blues music such as, Annette "Cotton Candy" Washington, Arnold "Gate mouth" Moore, and Lighting Hopkins just to name a few of the many Kansas City R&B/Blues  gurus. Now,James Gilbert is walking along that path with his strong ambitious R&B rocking Blues style that has people calling him the next great KC Blues giant like,"Lightning Hopkins, while re-kindling the fire that made Kansas City one the top ranking Markets  in the Blues Business.I'm really excited about James, said Dwight Quinn founder of Quinn Records TM, he can carry us to a level of high achievement, because Blues Music is our Business and having a talent like James delivering the real-true sound of the Blues will give us that recognition. Blues Radio has very high standards when it comes to Blues Music, so when you see those Professionals embrace a Artist like they are doing with James Gilbert, than you better watch out, you could very well be looking at the next Little Milton Campbell,Albert King or Bobby Bland coming over the horizon, said Dwight Quinn.

A short tour is being planned that will cover thirty-three U.S. Cities, giving James the opportunity to take his Blues Business to the streets. James said that he's eager to get started because performing live on stage is in his blood and that's where I'm at my best self, James said. James has six songs on Quinn Records TM's New Release,"GO SLOW-Blues Crossing", which is a Special Compilation that features eight of Quinn's Blues/Soul Artists. James Gilbert bringing the Kansas City blues sound to the Album makes it hard to cut it off, when you play it. You get a whole mix of Blues styles, such as, Osee Anderson Chicago style, LiL Aaron Mosby,Delta stlye, Oliver Johnson,Urban style, Mississippi Red, Traditional style and Carl Marshall Texas blues styles.
 James has been invited to do several Radio interviews with the most recent one was on April 15, 2013 with Kevin LEGS Walker of btinternet.com (UK). James has also, been actively promoting his need project through  Radio Drops and Voice Overs that he has been in great demands for by the Media.

Quinn Records TM has just recently released new Single by James Gilbert titled,It's A Real Good Sign. It's A Real Good Sign has already hit the Quinn's Top-10 Song Chart for Monday, 2013 in the #4  spot, making it the third Song that James has on Quinn's Top-10 Song Chart. It's a powerful indication from the Airway that this new Kansas City songster is about to Break. It's A Real Good Sign.
The song "It's A Real Good Sign was published by Quinn Records TM on their YouTube Channel,"Quinn President Choice", please have a listen. Enjoy!

QUINN HIRES HARVEY LEE AS ITS' NEW ENTERTAINMENT MANAGER.

by Dwight L. Quinn
April 15th, 2013

Managing performances, events, artists and company's entertainers will be the responsibility of Mr. Harvey Lee Entertainment Manager for Quinn Records TM. Harvey Lee is coming to Quinn Records TM with over thirty-five years of Entertainment Management experience. Twenty-six of those were spent the United States Army where he performed as a Musician in Military Bands around the Globe, part of that experience lead Harvey into Club Management while Stationed in Germany. Harvey continued his musical activity playing local and national Bands here in the U.S. and performs occasionally as a Club DJ for various events.Harvey's love for the music business allowed him to gain great exposure and success in Booking acts as part of his wide array of Entertainment activities. A natural people-person a heart, Harvey is a natural for this job. Harvey will work extensively throughout the world. The job that Harvey will be doing for Quinn will provides limitless opportunities to travel nationally or internationally in markets where Quinn's music prominent This is a stressful and demanding job, but Harvey's project management and people skills will assists him in managing sufficiently. The position requires the Harvey to multi task effectively in this competitive, fast paced environment!! As the first order of business Harvey's main focus for Quinn will be to identify, select, create, oversee, manage thirty-three (33) small type venues with seating capacities not to exceed 800 and not less than 400 seats on an ongoing and continue bases, with the expected revenue goal of approximately $264,000 annually and develop an opened door communication with company artists, vendors, local radio stations, records stores, press etc. Harvey also will be working with parks, lodges, holiday venues, international organizations, company artists, hotels, and other companies involved in the entertainment industry. Harvey will create and have a team of professionals to manage and delegate responsibilities to. They include costume designers, makeup artists, sound and lighting technician, performers and other professionals.We Welcome Mr. Harvey Lee aboard. You can contact Mr. Harvey Lee by email: harveylee@quinnrecords.net -GO SLOW-Blues Crossing!