Well folks it’s October again and as we say hello to fall rains, colder nights and shorter days the Kitimat Concert Association starts its season to bring a little light and warmth into the long cold months ahead. Our season starts on Oct. 12 with the Sojourners, a trio of harmonious voices blending together in a soulful sound to fill your heart with joy.
When Canadian blues icon Jim Byrnes called Vancouver based gospel singer Marcus Mosely on the phone a few years ago to ask if he could round up a few friends to record some back up vocals for a new album, no one could have guessed what would happen next. From the moment Mosely and his pals, Will Sanders and Ron Small stepped up to the microphone and began singing, they realized that they had something very special going on. When Byrnes dubbed the trio The Sojourners the name stuck and – as they say – the rest is history.
Since that time they have put out two albums. Their first was “Hold On” in 2007 and the second was simply dubbed “The Sojourners” in 2009. They also have a new member, Khari McCelland who replaces Ron Small. These three men bring gospel music to a whole new level.
This is not music that strives to be polite. In The Sojourners’ universe, echoes of doo wop, R&B, country and blues weave together to create a unique sound that has all but vanished from today’s world. This is gospel music that can take a punch and remain standing. Singing praise music with their own special ‘stank’, the Vancouver based Sojourners sound just as at home in a road house bar as they do in a revival tent.
Highlights of the group’s time together include a definitive show with the Dixie Hummingbirds, opening spots with Jim Byrnes at the Vancouver Jazz Festival for both Dr. John and the Blind Boys of Alabama and featured stages at most of the major Canadian folk and roots festivals.
When I saw them at Pacific Contact my description of their sound was that their voices reached out and gave you a big hug, and hey we could all use a hug now and then. So come join us in welcoming the Sojourners to Kitimat and let their music fill you with joy.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or at Hollywood Video.
Information for this article found at www.thesojourners.ca and from personal experience
-Kathleen Jeffery