Paying tribute to an American original--the quartet--GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award-winning Gospel tastemakers Ernie Haase & Signature Sound return on October 4 with Live In Memphis. The 14-song Club44 Records release, recorded at the famed Memphis Quartet Show earlier this year, boasts a distinctive selection of Broadway, Gospel, Great American Songbook, and Spiritual standards spanning more than a century.
Steeped in history while brimming with modern vitality, Live In Memphis was executive produced by Haase and produced by 40-time Dove Award-winner Wayne Haun (Celine Dion, Jason Crabb) and is hallmarked by noted guest appearances from Gospel trailblazers the Blackwood Brothers, as well as Duane Allen of the legendary Oak Ridge Boys, among others.
"We are returning to our roots with this album," Haase shares. "In the mid-1950s, Beale Street Rhythm & Blues collided with southern Spirituals and hymns, helping bring to the forefront a genre of music that is still loved today--quartet singing. Our desire is to breathe new life into songs that not only shaped the musical identity of this country but continue to influence generations of fans around the world."
Encapsulating the nostalgic joy imbued throughout Live In Memphis, debut single "Put On A Happy Face"--from the 1961 Tony Award-winning musical "Bye Bye Birdie"--is now available on streaming platforms. "We thrive on making people happy, even if it's for just a few minutes out of their day," Haase explains of the group's musical mission. "While we will always sing positive songs that bring hope, peace and joy, we also love the music of stage and screen and the Great American Songbook, and we enjoyed putting our own unique spin on this wonderful standard."
Further highlights of Live In Memphis include album opener "Great Day," an infectious jazz-infused Gospel tune from the 1929 Broadway production of the same name, and such timeless classics as "Old Man River," "Swingin' On The Golden Gate," and "Look For The Silver Lining." In addition, The Oak Ridge Boys' Duane Allen joins Ernie Haase & Signature Sound for a new rendition of The Oaks' impassioned anthem "He Did It All For Me," while Southern Gospel pioneers the Blackwood Brothers take a guest turn on the genre stalwart "Give The World A Smile."
Blending seamlessly alongside the album's century-spanning quartet classics, Live In Memphis also spotlights two contributions from Ernie Haase & Signature Sound's own renowned repertoire. Haase co-penned "He Made A Change," featuring Legacy Five's Scott Fowler and former Signature Sound member Paul Harkey, as well as "You'll Find Him There," the latter of which was inspired by the 2005 motion picture The Nativity Story and is set to be the album's debut single at Gospel radio formats.
