Soulful, contemporary/urban gospel performed with sturdy hearts and steady voices incorporating elements of R&B, jazz and reggae on a 10-song program of mostly original material.

10 MP3 Songs
SPIRITUAL: Contemporary Gospel, SPIRITUAL: Traditional Gospel



Details:
FRIENDLY TRAVELERS
Organized in 1959 by Reverend Clint Jones, The Friendly Travelers are world-renowned Gospel Music Entertainers who perform traditional gospel standards as well as their own original songs, whether a cappella or with a 4-piece rhythm section.
Their distinctive musical styles evolved from a need, and a desire, to do more than just traditional gospel. They are truly one of the more unique gospel acts on the New Orleans scene today. In addition to traditional gospel, their music showcases a wide array of formats and styles such as R&B, jazz and reggae.
In 1978 The Friendly Travelers were one of the first gospel groups to record for the Jackson, Mississippi based Malaco Records which paved the way for them to appear on concert with artists from all walks of life, Gladys Knight to The Mighty Clouds of Joy and from Al Green to the Zion Harmonizers. They have graced the large concert halls of America as well as the quaint clubs and churches of Europe, and have even fashioned operatic styles for symphony concerts in Europe.
Their unique work led them to a Big Easy Music Award nomination (New Orleans, 1990) and even won them 1st place in The Vocal Harmony Sweepstakes (1989) also held in The Crescent City. In 1990, they also received an outstanding "Contribution to Gospel" Award from The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. And just this year, the Friendly Travelers were nominated by their peers, for OffBeat Magazine's Best of the Beat Award for "Best Gospel Group".
In 1995, The Travelers, as they are often called, made a "Spirit of Louisiana" commercial for local television station WWL-TV 4, which still airs on a fairly regular basis. The Friendly Travelers make regular appearances all over Europe and America playing festivals and Churches alike. They have worked at venues like The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The Kempten Jazz Festival (Germany), The Ascona Festival (Switzerland), The Nantes Festival (France), House of Blues, New Orleans, The Contemporary Arts Center (New Orleans), world-famed Tipitina's, Café Brasil, Kaldi's Coffee House, and of course, The Bourbon Street scene.
Their first internationally distributed compact disc, with the New Orleans based RAMPART STREET MUSIC label, entitled "STAND ALONE" has played nationally on stations all across America and in regions of Europe. This project, a true mirror of The FRIENDLY TRAVELERS BAND, speaks to their vast diversity. As a testimony to their artistry, a sampling from this project (The Whole Town's Talking) was solicited and used on the popular Bill Cosby Movie Mystery, "Dial H for Murder", that was featured on the Arts and Entertainment Network in 1998.
Their second RAMPART STREET MUSIC project, "SEARCH MY HEART", comprised almost entirely of original music was released on February 9, 2003. This new release has opened many new doors for the Friendly Travelers, such as an appearance on Louisiana Jukebox, Live, a spot on the Louisiana Music Cavalcade, a state sponsored tour of about a dozen different Louisiana Artists, The French Quarter Festival, MO-Fest, House of Blues Gospel Brunch and The National Historic Jazz Park, just to name a few. As well, three of the tracks can be heard on many of the gospel stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Floyd Turner, L.D. Hirams, Alfred Penns, and Wanda Joseph each bring very different elements to the table that make-up the very unique sounds of the Friendly Travelers.