Press Release

For Immediate Release
February 2, 2009
Jon Lohman
PH: 434-243-7030
FAX: 434-296-4714
lohman@virginia.edu

Virginia Folklife Program Co-Produces 2008 IMA Gospel Album of the Year

(Photos Available upon Request)

Charlottesville, VA-- Since the 1960s, the Tidewater style of a cappella gospel has all but disappeared; however, the descendants of Frank Paschall Sr. are continuing the tradition of bringing the good news to all those who want to hear it. A widower who raised eleven children alone, with love, compassion, and grace, Reverend Paschall instilled in them one of the most important principles of the Tidewater tradition by challenging them to know their musical pitch at any given moment.  The Paschall Brothers have followed in the footsteps of their father, the Reverend Frank Paschall Sr. (1923–1999), who led his children by philosophical and musical example. 
The Paschalls never thought twice about carrying on the Tidewater legacy; they wanted to emulate their father and provide a similar example to their own children.  Their dedication to excellence was rewarded recently when The Paschall Brothers’ On The Right Road Now, produced by the Virginia Folklife Program for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, was named GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR by the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards.

Produced by Music Resource Group, the Independent Music Awards is a unique international program that helps vetted independent artists overcome mainstream obstacles and reach wider audiences via strategic partnerships and active promotion. This year's winners were determined by a 50-person judging panel consisting of influential artists and industry decision makers including Peter Gabriel, Suzanne Vega, Roger Daltrey, George Jones, Buddy Guy, Keith Urban and others.

The Virginia-based African-American quartet, The Paschall Brothers, has attracted attention for their silken voices, intricate harmonies and classic Virginia Tidewater sound for over twenty-five years. On the Road Right Now features 13 original and traditional tracks that carry on the African-American “roots gospel” tradition that emerged in the post-Civil War South. Founded by the Reverend Frank Paschall Sr. and his sons, The Paschall Brothers have garnered praise for their signature a cappella style, establishing the group as one of the leading gospel quartets in America. 

The Paschall Brothers first became involved with the Virginia Folklife Program at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) through their participation in the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program.  The Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program pairs masters in a wide range of traditional art forms with dedicated apprentices, to help ensure that these traditions continue to thrive in the future.  Virginia Folklife Program Director Jon Lohman and the Paschalls soon developed a friendship and partnership that has resulted in numerous collaborations, including appearances at the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the National Folk Festival.  Lohman also produced the Paschall’s debut CD, Songs for our Father, on VFH’s own Virginia Folklife Recordings.  This series has since grown to include over 13 releases in its critically acclaimed Crooked Road Music Series.  Based on the artistic success of these recordings, Lohman was able to interest the Smithsonian in producing a Paschall Brothers CD for the Virginia Folklife Recordings label.

On the Right Road Now features arrangements by the late Frank Paschall Sr. as well as compositions made famous by the Soul Stirrers, Dixie Hummingbirds, and the Golden Gate Quartet, among others. The Paschalls add their own flair to these songs, expanding harmonic structure and creating distinct arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original while creating a passionate sound that is uniquely theirs.  The album was produced by Jon Lohman at Virginia Arts Recording Studio in Charlottesville.  Chris Doermann of Virginia Arts engineered and mixed the session, and Grammy Award-winning engineer Pete Reinger mastered the project.  On the Right Road Now is part of the Smithsonian Folkways African American Legacy series, co-presented with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture .

Since its inception in 1988, the Virginia Folklife Program (VFP) has worked to document, present, and support Virginia's living cultural folkways.  In addition to awarding Folklife Apprenticeships, VFP produces educational materials and public programs for the general public, including lectures, workshops, music and video recordings, performances, and exhibitions.  The VFP conducts ethnographic fieldwork throughout the Commonwealth, capturing the stories of everyday people living extraordinary lives, and documenting many ways of life that are unique to the region, and may be on the cusp of great change.   The field material collected by the Folklife Program results in the production of sound and video recordings, as well as a growing fieldwork archive.  The Virginia Folklife Program collaborates with countless cultural institutions, and serves as a general resource and advocate for traditional artists throughout the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Folklife Program is a public initiative of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH).  The VFH was created in 1974 to develop the civic, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth.  From its inception, the VFH has remained steadfastly dedicated to bringing the humanities fully into Virginia’s public life, assisting individuals and communities in their efforts to understand the past, confront issues in the present, and shape a desirable future.

For more information, please contact Jon Lohman at 434-243-7030 or lohman@virginia.edu.

Virginia Folklife Recordings:
http://www.virginiafolklife.org/recordings/crookedroad.html

Independent Music Awards:
http://www.musiciansatlas.com/pages/jukebox2009.asp#

On the Right Road Now:
http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/feature_24A.aspx

National Museum of African American History and Culture:
http://nmaahc.si.edu/

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities
http://www.VirginiaFoundation.org