Group Name: Tribute Quartet
Website: www.tributequartet.com
Album Title: “Anticipation”
Song Titles:
1. Is It Good News
2. Be Still And Know
3. Beulah
4. The Cross Jesus Carried
5. There Is An Eye
6. When The Gates Open Wide
7. In Remembrance Of The Cross
8. Over On The Other Side
9. Mercy Walks A Road
10. Waiting On The Water To Part
11. This I Know

Based out of Nashville, TN, Tribute Quartet is one of the newest groups to hit the ground running in Southern Gospel music today.  They have already made a big “splash” in the Gospel music world in their short existence.  Group members are Jacob Kitson (tenor), Gary Casto (lead), Josh Singletary (baritone/pianist), and Dennis Dugger (bass).

“Anticipation” is the group’s second album, following on the heels of a successful debut album.  The album cover is very classy, with a clear picture of the group front and center.  Also, the group was kind enough to include the song lyrics on the inside of the cover- always a plus, in my opinion.

Now, let’s take a look at each of the songs on the album.

“Is It Good News” starts the album out on an up-tempo note.  This is a fun song that pretty much every listener should enjoy.  Bass singer Dennis Dugger gets to show off his range a little bit throughout the song, and he is solid on both the lower and upper registers.  The tempo slows down a bit for Song #2, “Be Still And Know”.  This song features both Gary Casto and Jacob Kitson, and the group’s blend is very tight here.  Next, the guys launch into a medium-tempo bluegrass-style song simply entitled “Beulah”.  Baritone singer Josh Singletary has the lead here, and the tightness of the blend is very noticeable, What’s more, all of the vocalists make their moves together.  It’s obvious that the group puts a lot of time into getting things right, even what some would consider the “little things”.

The fourth song is a medium-tempo number entitled “The Cross Jesus Carried”.  Casto and Kitson are once again featured here.  The message of this song is one that will encourage the listener.  The next song is a slower number entitled “There Is An Eye”.  The piano and saxophone are prominent in the arrangement, giving it a jazz sort of feel.  This leads into my favorite song on this album.  “When Those Gates Open Wide” is an up-tempo song with a progressive feel to it.  This was actually the first Tribute Quartet song I ever heard, and it quickly hooked me to their sound. 

“In Remembrance Of The Cross” slows the tempo down a bit.  Lead singer Gary Casto gets the feature here, and his voice is solid.  The group’s blend is tight and pleasant to listen to, and some of the chord progressions throughout the song are a thing of beauty.  Song #8 is an up-tempo, traditional-sounding song entitled “Over On The Other Side”.  Bass singer Dennis Dugger is featured here, giving us a closer listen to his upper register.  “Mercy Walks A Road” is the tenth song, and it gives us our best opportunity to hear tenor singer Jacob Kitson.  I have heard a lot of good things about this young man’s singing, and now I understand why.  He has a smooth, quality tenor voice that never sounds strained.  He also is strong in his lower range, something that a lot of tenors have some difficulty with. 

It’s not often that you hear an accordion in the arrangement of a Southern Gospel song, but you do on Song #10.  “Wait On The Water To Part” is an up-tempo song that features baritone singer Josh Singletary.  Josh has a solid voice that fills the baritone part well.  The album finishes up with the medium-tempo “This I Know”.  This is another song that has a more traditional sound to it, and bass singer Dennis Dugger gets another feature.  This song was a strong choice to close the album with. 

Did Tribute Quartet live up to the “big splash” that I mentioned in the opening of this review?  In my opinion, they did.  This album was very solid all around, and I think this group has the potential to be even better the longer they sing together.  They seem to have built many of their arrangements at least partially around tenor singer Jacob Kitson.  His voice is a good talent that they should always take advantage of, while being careful not to “burn him out”.  I like the fact that none of the vocalists tried to do anything fancy- they just sang solid melodies and harmonies.  The emphasis seems to have been put on the blend of the vocals, and that is where this group really shines.  Quality music is what Southern Gospel should be all about, and I think that Tribute Quartet has a good understanding of this.  The only suggestion I would make is in regards to bass singer Dennis Dugger.  He has the range to sing both high bass and very low bass.  I would like to hear some arrangements that keep him in his upper register a little bit more, which would cause his lower tones to be much more noticeable when he hits them.

Thanks go to Tribute Quartet for the opportunity to review this album.  I am looking forward to many great albums from this group.  Overall, I would give this album a 9 out of a possible 10 microphones!

Favorites: “Be Still And Know”, “When The Gates Open Wide”, “In Remembrance Of The Cross”, and “Mercy Walks A Road”