Hi, Venthony: There have to be folks out your way who want to sing straight ahead gospel quartet music. The best place to look is in area churches, I'd think. Tyhe big problem is trying to find people who like to sing and play without being dependent upon sheet music. I looked endlessly to find someone to sing bass on a gospel album I did many years ago, and the bass singers in the church I was going to at the time insisted they couldn't sing unless they had sheet music. That seems bizarre to most folk singers... just as I've met many people who say that they've been playing piano all their life and when I ask them to play something for me they say they can't, because they don't have any sheet music.

I started a black gospel quartet five years ago and found it was much easier than I thought because people in the church find it more natural (it seems) to sing in a choir without sheet music. I sing in a 40 man Men's Chorus and we sing 95% of the songs we do without sheet music. Are there any barber shop quartet orqanizations in St. Louis? There's enough overlap in style with the older southern gospel that you might find people there who'd be interested.

My quartet sang at Dave Para and Cathy Barton's Big Muddy Festival in Boonville, Missouri a year and a half ago. Went right through St. Louis. Too bad we didn't know you were there. We would have thrown you in the car and taken you with us. You might try Dave and Cathy and see if they know anyone anywhere near you. If you want to call them, P.M. me, and I'll give you their phone number. Singing in a gospel quartet (if you truly believe what you're singing) is an indescribably joyful experience. :-)

Jerry