Garrison Keillor & the Hopeful Gospel Quartet - Garrison Keillor & the Hopeful Gospel Quartet

Born backstage at Prairie Home Companion after discovering a love for good-sounding a cappella gospel in a stairwell, the Hopeful Gospel Quartet features the quintessentially American Garrison Keillor alongside Kate McKenzie and husband-wife duo Robin and Linda Williams. On this disc, recorded live at a show billed "A Pretty Good Night at Carnegie Hall" and produced by none other than Chet Atkins, the Quartet lights into gospel standbys such as "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," "My Rock," and "Jordan." Keillor, who (of course) serves as MC, trades licks between throaty harmonies and droll tales of individuality and Midwestern Lutheranism. Atkins and a crack band of Nashvillians accompany the Quartet on some numbers, which are quite lovely. But the real treat, as always, is Keillor's wholesome, ticklish charm. --Paige La Grone Amazon.com

Have played this CD over and over.

I love this CD. It really puts me in a good mood. Uplifting and fun.
I would definitely buy again and even as a gift for others December 18, 2007

Garrison and Gospel

Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face as you listen to familiar gospel tunes with wonderful harmony. Great companion for solo trips in the car. June 1, 2007

Great singing-along-with-while-driving-the-PA-Turnpike CD

The "Perfect Quartet" was renamed the "Hopeful Quartet" according to Mr. Keillor and they were in NY City to sing Gospel music because as he told the audience, "...some of you look like you need it." I needed this CD to perk up a long, frequent drive and it met the bill. Fun music and funny interludes. November 5, 2004

Garrison Has "Made" A Good CD

Listeners of "A Prairie Home Companion" are familiar with the Hopeful Gospel Guartet composed of Mr. Keillor, Kate MacKenzie and Robin and Linda Williams. They are accompanied here-- at times-- by the likes of Butch Thompson on piano and Chet Atkins who also produced the CD. The quartet sings some of the faster gospel numbers, the Stamps-Baxter types-- "My Rock","The Lord Will Make A Way", "Jordan", and "Travelin' Shoes." While these are sung well, I prefer the slower hymns, "There Is A Fountain", "Softly and Tenderly" and "Sweet Hour of Prayer." As you would expect from Mr. Keillor, he is not content to just sing here but interposes his familiar, gentle humor we have loved for so long on his radio show: "My people were Puritans who came to American in the late Seventeenth Century. They came to America in hopes of discovering greater restrictions than were permissible under English law." Mr. Keillor weaves such threads as these throughout the CD. My favorite cut here is the hauntingly beautiful a capella arrangement of "Now The Day Is Over." Keillor waxes nostalgic between verses about a young boy's sexual awakening in Minnesota and his desire to leave small town America and, in his case, get to New York City. Keillor pulls this off without becoming maudlin. He achieves here something similiar and as beautiful as what Thorton Wilder does in OUR TOWN, I think.

Finally, Keillor sings a hymn to a loving God who lets us eat fresh corn straight out of the garden in "Sweet, Sweet Corn." (You won't find that one in the Broadman Hymnal.) It really does taste better that way. February 24, 2004

Old-fashioned can be good

Music that is actually warm, from the heart, and wonderful when sung in haunting a cappella. This is an album with some sacred tunes done honest prairie style. A rare treat. There is interruption by Garrison Keillor's monologues, but you can skip them once you've heard them a few times. November 22, 2000

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