When Jim Byrnes began working on his Juno Award
winning 2006 album ‘House of Refuge’, he knew that
he wanted gospel music to be the predominant theme.
He had performed live with gospel groups over the
years, but hadn’t recorded an album with one until he
mentioned the idea to his producer Steve Dawson, and
the two of them agreed to make it happen.
For the requisite voices, they turned first to Jim’s longtime
friend Marcus Mosely who then brought fellow
Vancouver performers Will Sanders and Ron Small. Thus
began the journey that has now taken on a life of its own
beyond Byrnes’s album.
"We had so much fun singing together and doing this,
and we were laughing it up," Byrnes explains. "So at the
end of the thing I said, ‘You guys need to stay together.
This has got to be a real thing, and I’m going to give you
a name.’ And I named them the Sojourners."
In March 2007, producer Steve Dawson took The
Sojourners into the studio. With minimal accompaniment,
and recorded live off the floor in Vancouver, they
brilliantly captured the spirit of the ‘old school’ gospel
recordings of the 1930s and ‘40s. The harmonies (in the
tradition of such groups as The Swan Silvertones,The
Golden Gate Quartet,The Soul Stirrers), combined
with soulful multi-textured vocals reminiscent of Curtis
Mayfield’s famous trio, The Impressions.
Their debut CD Hold On, was released on the Black
Hen Music label in Canada, the UK and Europe in
September 2007. The album was nominated for a
Western Canadian Music Award. The lead track ‘Eyes
on the Prize’ was selected for inclusion in a Time-
Life compilation box set celebrating the music of the
American civil rights era.
Highlights of the group’s first two years include a
definitive show with the Dixie Hummingbirds, opening
spots with Jim Byrnes at the Vancouver Jazz Festival
for both Dr. John and the Blind Boys of Alabama and
featured stages at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival,
the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, the Calgary Folk
Music Festival, the Canmore Folk Music Festival and the
Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival.
The Sojourners have been nominated for a Canadian
Folk Music Award (Vocal Group of the Year), a Western
Canadian Music Award (Outstanding Roots Recording)
and a MapleBlues Award (New Artist/Group).
The eponymous follow-up to ‘Hold On’ has been
completed. It takes the music to a whole new level of
excellence. The release date is January 19th, 2010.
The Sojourners continue to perform with Jim Byrnes,
as well as on their own. They receive a steady stream
of invitations to contribute to the recordings and live
performances of a diverse range of artists, spanning
several genres, from the outer reaches of jazz to beat
box / street poetry. All three became Canadian citizens
in the summer of 2008 and were invited to perform on
Parliament Hill on Canada Day, where they sang the
national anthem.
Marcus Mosely
Marcus was born in a small town in the Texas panhandle,
called Ralls. Marcus soon discovered that he carried
around a well of music in his soul. Over the past 54
years, Marcus has found himself drawing from the well in
many places around the world. He has sung throughout
North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the South
Pacific, owing to 10 years of service as a missionary.
He began recording back in 1975 with a folk gospel
group called ‘The Family’. Just before Expo 86, Marcus
made Vancouver his home. Since then, he has starred
in various highly successful stage productions such as
‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, ‘Black and Gold Revue’ and ‘Show
Boat’. Marcus has toured Canada giving concerts and
conducting gospel choral workshops.
Will Sanders
Through his childhood, in Alexandria, Louisiana, Will
sang in choirs, ensembles, and even played in the school
band. But his heart was always drawn to singing gospel.
In his first time out he won a starring role in the Arts Club
production of Ann Mortifee’s tour de force, ‘When the
Rains Come’. He was nominated for a Jessie Richardson
Award for Best Performance in a Musical that year
(1994). He also went on to star in the Arts Club’s ‘Five
Guys Named Moe’. Over the years, Will has sung with a
number of Vancouver based Gospel ensembles: ‘Circle
Of Voices’, ‘Cloud Nine’ and ‘The Gospel Experience’.
Ron Small
Ron is originally from Chicago and has made Canada his
home since 1960. He got his professional start singing in
the U.S. Air Force. Ron auditioned for and was accepted
into ‘The Pearls’. In September, 1958, Ron appeared
with the Pearls on the Ed Sullivan Show. After being
discharged from the military, he moved to Vancouver. He
auditioned for and got a role in ‘Showboat’, and toured
throughout North America with the show from 1993 until
1998. Since then, Ron has been back in Vancouver,
focusing primarily on teaching and coaching jazz singers.