The Rev. Dr. Stanley Keeble knows as much about gospel music as anybody alive. As I tape this in early 2022, Keeble – now in his 90s – is still the driving force behind a gospel music museum in his beloved Chicago. Keeble’s roots go deep in the Windy City – he studied organ with the legendary Willie Webb and for decades worked closely with the Rev. Clay Evans at Chicago’s mighty Fellowship Bible Church.
Along the way, he performed and recorded with most of Chicago’s best-known gospel stars, including memorable stints with Inez Andrews and later Jessy Dixon. But his work as a hospital chaplain and tireless fund-raising activities meant that he never really got around to recording as much as his fans – including me – would have liked.
That’s why this rare 45 for Chicago’s tiny Righteous label is so special. On it, Stanley Keeble with the Voices of Triumph perform one of Keeble’s own compositions, “I Feel Good.” The good reverend can shout with the best of ‘em but I particularly love his soulful work on the mighty Hammond B3-organ – it’s an audio window into the entire history of gospel music on one small piece of vinyl.
MUSIC: “I Feel Good,” Rev. Stanley Keeble 45
I’m Robert Darden … “Shout! Black Gospel Music Moments” is produced by KWBU, the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project at Baylor University Libraries and is funded by generous support from the Prichard Foundation.