Apostolic Friends Forum - PRESS RELEASE!!! Original Lanny Wolfe Trio in Reunion Concert!!!

PRESS RELEASE

THE ORIGINAL

LANNY WOLFE TRIO

REUNION CONCERT

with the Central Assembly of God Sanctuary Choir under the direction of Carlton Gilmer

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008

7 p.m.

CENTRAL ASSEMBLY OF GOD

700 Highway 80

Bossier City, Louisiana

Come hear Lanny, Marietta, and Dave in this historic reunion concert sing your favorites like:

Surely the Presence (of the Lord is in this Place)
More than Wonderful
Someone is Praying for You
Whatever it Takes
God’s Wonderful People
Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul
Precious Blood
Greater is He that is in Me
A Brand New Touch
There’s Something in the Air
and many more
Pastor Andy Harris cordially invites the public to attend!

Free admission. A love offering will be received.

For more information call (318) 949-0010.

Lanny Wolfe (born February 2, 1942, In Columbus, Ohio) is a multiple award-winning U.S. songwriter in Gospel music, Southern Gospel, and Contemporary Christian music genres. He has won two Dove Awards (Gospel Music Association) in 1984 for Song of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year for his song, More than Wonderful, a song whose recording by gospel singers Sandi Patti & Larnelle Harris earned them a Grammy award. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Gospel Music Association.

Influence on Gospel Music

Although his name is not a household name among Christian worshippers, Lanny Wolfe’s influence on gospel music is tremendous. Known mostly to only church worship leaders, other songwriters, and other Gospel music performers, he was nonetheless a pioneer in progressing modern church music in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches from traditional hymns or folk-style singing to more sophisticated worship styles with arranged or pre-recorded music, using styles of music influenced by pop-culture and black gospel music.

He heavily influenced the greater world of gospel music during the 1970’s and 1980’s. While people throughout Christianity may be able to hum a Wolfe tune, most of his day-to-day career was spent as the Dean of the School of Music at a Pentecostal bible school, Jackson College of Ministries.

Lanny Wolfe influenced gospel music in two ways: 1) through recordings of original music, and 2) through his once-popular National Music Ministry Conference, an annual conference hosted by the aforementioned bible school in Jackson, Mississippi, where Wolfe worked from 1974 until 1993. He was a brilliant composer – using his education in music to introduce more sophisticated music styles to church audiences more familiar with southern or folk gospel. Using a tantalizing mix of Southern gospel song formulas, emotionally expressive musical phrasings more common in black churches, and classical, popular, or even “jazzy” music arrangements, he played an integral part in elevating the type and styles of music performed in worship services in Christian congregations.

His original music was performed and released by his trio, the Lanny Wolfe Trio, originally composed of himself, his then-wife, Marietta Wolfe, and Dave Peterson. During the 80’s, the group added others as Dave Peterson departed, followed by his wife who left to raise their children. Eventually, the group performed as Lanny Wolfe and the Lanny Wolfe Trio – the trio itself comprising young talent mostly taken from the student body of the Jackson College of Ministries. His last three albums listed the troupe simply as The Lanny Wolfe Singers. On his last album, the “Singers” were from a local church where he ministered at, since he was no longer affiliated with JCM.

His Music

Like his method of musical contribution, music styles attributed to Lanny Wolfe were also varied. His original music picked up on styles within pop culture, and often included the soft, symphonic style of pop music during the ‘70’s. In his song, I Feel Good, he even pulled off adapting a little bit of the “James Brown Sound” to that up-tempo song. His trio often recorded using London-based orchestras, often arranged by the famed gospel music producer, Lari Goss.

Music at his conference, except for a few select songs, was not original to him. He busily mined other non-mainstream gospel genres for material, often using music recorded by black gospel choirs (such as Mississippi Mass Choir, or Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers) for material.

His influence remains in Pentecostal/Charismatic worship music since many worship leaders are well adept at finding or creating the same sound. Many Christian recording artists studied under his leadership, such as Geron Davis (“Standing on Holy Ground”), Mark Carouthers (“Mercy Seat”), among others.

Biography

Lanny Wolfe, according to his website, learned how to play the piano by ear, a talent that was used in his local church growing up. He went to Ohio State University and received his baccalaureate degree in Business education, and began teaching public schools. Going to night school, he finished his MBA there as well.

Being a talented church musician, he was offered a job a Pentecostal bible school in California to teach worship music – which led him to return to a traditional learning atmosphere where he eventually received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education from San Jose State University. He eventually finished a second Master’s in the same field.

He headed the music departments at the following bible schools: Christian Life College in Stockton, California from 1965 to 1966; Gateway College of Evangelism in St. Louis, Missouri from 1968 to 1974; and at Jackson College of Ministries in Jackson, Mississippi from 1974 to 1993.

Currently, he serves as the music director at a charismatic non-denominational church in Houston, as well as being a music instructor at South Texas Bible Institute, also in Houston, Texas.

Discography

Studio & Live Recordings (Albums)

There’s Something in the Air
Let’s Sing a Song About Jesus
Come On, Let’s Praise Him
Shout It, Jesus is Coming!
A Brand New Touch
Have A Nice Day
Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy
Can’t Stop the Music
Through the Years
I’m Gonna Praise the Lord (Anyway that I can)
Children of Azusa Street
Just Keep Praising Him
Father Love
Never Have to Say Goodbye Again Rejoice . . . LIVE
An Evening with the Lanny Wolfe Trio
Make a Joyful Noise
Lanny Wolfe and the Lanny Wolfe Trio LIVE
Significant Songs of Interest

Surely the Presence (of the Lord is in this Place)
More than Wonderful
Someone is Praying for You
Whatever it Takes
God’s Wonderful People
Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul
Children of Azusa Street
Precious Blood
Greater is He that is in Me
Brand New Touch