Artists – F

The Faith Quartet were a gospel group from Roxboro, North Carolina. The group consisted of Elwood Holt (lead), Shirley Smith (tenor), Richard Smith (baritone), and Norman Oakley (bass), and Buddy Hall (piano). The group formed in 1971 with Holt and the Smiths. Hall joined the group in 1973, and Oakley joined in 1974. They released at least one other LP, titled He Did It All For Me on Ride Records.

Musicians on the LP include Bobby Currin on guitar, Randy Smith on guitar, and Joe Moran on bass.

The LP was recorded at Lamplighter Studios in Asheboro, North Carolina. The LP was engineered by Bill Linebarrier.

2000 album by Somali singer Abdihakim Farayare.

Abdihakim Farayare is a singer based in the United Kingdom. It appears that he has released some other albums over the years, and there is footage of some live performances on YouTube. I can't find any other information on Abdihakim.

This album is 'presented by' Safari World Entertainment - it looks like this label put out a few other tapes and CDs of Somali musicians around 1999 and 2000. All music on the album was done by Abdiwahab Naaji. The album was produced by Mustaf Hassan (Kenadiid)

Description coming soon!

Tracklist
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
B1
B2
B3
B4
B5
B6

1981 LP from Missouri band Festival released on Max Stout Records.

The band Festival began in 1973 and released a slew of albums on the Max Stout Records label throughout the 70s and 80s. According to the liner notes this LP was their their third full-length outing and is a tribute to their hometown of Skidmore, Missouri. The "Festival Family" was a non-religious communal living 'extended family' that resided on the Festival Farm outside of Skidmore.

The liner notes are full of nicknames for the band, calling them "The World's Funkiest Cowboy Band", "The Premier Showband in the Midwest", "The Big Band From The Prairie", and "The Brass Band From The Grassland". Over the years the band shifted from a light-hearted stage show to a more politically-charged group, mainly focusing on the issue of America's treatment of veterans. The band more or less dissolved in the early 2000s after years of core members retiring from touring or outright leaving the band. David Struve from Northwest Missouri State University wrote his master's thesis on the group, titled 'Festival: Community or Commune?'. You can Google the title and read the 80-page work for a full history of the band! You can also find some additional information and photos on Britt Small's website brittsmall.com

Players on the LP include Britt Small, Mark Reinig, Beck Reinig, Ray Roth, Stan Funston, Dann Hohn, Don Struve, Les Wetzel, Keith Wetzel, Russ Wetzel, and Curt Pottratz.

LP by Indiana minister Blanche Fiscus, released by Rite Record Productions.

Rev. Blanche Fiscus (1933-2023) was a longtime pastor in Indianapolis at the Northwest Assembly Church. She also served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s. As far as I can tell this is the only LP she ever released. The LP as recorded by Rite Record Productions in Cincinnati, Ohio. The sessions were produced by Dan Burton and engineered by Phil Burkhardt. Studio musicians on the LP include Dan Burton on piano, Jerry Wilhelm on drums, Gary Smith on lead guitar, and Dennis Herrell on bass guitar. Carolyn Buis played organ on the LP.

1984 LP by Greenwood, Indiana band Fisher Family Reunion.

The Fisher Family Reunion consisted of parents Leo and Phyllis along with their children Dennis, Phil, and Cindy.

Phyllis and Leo were in the group The Country Travelers, who released a few LPs in the 1970s. They were regular performers at The Little Nashville Opry. They performed on The Lloyd Wood show with their children.

Players on the LP include Roger Fish on piano, Mike Graham on bass, Danny Jackson on drums, Ron Patton on fiddle/acoustic guitar, Larry Richardson on lead/acoustic guitar, and Jimmie Misenheimer on steel/dobro/acoustic guitar.

The LP was recorded at Soundsmith Studio in Indianapolis and was engineered by Mark Copenhaver.. The LP was produced by Phil Fisher.

Leo passed away in 2012, Phyllis passed away in 2021.

Description coming soon!

1999 CD by Indiana rock band Flourish released on Dirty Sanchez Records.

I can't dig up any information online about Flourish. The band consisted of Mark Davis on drums, Eddie Hazel on guitar, Steve Kennan on guitar, Jake Robinson on bass, and "Mode" on vocals. I'm going out on a limb to say this Eddie Hazel isn't the same one of Parliment-Funkadelic fame.

The CD was produced and engineered by Jake Robinson and mastered by Alan Johnson at TRC Studios.

1982 LP by Pennsylvania Christian rock band Found Free, released on Sparkal Records.

From AllMusic.com:
"Formed in Philadelphia during the 70s, Pennsylvania, USA, contemporary Christian group Found Free comprised Keith Lancaster (vocals), David Michael Ed (keyboards/vocals), Catherine MacCallum (vocals), Bish Alverson (drums), Jack Faulkner (bass), Wayne Farley (guitar) and Rebecca Ed (vocals). The group began in the early 70s and concentrated on a musical platform which drew on elements of blues, jazz and rock. They soon established a performance itinerary which included church social meetings, colleges and community concerts. Eventually these led to the group being discovered by Jim Van Hook, senior vice-president of the Benson Company, who served as producer on Closer Than Ever, their debut release for Greentree Records. However, the reception afforded it by the more puritanical gospel sources was not particularly positive and the group has subsequently disappeared"

The group released a few LPs during the 70s and 80s, and as far as I can tell this one was their last release. From what I've gathered the band had a revolving lineup, with Keiht Lancaster being the core member. Former members Greg and Rebecca Sparks when on to form the musical due The Sparks. The band was name-checked in a 1977 New York Times article covering the rise in popularity of Contemporary Christian Music.

This LP was produced by Found Free in cooperation with Tappan-Turk Productions. It was engineered by Travis Turk, Glen Barrett, and David Starobin. The LP was recorded at Gold Mine, The Sound Shop, Star, and Morning Star. In addition to the members of Found Free, additional players on the LP include Mark Hammond, John Goin, Tim Tappan, Joan Chriestenson, Lyndon Zabel, and Allan Steinberger.

Description coming soon!

1977 LP by Linda, Danny, and Scotty Fraze of Clarksville, Indiana, released on Dan Records.

Danny Fraze and his wife Linda released at least two LPs in the 1970s, both on the Dan Records label. Apparently Danny also released sermons on cassette tape in the 1970s. As far as I can tell, none of the family members released any other music outside of the two LPs mentioned here.

1970 LP by Christian music collective Friends, released on Koinonia Records. The group consisted of volunteers and residents at the Koinonia Farm community in southwest Georgia. Members of the group include (first names only) Ed, Ann, George, Bev, Suzie, Pete, Dan, Barb, Rachel, and Mike. As far as I can tell this is the only LP released by the group, but Koinonia Records has a few releases in the 1970s, including some sermons by Koinonia Farm founder Clarence Jordan. I can't find any additional information about the members of the group or if any of them had continued music careers.

Koinonia Farm is an intentional Christian community founded in 1942 near Americus, Georgia, with the purpose of promoting racial equality and social justice. Clarence Jordan, a Southern Baptist minister, envisioned a place where people of different races could live together as equals in the segregated South. Due to their mission of racial integration, the farm faced intimidation and vandalism at the hands of white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan. The community engaged in farming operations and developed various enterprises, such as a cooperative store and handmade crafts, to sustain themselves economically. Koinonia Farm also played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement, serving as a refuge for activists and advocating for desegregation of the American South. The farm eventually pivoted to building low-rent and free housing for low-income Georgians, and this practice eventually branched off into the Habitat For Humanity Organization. Koinonia Farm continues operation today, though it seems a bit different in organizational structure and mission than it was in the 20th century.

Description coming soon!

1994 album by bluegrass band The Fritts Family, released on Atteiram Records.

The Fritts Family Band formed in 1986 and consists of Larry Fritts on banjo/guitar/vocals, his son Jeremy Fritts on guitar, his son Geoffrey on bass fiddle/vocals, his daughter Sarah on vocals, and his son Joshua on mandolin. This LP was produced by Larry Fritts and recorded at Niptune Studios. Many of the songs on the LP were written by members of The Fritts family, with come covers including "Battle of New Orleans" and the title track "Home Grown Tomatoes" written by Guy Clark.

According to the liner notes of the CD, The Fritts Family performed 'in excess of 150 performances annually including radio, television, festival and concert performances'. They were also sponsored by The Folk Arts Program of The National Endowment for the Arts to participate in a twelve-month tour.

The band has released many CDs over the years and is still active as far as I can tell, with current members including Larry, Sarah, and Jeremy. Jeremy is a classically trained musician, receiving a degree in guitar from Belmont university and he is also a guitar teacher. You can find out more about the band on their website frittsfamilyband.com