The gifted duo of Greg and Rebecca Sparks is one that I have seriously considered not using
a PA system for in a house concert. I'm glad I did anyway! It was a rockin' night in our house!
When I first invited them to appear in concert at my church approximately 12 years ago, I recall that Greg's guitar had a tremendous sound, as did Rebecca's voice. In fact, at one point she simply left the microphone and walked around our 500 seat sanctuary, her voice carrying quite well without amplification. Then when I heard her about six years ago at the Cornerstone Music Festival, she was still belting out tunes --- a huge voice in a small body. It's something to see and hear!
This couple has been around the block, veterans of the Christian music business and continuing to play select gigs and lead worship at their home church in Pennsylvania. They began in an Eighties group called Bash-N-the-Code, until paring down to simply Sparks. I knew they were pretty cool when I went to a Gospel Music Association Convention and saw them, only to be told that they were there for a GMA-spoof event. . . a kind of Saturday Night Live version of the way too serious music convention. In a place everyone seems to be rubbernecking just to see who they can see and who they can be seen by, the Sparks were like a breath of fresh air served up in a sizzling stew of rock 'n roll.
But back to the music. This is absolutely stirring, a cross between rock and white-black gospel music, kind of a white Mavis Staples. That's the best I can describe it. No one left this concert untouched, as it was a stirring worship event.
LISTEN: (All 30-second clips except the last song)More info on The Sparks can be found on their website.