Praise the Lord! Writer and producer Neal Jones anoints Blumenthal's Booth Playhouse as the sacred spot for the premiere of his creation, The Evolution of Black Gospel Music. As a collaboration with The Harvey B. Gantt Center (and coinciding with the America I Am: The African American Imprint exhibit), the program weaves music, dance and drama together for a lively oral telling of black gospel history (from its slavery roots to contemporary times) and its impact on music expression as a whole. Jones makes use of family ties with featured music from Forever Jones. The group — comprised of his brother, sister-in-law and their children — was nominated for two Grammy Awards and three Dove Awards in 2011.
— Anita Overcash