Singing for the King - Mark Trammell Quartet

Dustin Black, Nick Trammell, Mark Trammell and Pat Barker

The Mark Trammell Quartet was in concert in DeWitt, Ark. on April 7. The last time I saw them was October, also at this church. The quartet has some good friends at the church, and you can tell that being there feels comfortable to them, almost like home.

This was my first chance to see them since Eric Phillips left. Dustin Black is at tenor for the group right now. Mark Trammell explained that he is in a try-out period with the group.

Here's a lineup of how the night went:

• "Leave Your Sorrows" - I've always been a fan of this song. And love that they went back and picked out this song to start the night off!
• "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
• "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" - This was the first chance to hear Dustin featured on a song, and he did a great job. He's a different type of tenor from what the group has previously had, and I think others have made that same comment. To me, Dustin is more of a "Chris Allman-type" tenor.
• "Echoes from the Burning Bush" 
  
• "Wedding Music" - Great to hear them do this classic!
• Mark made the introductions next. It's always is fun to see who Mark is going to pick on more during the introductions, and I think this time they all got their fair share. He mentioned that Dustin was traveling with them during this tryout period. He's from Michigan, and he had never had a Yankee on his bus before. He said that he had been around a lot of farm animals though it was about the same. Dustin let out a quiet moo from his side of the stage!  Mark then moved on to Nick, who he called a worthless sponge. Mark then said he had title change to the "Father of Tessa Trammell." And then he introduced Pat as what they use as a bass singer.
• "Testimony" - Nick is featured on this song and did a great job. He's always had the voice and talent for the role of lead singer, but you can tell he's really become more comfortable in this role. 
• "God Knows How Much Mercy I Need"
• "Wonderful Time Up There" - I'm so glad they sang this one! I absolutely love hearing Pat Barker sing this song, and he nailed it as always. His facial expressions are always fun to watch during the concerts. You can tell he loves being up there singing this music, and it really comes through on this song.
• "Too Much to Gain to Lose" - It doesn't get much better than Mark Trammell singing this song. He shows why he is consistently one of the best baritones and male singers in the business.
• After a brief intermission, they came back with "Meet Me Over on the Other Side." This was one of my favorites from Lifetime, so I was glad to hear them sing it live. 
• "How Long Has It Been" - I love the blend they had on this song. The four of them sounded great together on this song!
• "Way Past Ready"
• Mark talked a little bit more about Dustin traveling with the group during this trial period. He said that he hadn't even seen that many gospel concerts before going on the road and trying out with them. I thought Dustin did an excellent job with the group and would be a good fit if that's where God leads.
  
  
• "I Want to Know" - Another Pat Barker feature, and another one of my personal favorite. Pat tried to help Dustin get into it more, which was pretty funny. They did several encores, and everyone was on their feet at the end.
• Mark joked that it was unusual to see Baptists get into a song that much. He asked how many people there were Baptists, which was the majority. He then found out one guy there was a Lutheran. He asked him how he got to be there and enjoy this music as a Lutheran. The man told him that he grew up Methodist, but became a Lutheran after he married a woman who is a Lutheran. Mark said he understood that because he used to live in Arkansas and then married a woman from Alabama! Trust me, Mark, Arkansas is still more than happy to claim you!
• Before the last song, Mark really brought the focus back home. He said that the night is not about him or the group. It's about taking the talent that God has given them to glorify Him and honor His name. 
• "The King is Coming" - I've never heard them sing this song better than I did Sunday night. Wow!! It was such a powerful moment to end the concert on!!

It's always great to see the Mark Trammell Quartet, and Sunday night was no exception! The church they sang at is one you can tell that they're comfortable being in. It's a fun atmosphere to see them in. The church is not the biggest and it wasn't full, but it didn't matter. They put on as good of a concert as I've ever seen them do. I love that about them; it's not about them, but it's all about Him.