Harlem Gospel Travelers bring Grammy-nominated "Rhapsody" over to Europe

“When I grew up, on the way to church, you’d listen to gospel music,” says Ifedayo Gatling of The Harlem Gospel Travelers. “Then on the way back from church, it was ‘Back That Azz Up.’ Music is music, as long as it makes you feel something.” That open-minded philosophy runs through Rhapsody, the group’s latest album, on which the extraordinary vocalists Ifedayo Gatling, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage fully explore the wide spectrum of sounds that shaped them. The follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 release Look Up!, the record dives into a lesser-known but hugely important era in the evolution of gospel music, while asking a universal question: does this music move you, challenge you, and make you want to be a better, more loving person?

Starting in the mid-1960s, gospel music began absorbing the grit and groove of soul and funk, as church bands across the United States pressed raw, ecstatic recordings onto small runs of 45s. Much of this music remained largely hidden until Numero Group’s Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal series brought these revelatory recordings back into the light. Inspired by that rediscovery, longtime friend and mentor Eli “Paperboy” Reed invited HGT to dig into the Numero catalog and reinterpret this material through their own lens. Working from their Brooklyn home base at Hive Mind Recording, Gatling, Bailey, and Marage reimagined songs by figures like Pastor T.L. Barrett and Shirley Ann Lee, blending reverence with swagger alongside drummer Noah Rubin, bassist Jesse Barnes, and legendary gospel organist Gregory Kelly. The result is music that feels both rooted and radical—high-energy, high-power soul filtered through HGT’s modern sensibility.

At the heart of Rhapsody is the group’s collective strength and individuality, with each member bringing their own voice, influences, and lived experience to the project. From Bailey’s hip-hop-inflected grit to Marage’s soaring, emotionally charged performances, the album pushes all three singers beyond what they thought were their vocal limits. Just as importantly, it reflects HGT’s commitment to openness and representation within gospel music—embracing freedom of expression, queerness, and inclusivity while staying true to the genre’s spiritual core. In a cultural moment where genre boundaries are being reexamined, Rhapsody positions the Harlem Gospel Travelers as both students of history and fearless innovators, creating music that can move a dance floor, uplift a congregation, or simply make listeners feel better about themselves and the world around them.

With Rhapsody, the Harlem Gospel Travelers, now Grammy-nominated for the album, are bringing that message far beyond their roots, embarking on an extensive tour across Europe that introduces their powerful, genre-spanning sound to new audiences.

30/01: Bordeaux, FR - Rocher de Palmer
31/01: Albi, FR - Albi Jazz Festival
02/02: Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie
03/02: Orléans, FR - L’Astrolabe
04/02: La Roche Sur Yon, FR - Le Quai M
05/02: Lorient, FR - L’Hydrophone
06/02: Rouen, FR -  Le 106
07/02: Tourcoing, FR - Le Grand Mix
08/02: Antwerpen, BE - De Roma
09/02: Groningen, NL - Oosterpoort
11/02: Massy, FR - Paul B
12/02: Dijon, FR - L’Ecrin / Jagoblues
14/02: Oviedo, ESP - Kuivi Almacenes
15/02: Segovia, ESP - Winter Indie City
16/02: Sevilla, ESP - Sala Malandar
18/02: Girona, ESP - Auditori de Girona
19/02: Zaragoza, ESP -  Rock & Blues
20/02: Santiago De Compostela, ESP - Sala Capitol
21/02: Madrid, ESP - El Sol
22/02: Valencia, ESP - Loco Club
06/03: Den Haag, NL - New Tide Festival