PREVIEW: The Heavenly Echoes hold Juneteenth concert at Historic Caffè Lena
06/19 @ Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs
Photo by Annelise Kelly
“We’re looking to inspire. Gospel— the feeling and the belief behind it— has kept people going.”
Drinks sparkle in the sun, the neighborhood is out to mingle, and if you follow the sound of gospel music in the summer air, you’ll find the Heavenly Echoes Gospel Band right where they belong: onstage, sharing their boundless joy with those around them.
“We’re not in the entertainment business; we’re in the engagement business,” describes longtime band member Joseph Abbey. “We’re a little self-conscious about that in terms of people thinking about it as a show. There is a performative aspect to it, but it’s all derived from the heart.”
Whether at a summer street festival in their hometown neighborhoods of Arbor and West Hill or performing at Caffè Lena on June 19, the energy that the Heavenly Echoes bring to every moment connecting with their audience is the same.
“We’re holding hands with Lena in this,” says Abbey. “We’re flattered that an organization with as high a profile in the musical arts would ask us to play.”
The Juneteenth show holds special significance for the gospel band, as gospel is intrinsically connected with American history. The origins of gospel began with enslaved Africans bringing with them to America call-and-response, group singing, and the spiritual power of music. Post-emancipation, independent Black churches flourished across the country. Spirituals combined with the style of European hymns to create songs that told their stories of faith and perseverance.
“Gospel music, like all forms of Black music and Black art, has been integral to America’s history and America’s culture,” says Abbey. “Gospel music has been an inspiration for hundreds of years. We feel like we’re carrying the torch. We’re bearing witness to a part of American culture that is absolutely essential to the country being what it should be. It’s not so much that we’ve come so far, but we still have far to go.”
Contemporary gospel continues to thrive both in America and globally. Many are familiar with the birth of modern gospel in the 1920s-50s by the works of Thomas A. Dorsey, whose songs like “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” became standards sung by Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin.
”Gospel is the soundtrack to the American evolution,” says Abbey. “We are grateful that we have the opportunity to present this legacy that is ongoing.”
The Heavenly Echoes’ music belongs to a subgenre called gospel quartet music. Its vocal simplicity is by design— clear and concise with a tenor, lead, baritone, and bass; there is extraordinary fluidity to perform a cappella, call-and-response, or highly complex rhythmic pieces.
“It’s closest in feeling to soul music and classic rock,” Abbey explains, drawing a line between the influence of Black music on rock and other contemporary genres of music.
Listeners at Caffè Lena will have the opportunity to experience this legacy of American music, performed by a band that is rooted in the past but fascinated by how gospel informs the present. “The music won’t disappoint,” promises Abbey.
The Heavenly Echoes’ consistency in the Capital Region’s music scene has carried them since their inception in the mid-1960s by James Edmonds and is staying strong today. Their contributions to the region’s culture and community were honored by their 2026 induction into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame.
“I guess if you hang around long enough doing the same thing…,” jokes Abbey, before seriously observing, “We consider ourselves an institution. We didn’t make this up as we went along. It was always James Edmonds’ intention that we had the freedom to get out there and play— sing on the sidewalk if that was called for!”
Playing everywhere and for everyone reflects the openness of the Heavenly Echoes. They have a definitive ‘won’t say no’ policy to doing a show, always eager to get out and meet the community where they’re at, from the sunny streets to a cozy cafe.
Their openness applies to their band members as well. The ensemble has drawn members from various churches and neighborhoods. Many people have come in, a couple have left, and some have passed away, yet the Heavenly Echoes remain.
Abbey joined over 20 years ago, meeting the Heavenly Echoes through jazz and blues open mics. He’d heard from other musicians about James Edmonds — “‘He’s cool; he likes everybody,’” Abbey recalls with a laugh, adding about his audition, “I was just smitten immediately.”
Every band member, regardless of their background, is bound by a shared purpose. “We’re looking to inspire,” says Abbey. “Gospel — the feeling and the belief behind it — has kept people going.”
“Listen to it as art; appreciate what it is and represents,” encourages Abbey. “You don’t have to have any particular faith at all for the music, the words, and the performance to inspire you and make you feel better, not just about yourself, but better about what you can do and move forward in a good way. If it lifts someone’s spirits or gives them a positive feeling, that’s what we want to do.”
The Heavenly Echoes’ appearance at Caffè Lena on Friday, Jun. 19, will take place from 8:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. Tickets are available at https://www.caffelena.org, and all are welcome by the band to attend, regardless of their religious background.