NEW ALBUM! Coming Up Through the Years

Dedicated Men of Zion (Anthony “Amp” Daniels, Antwan Daniels, Marcus Suggs, Tyjon Harris) come from a singing tradition that has flourished in and around Greenville, NC for generations — a joyfully harmonious version of gospel so similar to soul music that Music Maker co-founder Tim Duffy calls it “sacred soul.”

Related by blood or marriage, the group’s members are part of the same extended family that produced the Glorifying Vines Sisters, Faith & Harmony, and the visionary luthier and artist Freeman Vines (“Hanging Tree Guitars”). This vibrant, under-documented musical community was a major factor in Music Maker’s decision to build their new recording studio in nearby Fountain, NC. Coming Up Through the Years was recorded there in early 2025.

“This family’s story is America’s story,” says Duffy. “Their music reaches back over 300 years, connecting directly to the earliest traditions of gospel. The Dedicated Men of Zion carry this heritage forward with power and grace.”

Produced by Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers) and Bruce Watson (Fat Possum Records, Big Legal Mess, Bible and Tire), Coming Up Through the Years is Dedicated Men of Zion’s third album. The tracks cycle through bluesy numbers, energetic stompers, slow ballads, and songs with an old-school doo-wop feel. Co-producer Mathus wrote most of the album’s songs and led the versatile backing band of Mississippi musicians, Creatures of the Southern Wild.

“Jimbo and I have made nine records together, but this one stands as a true high-water mark,” says Duffy. “Anthony and the Dedicated Men are singing at the very peak of their powers, and Jimbo’s band laid down grooves that are pure fire. The result is magic, an incredible work of art.”

Coming Up Through the Years can be purchased from Music Maker Foundation and is available on streaming starting January 16.