Category: Reviews

"Light" – Tobbi & Tommi

“Light”
Tobbi & Tommi (2013)
BAS Music Group
Available at iTunes

Tobbi & Tommi cover art

Donald Lawrence describes them as “two of the best sopranos on the planet!” After 12 years with his aggregation, Donald Lawrence and Company, sisters Tobbi and Tommi step forward with their brand new single “Light.”

“Light” shines as a contemporary christian beacon of praise–“Glory, hallelujah, Jesus reigns and there’s access to redemption through His name!”–throughout which the two declare that “Jesus is the Light!”

Hailing from East St. Louis, Illinois, Tobbi and Tommi (formerly known as T&T and The White Sisters) have been immersed in gospel music for as long as they can remember.  Tobbi is also the featured vocalist on the new single, “The Gift,” from Donald Lawrence’s forthcoming 20th anniversary CD.

“Teach the Children” – Dr. John “G Star” Jones

“Teach The Children”
Dr. John “G Star” Jones (2012)
Independent

Dr. John "G Star" Jones
There’s more to education than ABC’s and 123’s, according to Dr. John Jones, who goes by the stage name G Star (meaning “God’s Star”).  His uptempo inspirational tune reminds mothers, fathers, and teachers of all kinds of their moral obligation to “Teach the Children.”
 
“Teach the Children” sounds like a public service announcement of sorts, urging that children be taught to love God, stay in school, and have class.

Jones has been making music for many years and is known for his unique style and charisma.  More notably, according to his bio, he has dedicated his time and talents toward helping to take homeless children off New York City’s streets and provide them with housing—a commendable service to our kids and a testament that Jones doesn’t just talk the talk.

“Good To Me” – Carolyn Traylor

“Good To Me”
Caroyln Traylor
From the CD, Waiting (2013)
Malaco Records

Carolyn Traylor "Good to Me" photo
Thinking on the goodness of the Lord is sure to lift your spirits, and Carolyn Traylor’s “Good to Me” is sure to make a great soundtrack for the experience.

“He’s so good to me / He constantly makes ways for me / He opens doors for me / Loves on me…” goes the contagious hook. After just one listen, I couldn’t stop humming the melody.

Traylor, who hails from Texas, has musical experiences on her resumé ranging from performances with Albertina Walker to international tours with Dr. Bobby Jones. Her soulful flare, which delves into blues territory, is just what this groove needs to complement its punchy bass, simmering horn section, and lively contemporary-styled background vocals.

Colin McGuire reviews indie doc on New Orleans’ Electrifying Crown Seekers

“Despite its rich tradition,” reports PopMatters Music Reviews editor Colin McGuire, “the future of gospel music in various parts of the world has been an issue of contention and heartbreak in recent years, but the Electrifying Crown Seekers make a case that the genre is still going strong.”

Read more here: “In Defense Of…New Orleans Gospel Music”

"B A Beacon (Se' Un Faro)" – Everett Drake

“B A Beacon (Se’ Un Faro)”
Everett Drake
From the CD, Amen Goes Right There! (2011)
Dherico Music

Everett Drake cover art

It’s not often that you get to hear something like “B A Beacon (Se’ Un Faro)” from Everett Drake.  The reason is that he’s usually seen churning out more traditional tunes with Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones and the Nashville Super Choir.  With songs like this quick-paced Latin jazz piece though, Drake shows that he’s quite capable of writing (along with the project’s producer Derrick Lee) and performing a diverse repertoire of gospel and inspirational music. 

Vocalist Kyla Jade and trumpeter Rod McGaha join Drake on “B A Beacon (Se’ Un Faro)” urging, “B A beacon, let your light shine!” 

"The Blood" – Divas Redemption f. Paul Smith

“The Blood”
Divas Redemption featuring Paul Smith
From the CD, I Finally Made It (2010)
Jay St. Records

Divas Redemption

Alternating staccato lines and the promise of victory in Jesus Christ are the highlights of Divas Redemption featuring Paul Smith’s performance of the Benny Hill-penned ballad “The Blood” from their CD, I Finally Made It.

Smith and the Divas (an acronym for Divinely Inspired Victoriously Appointed) melodically narrate the revelation of Jesus Christ to John of Patmos in such a way that one envisions the glorious scene of the first resurrection unfolding right before one’s eyes: “How John said he looked…and he saw a number that no man could number…”

Hailing from New Jersey, Divas Redemption featuring Paul Smith (of the Brower Brothers) continue on to testify that the Blood of Jesus “will set you free!”

“I Wish” – Determined

“I Wish”
Determined
From the CD, Still Determined (2012)
Vision Records

Determined

Tupelo, Mississippi’s quartet-styled group Determined makes good use of their gospel platform to address societal ills with “I Wish” from their 12-track CD Still Determined.

It’s not uncommon for the music of gospel singers to bespeak the times and hope for a better world.  The young group makes such a passionate plea throughout their easy-going musical presentation.

“I Wish” calls for social justice and unity in a society in which discord and hatred are rampant and far too many are still marginalized by pervasive systems of oppression.

"Lay Down Your Burdens" – Men of Virtuee

“Lay Down Your Burdens”
Men of Virtuee (2013)
Available at www.indieheaven.com

Men of Virtuee

Just this year, God gave Robert Lunsford, Jr. a vision to bring the singing ministry of his cousins to the forefront. They’ve been singing together for numerous years, but now he, Darnell Woods, Chuck Dixon, and George Pettiford have come together under the moniker Men of Virtuee (yes, with two e’s) to present a new single and concept video “Lay Down Your Burdens.”

Woods takes the lead on the mid-tempo contemporary single, inviting the downtrodden, discouraged, desperate, and disconnected to yield themselves and their life issues to Jesus and be set free.

For more information about the Roxboro, NC based group, peep www.menofvirtuee.com.

Check out the “Lay Down Your Burdens” video here.

“Greater Is Coming” – Jekalyn Carr

“Greater Is Coming” [Album Version]
Jekalyn Carr
From the upcoming CD, Greater Is Coming (Spring 2013)
http://myjekalyncarr.net

Jekalyn Carr Greater is Coming art work
Jekalyn Carr’s résumé resembles that of someone who’s been in the business for as long as she is old.
 
A frequent psalmist at Benny Hinn crusades, a fiery evangelist whose YouTube videos show her preaching preceding generations into frenzies, and a special musical guest on the Word Network, the 15 year-old diminutive dynamo makes quite an authoritative declaration with the single “Greater Is Coming,” from her forthcoming CD of the same title.
 
Jekalyn pours every ounce of conviction she can muster into this worshipful ballad of affirmation to proclaim that “greater” is just over the horizon.  Her intensity is palpable as she announces, “Look out World, here comes your Healer!  Look out World, here comes your Deliverer!”
 
Look out World, here comes powerhouse Jekalyn Carr.

"Living Right" – Kirby Wills and Southern Sound

“Living Right”
Kirby Wills and Southern Sound
From the CD, Living Right (2012)
Indie

Kirby Wills and Southern Sound

One need not look far to behold the atrocities of a society in moral decay.  Yet, as voices crying in a 21st century wilderness, Kirby Wills and Southern Sound present the sobering question: “What’s wrong with living right?”

“Living Right” written by Bill Adams, is the title track of the Durham group’s southern gospel CD and is performed by Wills–who could’ve easily enjoyed mainstream success as a country artist. Pianist Angela Fluet offers vocal harmony support in the chorus.  While Wills and Fluet are the dominant voices on the song, the entire band is filled with singers and musicians, all of whom serve the First Pentecostal Church of Durham.

Fluet describes their music as multi-genred, encompassing southern gospel, bluegrass, and rockabilly, but there is no question about the singular message of “Living Right.”  The message is holiness: Not a denomination, but a lifestyle.