Category: Reviews

Sizzlin' This Week (8/8/11) – "Jesus Is Love"

My pick this week differs from the usual in that it has not yet been recorded.  Well, actually, Lionel Richie’s “Jesus Is Love” has been recorded, first by his own funk/soul group The Commodores in 1980, and later by several other artists both secular and gospel, including Melvin Williams and Smokie Norful & Heather Headlley.  Richie himself also performed it at the memorial service of his friend Michael Jackson.

My pick, however, is the one performed by none other than “Mama” Sue Roseberry last night on BET’s Sunday Best.  Honestly, the song has never been one of my favorites.  I know.  I’m probably the only one who thinks “Jesus Is Love” is an okay tune, but nothing extra.

Until last night.

Roseberry’s styling and ad libs were nothing short of brilliant, as she embarked upon making it more “wedding-y” (her word) to keep with the show’s “I Do” theme week.  It was enough to stir Donnie McClurkin–and not exactly in the Holy Ghost, either.  In fact, I wrote to BET.  Well, it was really a status update on my Facebook wall:

Dear BET Sunday Best: Mama Sue needs to record that NOW!!!  I don’t even like that song, but her version should become the definitive!

I’m telling you, Fever readers, Mama Sue’s cover of “Jesus Is Love” is a hit waiting to happen.

Sizzlin’ This Week (8/1/11) – “I Got A Friend”

“I Got A Friend”
The New Pearly Gates
From the upcoming CD, Through It All (2011)

The New Pearly Gates of Suffolk, VA are gearing up for the release of a brand new CD.  In the meantime, I’m listening to the single, “I Got A Friend,” and I dig it.

There’s nothing fancy about it, and that’s a good thing.  Sometimes less is more. “I Got A Friend” has a simple hook, easy-to-learn verses and a pretty basic chord structure.  It’s an uptempo declaration of the unfailing devotion of Jesus, and we all can testify to that!

“Fly Again” – Sounds of Blackness

“Fly Again”
Sounds of Blackness
From the upcoming CD, The Sounds of Blackness (Fall 2011)
www.malaco.com

Sounds of Blackness was recently signed with Malaco Music Group (see related post here), and the choir is already set with its debut single “Fly Again” from its forthcoming self-titled CD.

“Fly Again” features Jamecia Bennett, daughter of longtime Sounds of Blackness powerhouse Ann Nesby and mother of American Idol Season 5 sensation Paris Bennett.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and like her mother, Jamecia Bennett delivers a signature sound of soulful singing, colorful phrasing, and stirring ad libs on this midtempo inspirational track, all alongside the choir’s staccato vocals which soar to their summit with, “Just hold on and be strong / You hold the key to your victory / Keep your head up to the sky / You’re gonna fly / You’re gonna fly!”

According to Gary Hines, the group’s music director and producer, the single is dedicated to Malaco and to people across the country and world “who have recently suffered unfathomable devastation. Together we will all soon be able to ‘fly again!'”

The release of the full length CD The Sounds Of Blackness coincides with the 20th anniversary of the group’s landmark album The Evolution of Gospel (which features the hit “Optimistic”), and the 40th anniversary of the group’s inception.

Expect to hear “Fly Again” all over radio the first of August.

Sizzlin’ This Week (7/25/11) – “Lord Save Me”

“Lord Save Me”
Todd Curry & Focus
From the upcoming project, Quit Playin’ Church (2011)
www.quitplayinchurch.com

Character and “pure” ministry are the pulse of music ministry for Todd Curry & Focus–no wonder the ensemble’s new project is titled Quit Playin’ Church and the lead single is “Lord Save Me.”

“Lord Save Me,” written and arranged by Cornelius T. Purcell, is a fervent prayer from the heart of a sinner in the first verse and a christian who lives in a world where temptation is ever present in the second.  Each leads to a sincere appeal for salvation: “Lord save me / Wash away my sins / Free me from the bondage of the sinful life I’m living…”

A goal of Curry, who is an ordained elder, and his Greensboro based urban gospel group is for “Lord Save Me” to cross cultural lines with its sound and message.  Mission accomplished.  The melody is simple, the lyrics are powerful, and the song is a timely reminder that in whatever state we find ourselves, saint or sinner, we will never outgrow our need for Jesus Christ and His saving power.

“I Believe” – Praises of Zion

“I Believe”
Praises of Zion
From the CD, I Believe (2010)
Savoy Records

Praises of Zion may not be on your personal playlist–yet. Put ’em there.  The bouncy “I Believe” is one tune from their current project (by the same name) that is infectious.

On the title song, Wayne Robinson leads the choir in acknowledging their trust in the promises of God in celebratory fashion.

“I read Your letter sent from above / Every single word tells of Your love / No longer doubting the path I go / All is in Your hands and that I know.”

Recorded live at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, CT, on the Savoy label (a Malaco subsidiary), “I Believe” is Praises of Zion’s personal approach to a very public praise.

Sizzlin’ This Week (7/11/11) – “It Was A Great Thing”

“It Was A Great Thing”
Rev. F.C. Barnes & the Red Budd Combined Choir
From the CD, “LIVE” featuring “Rough Side of the Mountain” (1994)
www.malaco.com

Bishop F.C. Barnes transitioned in the early hours of yesterday morning at the age of 82 (see the related post here), but not before leaving a rich legacy to be remembered for years to come.

Bishop Barnes founded Red Budd Holy Church in Rocky Mount in 1959.  This week’s pick, “It Was A Great Thing,” features him with the Red Budd Combined Choir.

Thank you, Bishop Barnes, for reminding us of the mercy of Jesus Christ.  Yes, it was a great thing that He did for us!

“Peace in the Valley” – Raymond Silver

“Peace in the Valley”
Raymond Silver
From the CD, Use Me (2010)
http://raymondsilverproductions.com

“Peace in the Valley” is a timeless hymn that has been covered by the likes of Mahalia Jackson (for whom it was written), Red Foley, Pat Boone, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Loretta Lynn, Take 6, The Soul Stirrers, Elvis Presley, and no less than a score of others.

Now you can add Raymond Silver to the roster.

On his current CD, Use Me, the multi-talented Silver delivers his own interpretation of the Thomas Dorsey classic.  Silver’s arrangement is faster, but he handles the traditional gem with care, as if the composer is within earshot.  Most of Silver’s liberties are taken in the vamp (the repeated phrase “in the valley”) as he chronicles all the glooms he’ll abandon and joys he’ll embrace upon entering into eternal peace.

Hearing this version of “Peace in the Valley” 70-plus years after it was written, I think Rev. Dorsey would be pleased.

Sizzlin’ This Week (7/4/11) – “When the Saints Go Marching In”

“When the Saints Go Marching In”
Louis Armstrong
From the CD, Hallelujah!: Gospel 1930-1941 (2002)
Frémeaux & Associés

Louis Armstrong frequently said his birthday was July 4, 1900.  In the mid 1980’s–many years after his death in 1971–baptismal records revealed his true birthdate was in fact August 4, 1901.

In honor of the iconic jazz trumpeter’s unofficial birthday and in celebration of his contributions to American music, my pick this week is Satchmo’s version of the gospel classic turned jazz standard, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” from the CD compilation Hallelujah!: Gospel 1930-1941.

“Resurface” – SkyWay Rec

“Resurface”
SkyWay Rec
From the upcoming CD, Resurface (Available August 20, 2011)
www.skywayrec.com

The hook is, “I’ve been hard at work (work) / Watch me resurface.”  It’s more than just the hook for his brand new single “Resurface” though.  The work that Christian artist SkyWay Rec raps about is one that began with singing and playing and has grown into a ministry relevant to his generation.  Even his stage name bespeaks that, which SkyWay Rec explains.

“When I write, sing, rap or produce, I am in the clouds colliding with God in the spirit!  [The name] is the meaning of me and God connecting in the spirit to bring forth what He is saying to the world; hence the name SkyWay Rec.  It’s the best ‘wreck’ anyone could ever have!”

“Resurface” is performed alongside slick beats and production with a message that’s hip and hopeful, telling of a renewed sense of purpose.  SkyWay Rec’s purpose, of course, is to change lives, break strongholds, and rep the Father.

Resurface, the full-length CD, drops August 20th.

"Put It On the Altar" – Jessica Reedy

“Put It On the Altar”
Jessica Reedy
From the upcoming CD, From the Heart (Available Sept. 27, 2011)
http://www.lightrecords.com

I learned two things about Jessica Reedy while watching Sunday Best.  First and foremost, the girl can sing; after all, she snagged the runner-up spot amid hefty competition.  Secondly, the sister can arrange; surely, you remember her version of the Williams Brothers’ “I’m Still Here” and her infusion of neo-soul into both the lead and harmony vocals.

Hark!  Reedy has revealed another fact to her fans: she is a pretty good songwriter.  Along with Tony and Nakeia Homer, Reedy has penned “Put It On the Altar,” the second single from her forthcoming debut project, From the Heart.

“Put It On the Altar” is uplifting with a feel-good vibe that we haven’t heard a lot in Reedy’s musical selections so far. The music itself is both fun and nostalgic; crisp horns, a warm electric guitar, block piano chords, and the 2-5-1 turnaround channel Motown circa 1970.

Reedy’s syncopated delivery and signature low register, which magnetized thousands of Sunday Best viewers in season two, are sure to have “Put It On the Altar” heating up radio throughout the summer.