Tag: Singles

"Christ in Me" – Jacqueline T. Powell

“Christ in Me”
Jacqueline T. Powell
From the upcoming CD, Christ in Me (Available October 2012)
www.jacquelinetpowell.com

“Christ in me covers me consistently…” croons Jacqueline T. Powell in her current single “Christ in Me.”  While there is “a war going on,” Powell (who also plays eleven instruments) reminds us that Christ is at work in our lives to free us from our past and propel us toward our purpose.

"He's A Miracle Worker" – The Angelic Shaw Sisters

“He’s A Miracle Worker”
The Angelic Shaw Sisters
From the CD, He’s A Miracle Worker (2012)
www.angelicshawsisters.com

From Dallas, TX, the Angelic Shaw Sisters bring you “He’s A Miracle Worker.”

The vocal and music stylings resemble that of a 1970’s soul/R&B girl group, and the story itself is told by Helen Shaw-Coleman in the fashion of a children’s storyteller.  Indeed, her lead vocal is just that: a simple spoken-word narrative of Jesus’ water-to-wine miracle and the healing of the woman with the issue of blood.  After each account, the sisters chant, “He’s a miracle worker/He’s a miracle worker/I know He is…”  Eventually, Alice Shaw-Piper takes the lead and inserts her personal testimony, choosing to sing it rather than tell it.

The mild tempo and 70’s groove give this song its seasoning, and the easy hook you’ll find yourself humming.

"I Trust in God" – John Thorpe and Family

“I Trust in God”
John Thorpe and Family
From the CD, Child Of God (2012)
Available at CD Baby

John Thorpe and Family "Live" with Dr. Bobby Jones art work

Kudos to the groups and choirs of today that reserve spots for a traditional, minimally altered hymn or two in their otherwise trendy, radio-friendly repertoires.

McCollins Thorpe, Sr. solidifies this space for John Thorpe and Family with “I Trust in God,” an arrangement of the W.C. Martin hymn, “My Father Watches Over Me.”  It’s Thorpe, Sr., the eldest brother of the 14 siblings, whose vibratic tenor hinges on the upswings and downward slopes of every note to create a moderately slow but soulful number that baptist pastor Martin himself, were he to overhear from Glory, would give a nod to.

While John Thorpe and Family are a choir that occasionally consists of all 14 brothers and sisters plus a niece and nephew, their material is crafted with a traditional quartet-like vibe—a subgenre in which the Thorpe brothers, who are the primary lead singers, are firmly planted.  This is why Thorpe, Sr. is able to guide them from the flowing expressive verses right into a toe-tapping chorus and vamp with ease, adding just the right amount of spice to the sweetness of the early 20th-century composition.

"Don't Forget About Me" – Cat Cole

“Don’t Forget About Me”
Cat Cole
From the digital mixtape, Strait from Da Soul of Cat Cole (2012)
Available at Soundcloud

“Can I do an old Tommy Ellison song?” Cat Cole asks at the start of “Don’t Forget About Me.”  Cole has a way of merging sounds of yesteryear with a style that appeals to gospel quartet lovers, R&B heads, and young folk alike.

Right after his question, the song he’s asking about struts off in shuffle rhythm while Cole pours out his lines with the intensity of a 1970’s soul singer.  About halfway in, the rhythm falls into a good ol’ straight quartet pocket as he turns the corner on the run and petitions, “Come on, Jesus.”  The background vocalists sing the same, falling slightly behind the beat.  It’s a groove you have to hear for yourself.  And you can–absolutely free.

Cole, whose real name is Castro Coleman, made this and several other tracks available online for free, last month.  He says Strait From Da Soul of Cat Cole is the first of several mixtapes that will drop every 90 days while he works on his upcoming album, The Favor Factor, which is scheduled for release later this year on the 4Winds/Malaco label.  Cole is the lead singer of Castro Coleman and Highly Favored and the music director for the Williams Brothers.

"Lord, You're the Landlord" – Mississippi Mass Choir

“Lord, You’re the Landlord”
Mississippi Mass Choir
From the CD, Then Sings My Soul (2011)
www.mississippimass.com

It takes an aggregation like Malaco’s tenured Mississippi Mass Choir to pull off lines like, “Lord, You’re the landlord, and there’s a leak in Your building. Fix it, fix it like You said You would.”  Voiced by some other choirs, such words might come off as demanding; to the new school, maybe even a little corny.  Not so with Miss Mass.

Original member and principal vocalist Lillian Lilly capably leads this Frederick Knight composition (previously recorded by labelmate Eddie Ruth Bradford) with the faith-filled fervor that the informal and simplistic lyrics call for, while the multi-award winning choir concurs: “I can’t fix it….You’re my landlord….Fix it like You said You would.”

The metaphor may not necessarily strike a chord with younger listeners, but “Lord, You’re the Landlord” is definitely your grandmother’s kind of hand-clapper.

"All Go Back" – Tammy Edwards and the Edwards Sisters

“All Go Back”
Tammy Edwards and the Edwards Sisters
From the CD, On the Right Road Now (2012)
www.malaco.com

Tammy Edwards and the Edwards Sisters

Traditional quartet at its core is what Tammy Edwards and the Edwards Sisters bring to “All Go Back,” from their current CD, On the Right Road Now.

The number is a spin on the traditional “Old Landmark” that turns a sharp corner in the vamp with Edwards and the sisters rockin’ out on the line, “Take it back!”

“You can do it….It’s yours for the asking!” Edwards declares.

The Greenville, NC group blazes this track from start to finish with a drive that won’t quit, even after the music stops near the four-minute mark.

Tammy Edwards and the Edwards Sisters have carried their message up and down the east coast and different parts of the country for more than 30 years.

“El’gebra” – Bryan Wilson

“El’gebra”
Bryan Wilson
From the digital-only EP, Bryan’s Back (2012)
www.bryanwilson.com

Bryan Wilson became an immediate pre-teen gospel sensation after his performance of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” with the Mississippi Children’s Choir in 1994.  After 18 years and several projects, accomplishments, and a university degree, Wilson is back with a digital-only extended play (EP) release aptly titled, Bryan’s Back.  The six-song project features the contemporary christian tune “El’gebra.”

Citing that “El” means God in Hebrew and “Algebra” is derived from an Arabic word meaning restoration, Wilson presents “El’gebra” as his term for restoration with God.  In the mid-tempo guitar driven song, Wilson creatively uses math concepts to express his love for Jesus.

“I didn’t add up…You made me equal when Your love subtracted all my evil….And then You multiplied Your favor….Now it’s You and I forever,” he sings.  Wilson’s full length CD is scheduled for release later this year. 

Besides singing, Wilson is also a minister.  On April 28, he will be elevated to the office of Apostle of the Bapolstogic Movement, Inc., a non-profit organization that he founded.

“The goal is to win souls with love, signs and passion,” says Wilson. “It’s a movement to make ride or die witnesses for Jesus Christ. It’s an infusion of doctrines I learned from the Baptist, COGIC, Apostolic and Deliverance denominations. I also studied Jewish history at Princeton Theological Seminary as a master’s of divinity student and have re-inserted that into the Christianity we practice. After all, Christianity is a Jewish religion but we’ve gotten away from that and I want to bring that culture back.”

"Free" – Tim Bowman, Jr.

“Free”
Tim Bowman, Jr.
From the upcoming CD, Beautiful (Available April 24, 2012)
www.timbowmanjr.com

Tim Bowman, Jr. scatted his way to notoriety on his aunt Vickie Winans’ radio hit, “How I Got Over.”  Now the 22 year-old Wayne State University pharmacy student–whose father is the renowned jazz guitarist Tim Bowman, Sr.–is stepping again to the forefront of the music scene with “Free,” the current single from his own soon-to-be-released CD, Beautiful.

“Free is a song that is very dear to me because it is a song that I can relate to myself,” says Bowman, who penned the inspirational song with producer/composer Josh Davis.  “As a young person in a traditional church setting where things are sometimes so cookie cutter or strict, it kinda makes it a little challenging for young people my age to express themselves as it relates to their way of worshipping God.  So this song just simply declares that I’m free to worship, free to shout, free to dance without any restraints or reservations. I want all of my music to cause people to feel again and to be liberated to worship God. So I encourage everyone to declare and walk in your freedom.”

Beautiful drops April 24, and features guest appearances by Vickie Winans and Dorinda Clark Cole.  Marvin Winans, Sr. sits in the producer’s chair for a medley on the 13-track set.

"It Could've Been My Son" – John P. Kee

“It Could’ve Been My Son”
John P. Kee
www.johnpkeeonline.com

Last month when I expressed my outrage about the Trayvon Martin case (see related story), I reported the gospel community’s response and voiced my hope for the momentum to continue.

Pastor John P. Kee has set to music the sentiment of millions of parents all over the country with his brand new single, “It Could’ve Been My Son.”

Once a street thug and drug dealer, the father of nine witnessed firsthand the senseless violence that occurred in his neighborhood, including the untimely death of a close friend.  Since his spiritual transformation, the award-winning singer and Charlotte pastor has pursued an aggressive street ministry, especially to inner city communities.  For the past five years, Kee has hosted a gun exchange program–allowing people to trade in their guns for gift cards.  The guns are then given to the police to be destroyed.

“It Could’ve Been My Son” is available on iTunes.

Related Story
Members of the gospel community support justice for Trayvon Martin

"Glory" – Mario Brown

“Glory”
Mario Brown
From the upcoming CD, The Mario Brown Project (Available Spring 2012)
www.bronxbridgeent.com 
 
The worship ballad “Glory” is the current single from newcomer Mario Brown’s forthcoming album, The Mario Brown Project.  The singer, songwriter, and musician is signed with Bronx Bridge Entertainment, Inc. and F. Hammond Music.
 
With the tenderness of a warm embrace, Brown sings to the Lord, “I’m living all for Your glory; I found my purpose in You.  That’s why I’m singing, telling everyone my story…”  His emotion is intensified by the beautifully arpeggiated piano chords, lush strings, and occasional interjection of an electric guitar’s distortion.  
 
Brown is a praise and worship leader and the Minister of Music over Christian Faith Fellowship Church Choir in Milwaukee, WI.