Greg Roberts & Soulful Celebration is one of those choirs that distinguishes themselves by the high quality of their vocal expression. With that East Coast, vibrato-laden high intensity sound —the kind that creates an instant and excited buzz from a crowd, this Hampton, Virginia based choir brings intensity to their original cuts.

Songs such as Ty Tribbett's traditional-veined "In The Name of Jesus" and Zachary Williams' busy "Oh Come" literally jump off the disc. On the flip side, the choir handles balladry ("Revelation", "Holy") with equal finesse, imparting exquisite phrasing to heighten the message. Sololist Niya Powell offers memorable work on the latter. Roberts himself takes lead vocals on several songs on the project.

Amongst other notable cuts on this live project is a brand new song with the familiar title of "Awesome God", written by Jason A. Dungee. Meditative at the beginning with low register unison over piano, the piece soon builds into multi-parts layered over a complexly woven rhythm and keyboard arrangement.

(SN: March 18, 2004)

Bradley Sowash takes his solo jazz piano into the world of hymns and spirituals on his latest project, When Saints Go Marching In. With his warm, invigorating style and free-style arrangements, Sowash embeds the familiar tunes of these church melodies and weaves them into a fabric of improvisation. His rendition of “Down By The Riverside” begins the album, and moves into a medley he titles “Swing Low, Michael Row”. Also included are jazzed takes on the Easter spiritual, “He Never Said A Mumblin’ Word” and favorites such as “Come Ye Disconsolate” and “When Saints Go Marching In”.

This work of piano alone comes alive with some creative sound engineering from Tom Boyer, who places microphones in strategic parts of the instrument, and in so doing, carries the vibe and feel experienced by the performer, directly to the listener.
(SN: 01/02/2004)

Pastor Kenneth T. Whalum Jr. says it all started when he ordered the little red hymn books to be removed from the back of the pews, and with reference to Psalms, asked his musical staff to begin writing 'a new song unto the Lord'. From there to 4 God 2 God: Second Chances is the charting of a musical endeavor that has seen dozens of new songs written.

The New Olivet Sanctuary Choir pours their heart into songs such as "Praise The Lord Everybody" and "Oh Give Thanks", ignoring the recording equipment and simply letting loose the praise, as in Sunday worship. Pastor Whalum's brother, saxophonist Kirk Whalum guests on the project, which features a full complement of horns in addition to the standard Gospel band. Youthful Kameron Whalum ably steps up to the mic on "Christ Will Lift You Up", one of many of the church's soloist who make a mark on the project. Angie Oigbokie's sensitive lead on the album's tender closing cut "2nd Chances" is project-defining, offering thanks to God for his mercy and grace.
(SN: 12/04/2003)

Newcomer Benita spins her urban vocal vibe with help from producers Freddy Washington Jr. and Isaac Phillips, and delivers fourteen impressive tracks. She may be a new name for many, but the sounds on this disk are far beyond 'rookie' status. As the daughter Barbara Ward Farmer, Benita's evident musical seasoning belies her years. She can vary her vocal color and texture on demand, and fits her voice around everything from groove to jam to ballad. Great production marks everything from the opening, hook-heavy "Made A Way" to the Washington Jr. - penned "Real", in which she testifies what Jesus means to her. Full strings complements the tender balladry of "Not Alone", as they also do on "All I Need Is You", a vertically-directed song of love. Stay tuned, there's surely more to come from Benita.
(SN: 11/23/2003)

The Edifying Luckett Echos, consisting of four Luckett brothers (Matthew, James, Jerry, Leroy) along with John Ellis and Tremayne Gordon, hail from the Milwaukee area and bring a melodic focus to their modern quartet sound on The Highest Praise. Close harmonies and warm grooves mark cuts such as "I Found Praise In My Darkest Night" and "You Lord Are Calling Me". Then on "Round The Clock", the group relies on a more traditional feel as they tell of how God consistently protects and guides 24-7. Trading lead vocals throughout the album allows the Echos to diversify their sound, while retaining that all important group vocal consistency. Check "Heaven Doors" with Leroy Luckett out front and compare to "God's Love", sung by John Ellis for a great example of that.
(SN: 11/08/2003)

Spoken word artist Elizabeth Hinnant debuts on Amir Gospel with Signature —ten selections comprising her tenderly delivered poetics laid over soothing instrumental tracks from The Snell Ensemble. Going beyond the inspirational, Hinnant addresses topics such as Jesus' death for us at Calvary ("Hanging On The Cross"), His liberating power ("Set Free") and several cuts that are softly served prayers ("Grant Me Thy Will", "How Do I Say Thank You"). In its entirety, Signature is suitable for those mellow times dedicated to meditation on God and His Word. Credit producer and Amir exec. Andre Montell for putting this album on the market, a worthy addition to anyone's spoken word collection.
(SN: 10/04/2003)

From that choir hotbed of Chicago comes Glenn Johnson & The Voices of Innerpeace. Putting the spotlight on solid choir material, the collective's live album (recorded at Prayer Garden COGIC in Northa Chicago) satisfies with numerous traditional selections. the choir's director, Johnson, writes the lion's share of the album's thirteen songs, with "He Is Worthy To Be Praised" and the melodic "Say Yes" (with solo from Scharema Daniels) making an impression. Also note the standout "Constant Friend", a mid-tempo, organ and piano-backed praise featuring Donna Dallas out in front.
(SN: 09/15/2003)

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