Associate Editor Troy Lilly chats with Micah Stampley, whose new album, One Voice, hit stores on October 18th…

Troy: Thanks for joining me man. How are you?

Micah: I’m well, Troy.

Troy: Great, great. Shall we jump right in?

Micah: Sure.

Troy: What makes the “Micah Stampley sound” different from others in gospel?

Micah: I have many peers who grew up like I did – in the church – and we had other influences outside of the church. I tend to embrace those influences differently than some of my peers. I spend a lot of time in prayer asking God for something different. My heart is always to have music that is not one-time wonder material, but music that will last forever.

When I first heard the song “Take My Life” (which people call “Holiness”), it was originally a Christian rock song, very grungy with distorted guitars screaming. And the lyrics and the notes just hit me in a different way, so I went home and started playing it on my keyboard and what I came out with was more intimate, more worshipful. It sounded like a prayer to me. Then my interpretation hit like crazy. That just let me know that God was honoring my prayer that he would give me a staple sound.

Troy: Awesome. So, if you could only describe your new album, One Voice, in one word, what it would it be?

Micah: Multicultural.

Troy: Ok, now feel free to expound…

Micah: You told me “one word!” (laughter)

Troy: I know, I know … but I knew you’d have a lot more to share. (laughter)

Micah: Well I did one cover song on from a CCM band called Desperation Band. The song is called “Overcome” and it’s a big song in the CCM world. At our church in Houston, the congregation looked like a bag of Skittles, and I just feel that’s what heaven looks like. My sound has really emerged into this oneness.

I grew up in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC)…

Troy: Me too!

Micah: Everything was a sin. I used to ride my school bus in junior high and I would hear all these songs and chord progressions that I never heard before… you know Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors…”

Troy: Yeah.

Micah: I would hear all that stuff– Michael Jackson, and Prince singing “Purple Rain.” I would be like “oh, I like this stuff.” (laughter) I developed a different ear. So, I think that One Voice represents my interpretations of the different sounds I’ve heard since I was a kid.

I have this one pop tune, “Call of Love,” that kind of puts you in the mindset of the Black Eyed Peas joint, “I Got a Feeling.” It has that same vibe to it man. When Matthew Knowles heard it, he said “this sounds like a theme song for some big humanitarian movement.”

We have a few songs on this record like that, like the title cut, “One Voice,” and it’s just that whole global sound. When we sing that song live, people in the audience grab each other’s hand and swing back and forth like it’s “We Are the World.” It’s crazy, but really cool to see it happen.

And you know I gotta have my praise and worship stuff on there…

Troy: Of course!

Micah: …Stuff where I’m at a level 10. I’ve gotta have that “War Cry” and “Holy Visitation,” but that type of song on this record is the one called “Hosanna.” And, man, I promise you that song is probably the next “War Cry.” This may even be stronger!

Troy: Wow, even with the three reprises on “War Cry?” Because I remember you kept coming back each time we thought it was done.

Micah: Yeah, the people wouldn’t let “War Cry” go. This time, we don’t have any reprises, but what’s happening when I sing “Hosanna” live… the audience hijacks my song every time! But that’s a good sign. It’s a strong record.

Troy: Great. So tell me about the lead single, “Heaven on Earth,” since that’s the first thing people are hearing from this new project.

Micah: Not sure if you’re familiar with David and Nicole Binion…

Troy: Yes, I am…

Micah: Well, David wrote that song with some of his colleagues and I heard it when he visited our church in Houston. And I was just done! I was just weeping, and I said, “I have to record this song.” Then, I heard that Israel [Houghton] was going to record it. But when he put out his album, I didn’t see it on there. So I said “Uh, it’s mine!” (laughter)

David and Nicole told me to please record it. And that song has really been a blessing to me. Because if you think about the message of that song – heaven on earth – it’s a declaration, literally giving God permission to duplicate himself in us on the earth, because he created us from the earth.

Troy: You’ve mentioned before that you wife, Heidi, frequently writes with you on your projects…

Micah: My wife and I write most of my projects together. We have a couple songs on each record that we write individually, but the best songs are the ones we write together. God has just given us this ability to merge all these different influences and sounds together, and this is what we present to you guys, which comes from a place of pain, of victory and defeat, ups and downs.

Troy: How much did she contribute to One Voice?

Micah: Oh my God! Heidi wrote her butt off on this record!

Troy: (Laughter)

Micah: On most of the songs that we wrote together, I wrote the music and she penned the lyrics. There are a few songs on there where we switched places. But God really used her lyrically on this album.

There’s one song I did at the AIM Convention this summer, called “Desperate People.” And if you grew in church like me, you’re sick of the ritualistic mumbo-jumbo.

Troy: Yes.

Micah: The song says (singing), “I’ve seen the God of wonders work miracles in me, those with gifts and talents who spoke prophetically. I want the mantles of Elijah, Paul and Timothy; I want to see that power at work inside of me. I’m tired of the status quo, gotta be more than this. Gotta be more, gotta be more, gotta be more than this.”

Troy: Wow.

Micah: The lyrics of this song really pull at people’s heart and people are running to us saying ”this is what I’ve been trying to say forever.” I ministered that song in Nigeria and they literally cried out to God on the floor. It’s really refreshing.

Troy: Do you feel like this new album is your most defining work so far?

Micah: To be honest, Troy, I do think this is my best work to date from a musical and lyrical standpoint.

Troy: So to go back to your early career, you won the Stellar Awards Star Search in 2004. What happened after you won that competition? Was it a positive experience, average or other?

Micah: It was definitely a huge, positive experience for me. It was my introduction to the industry as an artist. After that, I got a call from Marcus Dawson, Bishop T.D. Jakes’s road musician, who had heard me prior to the Stellar event. He had been telling Bishop Jakes about me and Bishop finally told Marcus, “Ok, let’s invite him, but he if he messes up, it’s off with your head!” (laughter)

Troy: (Laughter)

Micah: So they called me in ’04 and I was invited that February to the Potter’s House. The power of God hit that place so hard during the second service that Bishop [Jakes] couldn’t even preach. That’s how heavy it was! And he offered me a recording contract on the spot.

Troy: Just like that?

Micah: Yes. Ever since then it has been nonstop. I’ve traveled with him across the world… to Africa, Australia, you name it. He provided the platform for my ministry and pushed me out there. I’m so grateful to Bishop, and he and I still text and talk. We still have a great relationship.

Troy: Well, the reason I asked you that is because we have more mainstream gospel competitions now. And most singers aren’t fortunate enough to have a “Bishop Jakes” as a friend and mentor – or business partner.

Micah: Right.

Troy: Do you feel authentic artists can be launched through shows or competitions like Sunday Best, where contestants have to sign contracts and agreements often before they sing a single note?

Micah: I don’t! I’m so glad you asked me that because I’ve never had an opportunity to answer a question like that or even speak of it. I don’t think that’s a wise thing to do. Now, I believe in the platform, yes, but I do not believe that artists should be forced to sign agreements when they don’t even have legal representation.

Troy: Ok.

Micah: I’m a minister and I’m a worshipper – people get that from my music – but I know how to handle business. I was negotiating one contract for an entire year before I signed it. I don’t take any of that lightly.

I think they need to understand what they’re signing and not just be gifted, because you can be a household name… and poor, broke and hungry. That’s not God’s will. But artists can easily be taken advantage of because they’re so caught up in the hype that they neglect the business side. My wife and I talk to a lot of artists who ask us for guidance and counsel. They wonder how we’re prospering in spite of vying against the major companies for airplay on the radio, and shelf space in the retail store.

God has blessed us because we made an effort to understand that side of the business. And even beyond that, you have to know where you’re going as an artist whether you are traditional, contemporary, praise or worship and any other style.

Troy: I’m glad you finally got a chance to express that.

Micah: Yes.

Troy: With that being said, tell me about your partnership with Music World Gospel. Frankly, are you in charge or is Matthew Knowles in charge?

Micah: It’s my record company that has entered into a joint venture with Music World. I never signed a deal with Music World as an artist. It’s not necessarily a distribution deal, but we use their channels to distribute. However, we still have the option to go through other channels as we are our own label.

Troy: So basically, you’re in charge? (Laughter)

Micah: (Laughter) I own my work, we own the masters together, but it’s a good thing for us. I want to be that example to show other artists that, ‘hey, you can do this.’ Sit down and read, ask questions and understand before you sign that dotted line.

Troy: Good, good advice. Do you plan to introduce any new artists on your Interface label? Is there anyone we should be looking out for?

Micah: Be on the lookout for Joey Oscar. He’s a drummer and he’s got this global sound. But if I told you it was a drum album, you wouldn’t listen. It’s an instrumental record. But he’s also my drummer and a phenomenal producer. And… he’s married to my wife’s sister, so he is also my brother-in-law.

Troy: Oh! Awesome, keeping it in the family…

Micah: Yeah, but he is incredible.

Troy: I’m excited to hear it. I want to thank you for sharing with me today, from the One Voice record – which I love – to some of the great advice you gave for folks trying to break navigate wisely through the industry. It’s appreciated.

Micah: You’re welcome, and thanks to you as well man.

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Check out our full album review of Micah Stampley’s One Voice right here.

And be sure to listen to snippets/buy it right here–

Associate Editor Troy Lilly recalls a time when there was no disappointment in buying a whole CD, and he uses this classic project as a prime example…

Allow me to take you back in time a few years… to 1997. Ok, that’s a bunch of years, but just go with me. It was the dawn of the digital age in music – Napster and the mp3 were just beyond the horizon. Cassette tapes were slowly disappearing, CDs were ubiquitous, and hip-hop music was finding a new home in churches.

We’ve come a long way since then. However, the albums recorded in those pre-digital-music days remain some of my most beloved. Case in point, Strength, released in October ’97 by John P. Kee and The New Life Community Choir, is for me a watershed moment in contemporary gospel music.

Although Kee and NLCC had recorded seven albums together prior to Strength, this project became their quintessential and most defining work. It featured signature elements like extensive vamping, ornate horn and rhythm sections, and a seamless fusion of traditional and progressive styling.

It’s apparent from the very first track, “Come In,” a plush piano ballad, that each element is in top form. The melody is enveloping, the lyrics invoke you to worship, and the lead vocals from Kee – as well as three of NLCC’s familiar vocalists – further embellish this stunning opener.

A number of other soulful worship ballads appear throughout the album, such as the praise-and-worship staple, “I Do Worship,” in addition to “I’ll Be Your Everything” and “I Bow Out.” In each of these, Kee and the musicians succeed at incorporating soul without compromising the spirit in which they deliver it.

But it was also a time when gospel music had started to embrace the sounds of other genres, and in accordance with the times, Strength did just that. The title track is a surprisingly successful blend of call-and-answer choir music with highly percussive hip-hop drum programming.

Furthermore, on the album’s sole studio track, “Eastside/Westside,” Kee and NLCC essentially deliver a rap-sung collaboration, fully incorporating hip-hop elements. They would experiment more extensively with hip-hop on their next album together, 2000′s Not Guilty: The Experience.

The inclusion of hip-hop and soul, however, never overshadows the North Carolina roots of John P. Kee or his choir. What they do best are lively choir songs. Just as Show Up and Wash Me before, Strength is packed with oft repetitive, vamp-heavy songs that are the trademark of church musicals and choir anniversaries.

Among them are “Turn Around” and “Mighty God,” laced with stellar brass arrangements and modulations. On the more traditional side, “Clap Your Hands” and “He Did It All” showcase Kee in his most natural vein, supplying unforced adlibs and breaking the band down for a “country two-step.”

So, all these years later, Strength remains an incredible album. Even alongside more recent gospel albums, it still stands out because of its cohesiveness and overall musical mastery. The sound was at once reminiscent of earlier gospel, while also reflective, if not definitive, of where it was headed.

And I must throw in honorable mention for drummer LaDell Abrams, who I believe was an important ingredient to the sound on this project. His sweet-sounding snare and pitch-perfect toms encouraged me to pick up the sticks myself… but I digress.

It kind of makes me sad now to think of the days when music was so good, the CD would get all scratched up before you got tired of listening to it. Remember how folks used to repurchase an album because their first copy had gone to CD heaven? Nowadays, some folks don’t buy albums at all. Digital music retailers like iTunes and Amazon offer songs a la carte so you don’t have to waste money on the ones you don’t like as much.

But that’s what I love so much about this album; each song feels cohesive to the overall package, yet individually, they’re still standouts. Regardless of how it’s being served –physical or digital – this is still one of my favorite gospel albums ever!

Do you remember when Strength came out? Or do you have another favorite John P. Kee & NLCC album? Do you get your music on iTunes or from Mom and Pop?

Associate Editor Troy Lilly sits down to chat with Le’Andria Johnson, winner of last season’s Sunday Best on BET.

With the release of her debut solo album around the corner (September 6, 2011 on Music World Gospel), Le’Andria talks about the new music and her ministry, as well as things going around about her– some true, some false…

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Troy: Hey Le’Andria! How are you?

Le’Andria: I’m good, how are you?

Troy: I’m doing well. Excited to talk with you! I guess we’ll just jump right into it?

Le’Andria: Sure!

Troy: I want to start by asking this: How has your life changed since the big win on Sunday Best last year?

Le’Andria: Well, um… oh, boy. That’s a good story…

Troy: I’m sure it is.

Le’Andria: Well, it changed in a little, funny kind of good way. For starters, I lost my brother after everything on April 1st of this year. And I began to be on the road more, and more often I’m away from my kids. I’m not in my church home at all but maybe once a month, if that. I can’t complain, really, because I’m doing something that I really wanna do. It’s good.

Troy: Right.

Le’Andria. You can go ‘head and nut that up in a shell.

Troy: I know the orchestrated elements of performing on Sunday Best and being on the road was all kind of new for you. Have you gotten used to it? How’s that going?

Le’Andria: Getting used to it. Like I said earlier, being away from my kids is the craziest part. I’m working throughout the week now, singing like almost every day… then doing interviews and going to sleep early to get up early and do more interviews. It’s different.

I do my best not complain. I mean I’m going to complain, but I try not to let it show or be a part of who I am. That’s basically what it is. Hey, I guess this is what it calls for, you know?

Troy: Speaking of that, a video surfaced earlier this year that showed you asking for prayer and breaking down somewhat at a church. Can you tell me what was going on at that time?

Le’Andria: That was a mistake. What I learned from that was you can’t expect people to pray for you in that manner. Everyone’s gonna have their own thoughts. But, yes, at that time I was dealing with something very heavy and I had started drinking.

Troy: Wow.

Le’Andria: And I shared that with the people [in the church], and nobody asked me to share it, but I shared it because I want people to understand that I’m not perfect. I’m winner of Sunday Best, yes. Because I’m this, that and the other people think you’re so high and mighty; that I don’t make any wrong decisions. I let them know I am imperfect just as you. But God will use imperfect people to make people perfect.

Troy: I see.

Le’Andria: I have to be careful of who I ask to pray for me because a lot of people don’t want to see me make it, you know? There were rumors that I was pregnant, too. I’m not pregnant! The Bible says pick up your brother and your sister… lift them up in prayer. So even if I was, tearing me down isn’t the way to go about it.
That’s the message that I put out. I’m Le’Andria Johnson, yes, but I’m not perfect. When I asked people to pray, I was just doing what I was taught to do.

Troy: That’s understandable.

Le’Andria: Now I just tell my testimony without asking folks to pray for me.

Troy: Did any of these experiences contribute to the material on your new album, The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson, out September 6th?

Le’Andria: Well, we decided to put a couple of medleys from Sunday Best on there to give back to the viewers and voters. I decided to give back to them what they loved and what they were asking for on the road.

On songs like “Cast the First Stone” and “Make Me Like You,” you’ll definitely hear a different sound… I’m not good at putting a label on the music, but you’ll definitely enjoy it! There’s some mid-tempo and upbeat songs… not many, but it’s just the beginning of my story; the awakening. And I hope it’ll be received as such.

Troy: Now, we know you can sing and wipe a room flat out…

Le’Andria: Aww man…

Troy: But I read in the liner notes that you’re also a gifted songwriter and you wrote several songs on the album with your brother, Terrance Johnson.

Le’Andria: Well, that’s what people are saying. I don’t know. My brother is moreso the real writer. I really do believe I’m more a singer than a writer. He can sit down with a pad and paper and write all day. I can’t do that. I get in the studio and sing whatever comes out from my heart and then I cut and paste. That’s all I can say on that one.

Troy: Oh, come on…

Le’Andria: Yeah, like with “Jesus,” I didn’t write that. I just sat in the airport one night and sang it on my phone and saved it. With “Cast the First Stone,” I sang it on my phone, saved it, then put it on record [in the studio]. Melodies come in my dreams, they come when I wake up in the morning…

Troy: Guess what, Le’Andria? Even though you don’t use a pen and paper, that’s still called songwriting. Donna Summers got the melody to “She Works Hard for the Money” in a restroom and she jotted down lyrics on a piece of toilet paper!

Le’Andria: Wow.

Troy: It doesn’t matter how or where you get it. If you are creating the words and the melody, you are a songwriter. So, believe that!

Le’Andria: Oh, ok! Well, thank you. I’ll take that with me now.

Troy: You’re welcome. Did you have a hand in writing “I Shall Leap Into My Destiny,” the song you performed after winning Sunday Best? It sounds like… feels like you!

Le’Andria: We were actually sitting in my living room, in the house that I lost right before I auditioned for Sunday Best. My brother got on the keyboard and we just jammed. He was doing the music but I didn’t have the words. Then my mom called and asked me to write a song for her women’s conference. The theme was “Leap Into Your Destiny.”

I told her the same thing I tell everyone else… “Mom, you know I don’t write.” And she says, “Well, God will give it you.” So the night of the conference she called me up again. I still didn’t have it, but later that night I got with my brother, he started playing the music and it did eventually come to me.

Troy: You speak of your family quite a bit. Is the whole family in music and ministry?

Le’Andria: My father has been my pastor all my life, Bishop Gregory Johnson. My mom is the co-pastor… all of my brothers sing, they all play. I used to play as well but singing has taken over.

Growing up as a PK [preacher’s kid] though, whew, Lord… because of tradition, I felt I was the only person that had it bad. Now I’m glad that God kept me sheltered for so long because he was saving me and I can appreciate what I’ve been through.

Troy: Do you feel there’s a difference between “Le’Andria the singer” and “Le’Andria the minister,” or are those roles interchangeable for you?

Le’Andria: No, I feel that you said it very good. One flows into the other because I could be singing to let you see the talent and gift that I have, then next thing you know I’m ministering. Even if I’m joking on the mic, it’s ministry, reaching out and touching somebody’s heart.

Troy: I see.

Le’Andria: That’s just what it is.

Troy: So… what’s another career interest you had outside of singing? Something that gospel music listeners wouldn’t know?

Le’Andria: Honey! I wanted to be a police officer!

Troy: Really?!

Le’Andria: Yes, Lord! Then I wanted be an RN (registered nurse) until I found out that you had to clean up bodily fluid and blood. I axed that immediately! Immediately!!! ‘Cause I’m not that type of person.

But, yes, I wanted to be a police officer, especially when people ignore signs that say, “Don’t block the intersection”… I’d be right there pullin’ ‘em over. “Just pull on over!”

Troy: Oh my goodness…

Le’Andria: I drive fast, too! I’m trying to tame my foot a little bit, but that would be so fun.

Troy: Certainly sounds like you love to have fun and let loose.

Le’Andria: Yes, that’s me.

Troy: Finally, to wrap it all up, I have one last question.

Le’Andria: Ok.

Troy: Given your newfound visibility and national platform, are there any initiatives you’re trying to push besides music?

Le’Andria: I want to bring people from all over together to celebrate God with the gifts he has given us, through music, poetry, rap, dance. It’s not always about a competition. I believe in going to the men’s and women’s shelters and singing to them, to the homes of adopted children.

I want people to know that a ‘yes’ in me is also a ‘yes’ inside of somebody else. I am a singer, but it goes beyond me being a singer. I want my rags to be filthy when He calls me home.

Troy: That’s awesome Le’Andria. Know that I… we wish you all the best both with the new album and with your other, less glamorous endeavors. Thank you so much for your time today.

Le’Andria: Thank you. I enjoyed this conversation and I hope we have more.

Troy: I hope so as well.

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Check back here soon for our full review of Le’Andria’s debut album, The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson.  You can grab the album via pre-order now on Amazon.com.

Also, listen to her single, “Jesus,” on the Pundit Player bar at the bottom of your screen!

Associate Editor Troy Lilly recaps the latest episode of Sunday Best…

It’s only been three weeks, but season 4 of Sunday Best is flying by. Blink and you might miss it! This past Sunday, the second half of the Top 20 performed, and we got a good glimpse at who’ll make the Top 10 after the judges revealed their cuts in the first round of eliminations.

But notice I said “glimpse of the Top 10.” There still a bit of shaking up before it’s finalized. More on that later, though.

This week’s episode was themed “The New Standard,” and appropriately, pastor and singer Smokie Norful opened the show with his recently medley of congregational favorites, “In The Army of the Lord,” and “God is a Good God,” among others. There’s not a whole bunch you can do with that song, but Smokie’s trademark is blending the contemporary and traditional, and that’s what he did.

Then it was on to the singing. After several underwhelming performances last week, I was hoping this episode would hit me with at least a few surprises. I got a couple – as in two.

Here’s how it played out:

Isaiah Freeman IV – “My Life is in Your Hands”
Isaiah is a crooner and not a growler. He’s more Marvin Gaye than James Brown, if I can make that analogy. And while his rendition of this Kirk Franklin song wasn’t perfect, he demonstrated that he could command the stage and remain composed even after hitting a rough spot or two in his performance. Out of all the new arrangements of old songs I’ve heard on the show so far, this is probably the first I wished would have gone on longer. Glad to have a guy like this the competition. Apparently, the judges agree; they said he reminded them of Fred Hammond.

Annalisha Robbins – “The Battle”
Annalisha sang before Mary Mary at a concert date when she 11 years old. Ironically, her voice as an adult still sounds a bit immature. She began the song almost in a whisper, but even when she opened up in the middle, her voice still lacked depth. At the very end, she finally delivered a balanced sound, but only after a series of uneven runs. Sometimes timid body language can undermine a good voice. Annalisha certainly can sing, but she barely opened her eyes. She seemed terrified. The judges noticed.

Roosevelt Griffin – “Total Praise”
A good singer is more than a good voice; they know when to do what. Roosevelt started the song at awkward place in the bridge, with an even more awkward high note. Ok, that note was just bad. Then he decided to redeem himself by showing off his incredible range, except he didn’t redeem so much as he crucified himself. There were more shaky notes and pitch problems. While far from boring, Roosevelt just seemed a bit jarred – and jarring. After three auditions in three cities, I can’t blame him for coming out with a bang.

Sue Roseberry – “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow”
Mama Sue, as she was christened after her performance, has none of the issues other singers have struggled with this season. She’s got perfect pitch, tone, dynamics, a beautiful lower register AND the oil – also known as the anointing. And even after 15 grandchildren, Mama Sue still knows how to rock with the groove on stage. She’s aware of her gift, she mastered it, and she conveys it. I don’t what more I could ask for. What’s notable after mentioning all of that, however, is that she still seems humble. She was my first surprise of the evening, and a pleasant one at that.

Eric Drew – “The Presence of the Lord is Here”
Eric performed midway through the show, and that’s pretty much where his overall delivery fell: in the middle. His voice wasn’t shaky or signature, his energy wasn’t lacking or commanding. He moved around the stage some, made eye contact, and the audience seemed to be with him. But for some reason it just felt a bit safe for this kind of competition. Usually a singer channels what they feel to an audience; Eric conveyed composure, but he was singing about the presence of God, so more excitement would have been appropriate. He’s still a good singer, though, which is what the judges remarked. And there were far worse performances.

Felicia Russell – “Encourage Yourself”
This was my second big surprise of the night. Felicia absolutely killed in her audition. Her pitch-perfect voice was laced with a fiery, soulful tone akin to Aretha Franklin. I expected her to show more of what landed her in the competition. But when Felicia emerged on stage, I thought I was watching a different singer. Her first note was almost inaudible, and what I could hear didn’t sound good. She then moved through the song mimicking the flourishes that Sheri Moffett-Jones added in the original version. This made Felicia’s version completely unoriginal. Fortunately, she still has a passable voice, so the performance wasn’t a total train wreck. I was, however, highly disappointed. So were the judges.

Quinten Bethea – “Blessed Assurance”
I must admit I liked the very beginning of Quinten’s performance. He smiled and sounded good. But here’s another case of the remix gone awry. When the music and tempo changed in this contemporary arrangement, Quinten at first flowed with it, but it was long before he tiptoed off pitch, and later even off key. At one point, as judge Erica Campbell mentioned, Quinten was a full step below the key of the music. Sad thing is he never realized it. In the arena of professional singers, pitch and key are, well, key. While I didn’t a big problem with his presentation, Donnie McClurkin said Quinten never blended the spirit with his talent.

Timesha Sampson – “There is No Way”
Of all the contestants on the show this season, Timesha probably has the greatest potential for growth. Her stage presence is spot-on, and she’s visually convincing. Her voice – in its rawest form – is beautiful and captivating. What she lacks, very noticeably, is control of her instrument. And singers without control tend not only to sound bad, but also to abuse their voice. Timesha worked herself into a frenzy skating across a scale of notes, but she didn’t execute them as strongly as she felt them. In my opinion, she may need more growth than she can afford in this competition.

Brian Ezra Bates – “When We All Get to Heaven”
Honestly, I would have preferred to hear Brian sing something else. I imagine he felt his song was likely to be underwhelming, so he added an extra jolt of liveliness to his performance. Instead of injecting life into his voice, though, Brian translated the energy in his face and in his body. He sang in an extremely hurried manner, often moving through the lyrics without finishing his notes. The factor behind his excitable disposition was almost certainly his nerves. But, in the scheme of the competition, that’s the only thing that made him memorable.

Monica Smith – “Silver and Gold”
As the last performer of the night, Monica didn’t have much standing in her way. Almost everyone before her had managed to be forgettable. From the moment she opened her mouth to sing it was clear she wouldn’t have that problem. Monica’s throaty, Southern-churned voice is one of the most recognizable this season. At times she certainly sounded hoarse, and I was worried when Kirk asked her to reprise the song that her voice is suffering from abnormal wear. But as long as her chops are strong enough to endure the weight of her singing style, I’d be very excited to see her progress.

***

Outside of the individual singers on this week’s show, another thing that caught my attention was the exceptionally poor sound quality. At first, I thought it was just my ears, but watching with a few friends, we kept adjusting the volume on the television up and down, and so forth between performances. And after playing video back numerous times, I noticed a difference in the mixing of Kirk’s voice and several singers. The sound at times seemed to come directly from in-studio monitors. Whatever the case, bad sound on a singing competition is like cake without icing; it’s just not good.

Maybe if the singing were up to par it would be less of an issue, but at this point it’s working against the overall experience.

But most of you probably aren’t bothered much by that. There were also (supposed to be) ten eliminations on Sunday, sort of. Nine of the 20 singers moved on to the Top 10, but three singers have to compete for the tenth and final spot. Yeah, I know. This just makes it more interesting.

Your Top 9 consists of the following:
Amber Bullock
Michael Washington
Andrea Harris
Isaiah Freeman IV
Sue Roseberry
Monica Smith
Michael Pugh
Felicia Russell
Carlington Roberts

The following three will compete for the 10th spot:
Latrice Smith
Shanandolan Reynolds
Timesha Sampson

Needless to say, what did you think of the show AND the sound? Let me hear it!

Troy Lilly recaps this Sunday’s episode of Sunday Best…

There were plenty of smiling faces on this week’s episode of Sunday Best. During the first night of performances, ten eager singers from season four’s Top 20 graced the stage aiming to prove they deserved to be in the competition. But early on, there were more anxious smiles from the contestants than smiles of satisfaction from the judges.

That’s not to say there weren’t any laughs or lighthearted moments. There were several, thanks to Sunday Best host, Kirk Franklin, who opened the show with a performance of “Smile,” the popular single from his latest album.

For a man who’s barely taller than Justin Bieber is, Kirk sure knows how to work a stage and, as I mention on a regular basis, we never know what he’s going to do – or say! So it was no surprise that during his performance, he ended up passing the microphone at the judges table between Donnie McClurkin, Erica Campbell and her sister Tina Campbell.

Throughout the evening, though, it was often clear that even he wasn’t sure what to say to contestants following some of the performances.

Here’s how they went down:

Toneisha Jones- Harris – “Here I Am To Worship”
Starting the show is never easy, but imagine starting off the whole season! Toneisha’s jazzed-up version of this praise-and-worship staple was pleasant as she held her tone and had clean riffs. She explored the stage a little, but there wasn’t much feeling beyond the surface of the words she was singing. The judges noted that she abandoned the simplicity of the melody.

Michael Washington – “Great is Your Mercy”
Maybe the judges were watching a different version of this performance. They absolutely loved it, and while I didn’t hate it, my impression was that if Sunday Best were a stage play or a theatrical production, Michael’s voice would be perfect. As with Toneisha before him, I didn’t feel much from Michael. However, it is nice to see a clean, calculated singer whose ability is unquestionable. I just like to feel my gospel music.

Andrea Helms – “Because of Who You Are”
First Lady Andrea Helms gave what I thought was the first great performance of the night. She started strong and only improved as she journeyed through the chorus and into the vamp. Most importantly, her face conveyed the emotion of the lyrics. Andrea’s voice is sweeter than most, but it’s still a powerful instrument and her presentation is flawless. Donnie, Erica and Tina agreed.

Chase Stancle – “Running Back to You”
A shaky vocal tone tripped Chase up from the very beginning of his performance, and unfortunately, it didn’t improve. He did reach for a range of notes in the middle of the song, but I think most people (including Chase) were distracted by his uneven tone. He was probably a bit nervous which is why he ended the song on a rather low note. Kirk attempted to relieve the tension by joking a bit, but the judges clearly noticed he was affected.

Amber Bullock – “We Must Praise”
Amber is the kind of girl we all know… the one who started singing before she could talk. Amber delivered a performance that was perfectly imperfect. Her voice is just raspy enough to growl but still balanced with a pure tone. She also has precise enunciation, which only contributes to the clarity of her delivery. I’m sure she won’t have any trouble advancing to the final rounds.

Carlington Roberts – “Lord I Life Your Name on High”
If you remember my recap from last week, I mentioned that we might get a little reggae on this season. I was talking about Carlington, a native Jamaican, who represents a totally new sound in mainstream gospel. His performance revealed that he’s skilled in leading a congregation in worship. He moved about the stage quite a bit, which may have compensated for his forgettable vocal delivery. His voice, ironically, reminds me of Donnie’s. Since the judges appreciate his unique sound, it will be interesting to see how far he progresses.

Shanandolan Reynolds – “Joyful, Joyful”
During her audition, Shanandolan seemed full of silent confidence. On Sunday, her voice was heard before she emerged on the stage, and again, her voice sounded sure and tender. But once on stage, her rendition of this song (famously recorded by Lauryn Hill) fell into the karaoke-esque vocal choices that you’ve heard every singer duplicate on this song. It was evident from her demeanor that she let herself down. The judges acknowledged her inconsistent delivery, but seemed committed to developing her underlying talent.

Michael Pugh – “I Won’t Complain”
Michael’s performance wasn’t really a performance at all. He walked onto the stage with a different look in his eyes. Although it took the audience a second to get with him, he kept pushing the song out until there was a connection. The last third of the song, and especially the moments after he was done singing and he continued to exhort the audience, proved that Michael not only believes what he’s singing but he’s skilled at conveying it. As voices go, his is as traditional as they come, but the judges and obviously, the audience enjoyed it.

Latrice Smith – “Walk With Me”
Oh, Latrice. I know she knows she can really sing. But she got really lost between sticking to the melody and coloring the song with her adlibs. And once her upper range didn’t work, she would’ve been best served to leave it be. In the middle of the song, it appeared that even she was ready for it to be over. Again, although I’m sure she has major vocal chops, this performance may have sealed her fate.

Ricky Valentino Lafontaine – “I Need Thee”
To his credit, Ricky had to sing a one-part hymn and only had an organ to back him up. The song was also very short, so those factors could explain why his performance felt a bit incomplete. After proclaiming that he has sung with Yolanda Adams, and even Mary Mary, expectations for his voice were already too high. He tried to live up to the hype by singing in a particularly high key, but that prevented him from being able to elevate the song any further. It may not be his time to take the stage alone just yet, and his colleagues, Erica and Tina, echoed those sentiments.

***

So now that we’ve had a chance to see and hear half of the Top 20 on center stage, what do you think is in store for the remaining 10? Personally, I’m hoping we get a few more singers who capitalize on their moment a little better than some of the contestants did tonight.

Next week, the remaining ten contestants in the Top 20 will perform and ultimately, only ten singers will advance to the next round. That’s the part I get excited about because mentor Kim Burrell returns to guide these budding singers through the ropes of the singing competition.

Were you impressed with any of this week’s performances?

How strong are the guys in the competition?

Are you wondering what Kirk Franklin will do next?

From Associate Editor Troy Lilly…

After a year-long hiatus, Sunday Best returned to the BET airwaves Sunday night to premiere season four of the popular gospel singing competition. And with it were all the familiar faces fans have come to love.

Kirk Franklin, the multi-award-winning songwriter and producer, returns to host the show, proving he hasn’t lost a bit of his excitement. He’s still unpredictable and over the top, which is exactly why he’s so beloved as the show’s official hype man.

At the judges’ table, Donnie McClurkin and sisters Erica and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary, are again on board to evaluate the talent (and occasional lack of talent) presented by the thousands of singers who audition for a chance to be named “Sunday Best.”

Tina clearly is still the judge who’s not afraid to dish out some tough love when an audition “ain’t workin,’” as she put it. Erica, on the other hand, maintains the middle ground, issuing balanced critiques and with little wavering. But you’ll notice that is seems Donnie has settled into his role as a judge and doesn’t hold back on would-be contestants quite like last year, either.

For the most part, though, things remain the same, and that’s not a bad thing.

As always, the most interesting and unpredictable part of Sunday Best is the contestants. If you watched the first three seasons, you’ll remember that there have been three strong female winners: Crystal Aikin in season one, Y’Anna Crawley in season two, and LeAndria Johnson last year.

After making stops in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles among other cities, this year’s Sunday Best Top 20 is split between ten men and ten women who represent an interesting variety of vocal styles and textures. While I heard a lot of runs and vocal acrobatics during the audition footage, it was mostly from singers who didn’t make the final cut. There were, of course, those few who I could’ve thrown my hands at. But I remember that it’s a competition and an even playing field isn’t always fun to watch.

With the exception of a few singers, I think we’ll get to see some voices explore tones and techniques besides the traditional growls and groans we’re used to on the show. We might even get a little reggae this year! I like surprises, though, and Sunday Best is always full of them, so only time will tell if there’s any truth to my gut-feeling.

What ultimately remains to be seen, however, is if a male singer will snatch the title away this year. I hate to make this a battle of the sexes, but I’m not the only one who’s just a bit curious, right? Right!?

Here’s your Top 20:

• Timesha Sampson
• Toneisha Harris
• Sue Roseberry
• Shandandolan Reynolds
• Roosevelt Griffin
• Ricky Valentino Lafontaine
• Quentin Bethea
• Monica Smith
• Michael Washington
• Michael Pugh
• Latrice Smith
• Isaiah Freeman
• Felicia Russell
• Eric Drew
• Chase Stancle
• Carlington Roberts
• Brian Ezra Bates
• Annalisha Robbins
• Andrea Helms
• Amber Bullock

We’ll all have to stay tuned to find out for sure…

So remember, the Top 20 head to Atlanta this coming week for the first round of performances and cuts. Be sure to tune in to at 8 p.m. EST on Sundays this summer!

*     *     *

What’d you think of the Sunday Best premiere?

Did you like the judges’ Top 20 picks?

Who are you rooting for so far?  Everybody?  Nobody?

The last time Kim Burrell chatted with GospelPundit.com, she spoke of her No Ways Tired album, her desire to work with Prince and lots more.  If you missed it, click here to read it!

This time, Kim is BACK to talk with Associate Editor Troy Lilly. He sits with her to discuss her new project, The Love Album and the backlash that the mere notion of it received from the church community last year (including the COGIC church’s response).  She also chats about her favorite remake on the album, her friendship with Whitney Houston and much more!

Without any delay, here’s Troy’s chat with Kim Burrell…

*     *     *

Troy: Thank you for joining me this morning to talk about the album and… everything else that’s going on with you. I’m excited.

Kim: I really am too, thank you.

Troy: Great, so let’s get started.

Kim: Ok!

Troy: How did you come up with the concept for The Love Album?

Kim: Well, the concept for the album is strictly trying to get the church folks to have a different language of love outside of John 3:16 because it kind of balances things out.

And I’m hoping and praying that the message of love will be interpreted from my heart to those who will hear it … that it will be nothing opposite of God’s love and our ability to love one another. And that’s just my desire.

Troy: It’s no secret that people adore the unique, jazzy characteristics of your voice. How has the hallmark of jazz translated into the sound of The Love Album?

Kim: You know, I think it’s a misconception that I either trained that way or intentionally sounded like jazz. I think my direction – that is expressing myself through music – has caused me to include a lot of notes I felt were missing in instrumentation or accompaniment, and that caused me to sing in a jazzy way.

I can’t deny that it’s reflecting the jazz influence, and I can’t deny that… but it was so not intentional to be that way.

Troy: Wow.

Kim: Folks say, “You know the notes you’re about to hit, and you know whether they’re jazzy or not.” Well, no, I didn’t know it would classify itself as that. But with that in mind, when I sing I sing to tell the story of whatever the words are, and whatever those notes end up being for me to tell that story is just what it is. It’s never an intentional sound.

People ask me to scat, you know, and I hate that almost because I’m like ‘Geesh… I’m so not the scatter…’

Troy: (Chuckles)

Kim: I mean I probably would do it as a fun thing, but you know… it’s not a part of my art form.

Troy: Well, that’s a revelation even for me! Kim Burrell’s not jazzy. Who knew?!

Kim: Well… (chuckles).

Troy: So since you haven’t included jazz as an influence of your sound – at least not intentionally – what do think about the fact that many people consider you to be the premier song stylist of our time, even outside of gospel?

Kim: It’s extremely flattering, and I’m very, very blessed to have this gift that has drawn so much attention, mainly because I have great interest in letting everybody know that it’s a gift from God.

I didn’t train under anybody, I just developed this gift and I’m very grateful for it because of what it has done for people… it’s brought a lot of joy and fun for a lot of singers and musicians. And I enjoy having it because of the good that it is doing for others.

Troy: I noticed you worked primarily with Asaph Alexander Ward, who produces nearly every song on The Love Album. Why do you work so well together?

Kim: Alex and I have at least a 15-year relationship, and we were going to take cameras in for our studio moments, but we’re so much like family that even some of our outfits we wouldn’t want people to see them (laughs). We’re so laid back and we do a lot of work.

Alex… he holds my voice in the highest regard, as I hold his ability to document it the way that he does with his talent. Working with Alex is always a treat because of our long relationship and what our chemistry brings.

Troy: I was going to say, the chemistry is definitely tangible. Anyone who really listens can hear it.

Kim: Thank you.

Troy: On this album you also covered two songs by R&B royalty, Earth Wind & Fire and DeBarge, as well as a classic by the Clark Sisters. Which was your favorite to record?

Kim: For me, “Jesus is a Love Song” by the Clark Sisters. I’ve spent all my life in gospel and to be able to pay homage to someone as valuable as Twinkie Clark… I think if musicians who have great talent were to take songs that she did over 25 and 30 years ago, they would really see the value in her songs.

And that’s one of the reasons I did it, because Earth Wind & Fire are renown all over this world and I felt they have received their just due, as you can see, because I’m still covering their tunes to this day.

And the DeBarge tune is an endearing song to me, but my favorite was ‘Love Song’ by the Clark Sisters.

Troy: Personally, I have to say, I was raised on the Clark Sisters and I absolutely love them. But what you did with DeBarge’s “Love Me in a Special Way,” was special to me. It’s probably because the song already had a gospel vein starting off with the keyboards.

Kim: Yeah, it did!

Troy: It was kind of Pentecostal already. But I especially love what you did with that one, just to let you know.

Kim: Thank you so much.

Troy: So you mentioned that the concept of the album was to show people about God’s love and loving one another. Is that why some songs specifically mention God while other songs don’t?

Kim: I have a range of lyrics because we need to learn to speak about love without having to preface it with a scripture. I feel like our lives ought to have a sense of love. Church people work hard to prove their love and sometimes they choose to use their gift to say ‘this is my way of loving you.’

But I feel if you have this God in your heart, you can have a conversation without mentioning Jesus and God and the Trinity and all that, and people will know that there’s love in you. I just feel like I don’t have to go and be extreme to get a point across.

Troy: Ok.

Kim: During the campaign for this album, I would like to interview a lot of church officials and church goers and ask them: when they decided to get married and have children and they shared those “magic nights,” was it to ‘The Greatest Hits of Mahalia Jackson?’ (Laughs)

Troy: Oh my goodness! (Laughs)

Kim: I’ll prepare myself for whatever [answer I may get]. But I just feel like at some point in their dating lives theyenjoyed soft music that didn’t have C.L. Franklin doing a prayer, you know?

Troy: Uh huh!

Kim: You know what I mean?!

Troy: Oh, I understand completely.

Kim: Have they ever said to their spouse, “Love me in a special way … or love me like none other?’ Or what did they say in their vows? “I vow to love you as long as the Holy Ghost quickens me?” I think not!

Troy: (Laughs)

Kim: (Laughs)

Troy: Well, the saints enjoy fried chicken too, but we don’t sit down and discuss how it was fried in Virgin Olive Oil, we just eat the chicken. I think it’s good to enjoy music, too, and love between people without being [so] deep.

Kim: Yeah (Laughs).

Troy: Since we’re talking about how rigid folks can be, I want to ask you about the controversy that surrounded the initial announcements about this album. People were all over the Internet saying, “Kim Burrell is doing a secular album, she’s doing a jazz album, and she’s leaving gospel.

Kim: Ok

Troy: Was there ever a time when you considered recording an album that was mainstream or secular music and not necessarily a “gospel” album?

Kim: Everything you hear on this album is what I was trying to tell the world I was going to do. But they took” secular” and made it a vulgar term. They limited it to what they’ve known it to be.

And I felt like I’m not going to spend my life trying to break that down. It’s unfortunate that the people of the church thought I was turning my back on God… just because the word secular was mentioned in my bio, by my team, on the ‘Backstage with Kim Burrell’ website.

Troy: Ok.

Kim: I have a 92-year-old grandmother, a 67-year-old mother, and a 73-year-old father who raised me in the church. As long as they have breath in their bodies, I’m never going to do anything to disrespect the value and deposit they’ve made in my life.

Think about it; even if I tried to sing “Baby, baby, come on meet me in the sex room,” it’s going to sound like I’m having a revival. It’s in my voice. I can’t even convey words that represent that type of thing.

Troy: Yes.

Kim: I’m a pastor of a church. I don’t promote that.

Troy: After the uproar, the Church of God in Christ’s International Music Department released a statement exonerating you and your music. Did you feel it was necessary and appropriate at the time?

Kim: I accommodated what they asked me for and I gave them as much as I could. And it was released based on my agreement to let them release whatever was going to make them feel better.

Troy: So that was something of a concession on both sides?

Kim: Sure.

Troy: Ok, I understand.

Kim: Yes.

Troy: Let’s move past the controversy to the BET performances.

Kim: Indeed!

Troy: Your tribute to Whitney Houston at the BET Honors is probably your most publicized performance ever. What was it like to sing about your love for her?

Kim: It was fulfilling, mainly because I was singing to a person who God has blessed me to spend time with… Godly time, friendship time. I first became acquainted with Whitney when her father died, which was a terrible time, and when she went into rehab for the first time.

We share over a 13-year relationship. And it was my goal to be there to celebrate her new album and return to let her know (publicly) that I’m that ride-or-die friend behind the scenes, but I’ll also come out to let people know I’m not judging her for the rough times.

Troy: Right.

Kim: I was singing to my friend. That’s really what that moment was about. If you notice at the end, I had to remember to blow a kiss to everyone else because that moment was about her.

Troy: Yes, you and her.

Kim: I believe that the world felt that.

Troy: I do too.

Kim: Yeah.

Troy: How has your work life balance shifted now that you’re officially pastoring the Love and Liberty Church down in Texas, in addition to your many other endeavors?

Kim: Pastoring is the greatest agreement with God that I’ve [ever] made, because it is motivating, fulfilling… taxing on areas of my life that needed to be challenged. It has helped me to see people in a whole other light and has given me a lot more patience than I knew I had.

I’ve met a lot of pastors who kind of wipe their forehead and say, “Oh, Lord, what have I done?” But, fortunately, I don’t see myself getting there. I’m proud of the fact it’s one of the greatest that I could have ever agreed with God to do.

Troy: Good.

Kim: It’s not a Kim-Burell-meet-the-stars type of situation. It’s wholesome, it’s balanced with old people and younger people. It’s a glorious thing.

Troy: Awesome. Can I ask you one last question? (Laughs)

Kim: Oh, sure!

Troy: If you weren’t a singer or minister of the gospel, what’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to do?

Kim: I’d be a lawyer.

Troy: A lawyer, really? Wow.

Kim: Yeah, because people are my thing. They are God’s creation. The birds and the lions have the natural instinct and know how to take care of each other. Everything else that God made knows how to replenish and protect itself.

When it comes down to mankind, I have an interest. And if I hadn’t gone this route, Iwas going to be a lawyer.

Troy: Amazing answer! I love to get to the heart of ‘you the person’ because I know you so much more than a performer, and I’m glad I asked. Hope you enjoyed our time…

Kim: I really did, Troy!

Troy: I’m excited about the release of the album. I send my love your way, to the church, and everything else you’re doing.

Kim: I appreciate you. Thank you.

Troy: You’re welcome.

*     *     *

Kim Burrell’s latest project came out THIS week and was already #1 at iTunes on its first day.  You can hear the project’s lead single, “Sweeter,” on the Pundit Player’s playlist.

And, check out our review of the album right here… then, make sure you grab your copy. It’s one of her best works to date!

On May 17th, gospel pioneer and legend Andraé Crouch will return to the music marketplace with his newest album, The Journey.

Before that, however, Associate Editor Troy Lilly takes a minute to speak with the man, himself.  They chat about Andraé’s new album, his new choir competition and how he feels about gospel hip-hop.  Plus, some random bits of trivia about him!

*     *     *

Troy: Thank you so much for joining me. How are you?

Andraé: Good! Sitting down in warm California where there’s no snow, there’s no cold weather. (Laughs)

Troy: (Laughs) Well it’s been very cold here…sometimes as low as 15 degrees! It’s the complete opposite here. But I know your time is valuable, so let’s get right into it.

Andraé: Ok.

Troy: First, you’ve got a new album project entitled The Journey, which is coming out on May 17th. Tell me more about it.

Andraé: Well, I think it’s really a great description of where I am right now as far as my head and my spirit. I almost wish it was a double album, because it’s not all I want to say and it’s not all I have to say.

Troy: Oh yeah?

Andraé: But like anything else, you know, you do things gradually so people can get what you’re trying to tell them.

Troy: Of course.

Andraé: I probably could write two or three more verses to each song because there is still so much I have to say on the topics I’ve written about this time.

But Mano Hanes, who’s a monster of a keyboard player and arranger, was my co-producer. There’s a very interesting story behind how he and I originally started working together.

Troy: Do tell!

Andraé: I had the opportunity of meeting him after I heard some work that he had done, and I didn’t know that he was trying to get to me. He didn’t I was trying to get to him!

We met and he called me “Dad” and he called my twin sister, Sandra, “Auntie” because he had been listening to me since he was a kid. We just hit it off, and he can play stuff just like me. But most importantly, he loves the Lord. That’s the main thing we share in common.

Troy: That’s awesome.

Andraé: It really was quite awesome, because he reminded me of songs that I written but never recorded. He’s wonderful to work with and he has patience. He’s always in the mode of learning. He understands what I’ve tried to say with my music.

Troy: When it comes to the style of music on The Journey, does the vintage, jazzy feel of the lead single “The Promise” carry through the entire album?

Andraé: Yes, most of the songs will be like that. And then some will be… very picturesque.

Troy: I like that.

Andraé: Then there are some like a song on there called “Let the Church Say Amen.”

You know how sometimes a pastor may be preaching to his congregation and they may not agree with something he has said? Well at the end of this song, it talks about how you can’t change the Word that God has delivered through leadership, but you’ve got to accept and ultimately agree with it. Thus, ‘let the church say amen.’

Troy: Wow.  That’s a good message.

Andraé: That’s the only way in churches that we can grow. If God has put something on a pastor’s heart, we’ve got to be on one accord.

Troy: As one of the original innovators of the modern contemporary gospel movement, what do you think of the hip-hop influence on gospel in the last 20 years?

Andraé: I personally have always believed when God gives me an idea, he wants me to spread it as much as possible. I believe that He deals with me in multiplication. I don’t just want them to buy it and bop and rock to it, but I like for it to get into their hearts and become a part of them.

“On Earth as it is in Heaven”… when God gives us something to write, we want it to be something that He said so that it will last.

Troy: Right.

Andraé: Now, we have some kids rapping here at my church and I always tell them if you have a distinctive style that may not be in the church at all, you’re limited in the direction of that song. I think people receive more when it’s repetitious. So what I tell the kids is to remember to write a song, a melody … something that will allow the song to live on without you.

Troy: Indeed.

Andraé: When you get done rapping and beating, no one can deliver the rap lyrics exactly the way you can. But if you’ve incorporated singing into it, the song has a better chance of being remembered and even recorded by other people later on, so the song lives on even after the initial popularity fades.

Troy: Well, one way that you will be able to directly influence some of the younger generation and help develop their unique gifts are with “The Promise” Choir Competition.  Can you tell me about that?

Andraé: Yes! The choirs will be doing their own versions of my single “The Promise.” It’s quite possible we may get versions of the song with rapping, or just different interpretations.

Troy: So, this isn’t like a choir version of BET’s Sunday Best, or is it?

Andraé: Oh, they’re going to submit their performance digitally to http://andraecrouch.com. Then we’ll select the best submissions and travel to cities in the U.S. and also Puerto Rico, and a panel of judges will select 10 choirs to compete on the show.

Troy: Ok, I see.

Andraé: And some of the choirs may not be the “winners” per se, but I believe we’ll find some gems in the process, you know?

Troy: Oh, definitely, diamonds that just need a bit of molding or mentoring.

Andraé: Yes.

Troy: I think it’s a great way to bring young and old musical genius together and create the best of both worlds.

Andraé: Certainly, certainly.

Troy: So, let me just say this. You know you’re a super star. (Laughs)

Andraé: (Laughs)

Troy: You have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You’ve recorded with Madonna and Michael Jackson, and contributed music to the films like The Color Purple. But I want to know, what’s something you love or enjoy that we don’t really know?

Andraé: Well, my sister, Sandra, always jokes and tells people that I like to sky dive! But that’s a joke. (Laughs)

Troy: (Laughs)

Andraé: But I love animals… the kinds that I can have in my own house, you know? (Laughs)

Troy: Right! (Laughs)

Andraé: I have four dogs…. an English bulldog, two Chihuahuas, and a Chinese Powder Puff. Birds run me crazy because they tweet all night long. But I tell ‘em, “go ‘head and talk if you want to.”

Troy: Alright!

Andraé: I love the outdoors, too, especially water and boats. I have friends with big yachts and things, but I don’t buy them because I don’t wanna take care of no boat.

But most of all, I love people and love to travel. We’ve traveled to 72 countries and I’ve got friends all across the world. When we first got started way back, people who traveled with us would just sing and go back to their rooms. But I like to meet the people and experience the culture.

Troy: Yeah, you have to!

Well, I’m so glad to have had the chance to speak with you.  It’s awesome to tap into the man behind the music as well.  And I know people are looking forward to hearing the new music!

Andraé: Thank you I enjoyed talking to you, indeed. May the Lord bless and prosper you and the work you guys are doing.

Troy: Likewise, sir.

*     *     *

Be sure to look out for Andraé’s new album, The Journey, which is set to be released on May 17. The newest single “The Promise” is already available on iTunes, Amazon or Wal-Mart.com.

And if you’re thinking about entering Andraé Crouch’s “The Promise” Choir Competition, presented by Riverphlo Entertainment, the details can be found below:

• Who Can Enter: All church and community choirs in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. All participants must be at least 18 years old.

• When: The competition runs from February 15 through June 30, 2011.

• What You Have to Do: Go to http://riverphlo.com/contest and register to download the sheet music to “The Promise.” Record audio and/or video of your choir performing “The Promise,” and finally, upload the media onto the contest page.

• What You Win: The Grand Prize winning choir will receive a two-song deal with Riverphlo Entertainment; both songs will be produced by Andraé Crouch and Mano Hanes; the choir will have an opportunity to appear with Andraé in various local and national media engagements, both Andraé and Mano Hanes will conduct a music workshop on songwriting and producing at the winning choir’s church; and the choir will also receive music and sound equipment from a leading music supplier.

For the complete list of contest rules and eligibility, visit http://riverphlo.com.

Rance Allen is a pioneer in the gospel music community– a vocalist often studied for his before-his-time riffing style and impeccable stage performance.  The group he formed four decades ago continues to be a steady source of great music, including his latest release, The Live Experience II.

On the heels of that release, Associate Editor Troy Lilly chats with the legend himself…

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Troy: Dr. Rance Allen! It’s a pleasure and a privilege. How are you?

Rance: Troy, I’m feeling great. And yourself?

Troy: I’m well. Excited to talk with you today. Shall we?

Rance: Certainly!

Troy: We really want to know about The Live Experience II, the latest album from The Rance Allen Group, which hit stores on January 25. Tell about a little about it.

Rance: Well, you know most of us recording artists say this, and I know I may be guilty of saying it about every new one that comes out, but this truly is the best one ever. And I say it because I believe it’s true.

Troy: Ok.

Rance: Here it is a live album. We’ve recorded twenty albums, this being only the second live one. Thus comes the name The Live Experience II. And man, there was just a free spirit moving as the Holy Ghost moved how He would, and with thousands of excited people there, they made us excited.

God anointed myself and my two brothers to sing, and the band to play, and then the great guests we had were second to none.

Troy: Certainly!  Tell me about the special guests appearing on this project.

Rance: We had Paul Porter, who’s a great singer himself, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong…I call her “the voice.”

Troy: Yes, yes.

Rance: Then the First Lady of Gospel, the Pastor Shirley Caesar, and a young group named Called to Worship out of Cincinnati.

Troy: Okay.

Rance: It’s just a beautiful piece of music. I want to tell young listeners that all you’ve got to do is put it in the player. You don’t have to search around looking for a song that you like more than the others. It’s the kind of CD that you want to play from track one through track 15.

Troy: Wow. So with that kind of project on your hands, do you have any favorites? Or at least a Top 5, since you can’t have just one.

Rance: Ok, well I hope I don’t mention all 15 to you! (Laughs)

Troy: (Laughs)

Rance: But let me start with “It’s You That I Trust,” the one where Paul Porter joins us in song. It’s an awesome song… you and the listeners will love it. But there’s one that I love even more than that.

There’s a cut called “Holy One.” You wanna talk about worship? This is a song that really reaches down into the reservoirs of a person’s heart…that’s “Holy One.”  And these are both kind of like ballads, actually.

Troy: Nice! What else have you got?

Rance: Pastor Shirley Caesar helped us sing another one called “Living for Jesus.” But there’s something I’ve got to tell you about this particular song.

Many, many years ago when I had just started my church, every Sunday one of my members would get up and just turn around and say to the audience– full of excitement– “There’s something about living for Jesus that’s the best thing for me…makes me feel real, (singing) real good.”

After a while, she had said that thing so much ‘til the Lord gave us a song! And you can hear it on this new CD– “Living for Jesus!”

Troy: Wow.

Rance: Yes, but there’s some great music on here. We did a song called “Love Train.” Now it doesn’t sound like the O’Jays! It sounds like the Rance Allen Group!

Troy: Now that’s a sound. (Laughs)

Rance: We also remade “Hear My Voice,” which we originally did way back in 1984.  Oh and number 13…that’s going to be one that you and every[one] of your listeners will love, and it’s called “United We Stand.” It goes on for about eight minutes and some change. And basically, it’s our take on “We Are the World,” sort of. Myself, my brothers, all my guests sang with a choir backing it up and it just turned out wonderfully.

I told you, if you keep letting me pick out favorites, I’ll be done picked out all 15! (Laughs)

Troy: I see. But I was actually counting while you were talking, and you only gave me five and a half! (Laughs)

Rance: (Laughs)

Troy: You’re celebrating 40 years of ministry along with your brothers. That’s almost two decades longer than I’ve been alive. Who are some of the new guys or the young cats that you admire or want to work with?

Rance: I’ve been blessed, man. I have worked with so many of these younger fellows. You know about the work I’ve done with Kirk Franklin. I’ve also worked with Joe Pace, The Williams Brothers, John P. Kee, Mary Mary. I’ve been able to share with many of the younger prominent artists of this day.

Troy: And we have enjoyed it!

Rance: They are actually the inspiration that I need for this particular time. All of the young people who come to me asking me to work with them, and praising the work that I’ve done over the last four decades…all of that now is a true inspiration to me.

Troy: Now I know I greeted you as Dr. Allen, but in addition to being a multi-instrumentalist and a singer, you’re also a pastor. How are things at your church, New Bethel Church of God in Christ in Ohio?

Rance: Man, that’s still a great part of my joy. The church is doing well. God is doing a new thing and we are anticipatorily waiting to see what our next move is going to be.

Troy: With that being said, if God were to bless you with 40 more years, what would you do?

Rance: Well, hmmm. I think I probably would just do like some products read on the side of the box and…wait for further instruction! (laughs)

Troy: That is a GOOD answer, sir. Good answer!

Rance: (Laughs) Yeah, because if he lets me live that long, or even half that time…or even a third of that time, I know He has not brought me this far to leave me.  I could never tell what God is gonna do because He’s so amazing that he would take the thing that seems foolish to me and just blow my mind. So I’m waiting for further instruction.

Troy: That’s wisdom.

Rance: And as the other box says: for best results, read instructions! Wait on the Lord!

Troy: (Laughs) Absolutely. Well, there’s one more thing I want to ask about as we wrap up. There’s a Live Experience II DVD coming out as well…

Rance: Troy, listen! The only thing that could be any better than the CD is the DVD, because you get to see what you’re hearing on the album. Oh my goodness, I’m telling you the Lord met us there.  And I’m trying my best not to sound like I’m bragging. But I am so grateful to God for how He met us there until the only thing I can say is you’re gonna miss out on something if you don’t get the DVD.

Troy: I’m excited about the projects, especially the commemorative nature and all that it symbolizes. It’s good to have an original pioneer who introduced new sounds still around. And not just because I was raised Church of God in Christ, either. But it doesn’t hurt!

Rance: Yes, you’re one of my little baby brothers. And God is using you to perpetuate the best music in the world, and that’s gospel!

Troy: Thank you for your time, man!

Rance: You’re certainly welcome. And I’ll tell you like the old folks told us: come by and see us and we’ll do you good.

*     *     *

And there you have it folks.  To listen to and purchase The Live Experience II by the Rance Allen Group, click here.

What did you think of the interview???

Associate Editor Troy Lilly reminds us about an oldie but goodie…

Back in 1996, a CD player was something you had installed at a Circuit City or Best Buy. I mean lots of people had Walkmans, but in the car, we were still listening to cassette tapes – one side at a time. Boy how the times have changed.

Anyway, that same year a guy named Keith Staten released an album called Worship in the House as part of Integrity Music’s “Urban Praise” series. You may (and should) remember Keith as one-fifth of a successful male ensemble during the late 80s and early 90s: Commissioned.

But this time the concept was a little different. Keith isn’t just singing with the guys, he’s out front. And instead of featured the cutting-edge studio production value of earlier Commissioned albums, this project was recorded live at Lifeline Christian Center Church to capture an organic worship atmosphere.

With songs like “Praise Looks Good on You,” “Awesome in This Place,” “Healing Grace” and “Lord I Thirst for You,” Worship in the House is essentially a collection of contemporary praise and worship songs recorded in a more urban and soulful vein.

Fred Hammond, who handled the production for his former Commissioned group member, adds just enough rhythm to make the 12 tracks groove-worthy, but not so much that they lose the authenticity of original versions by Don Moen, Gary Sadler, Hillsong and Alleluia Music. And now, more than 14 years later, the integrity of the sound and music still stands. However, the cassette tape I bought back in ’96 is long gone.

Thankfully, advances in technology have provided us with the compact disc and mp3 downloads, which means if you’ve never heard Worship in the House before, there’s a new, shiny copy waiting for you on iTunes and Amazon.com.

If you have heard the album before, feel free to chime in.  Either way take a(nother) listen. It’ll bless your life, I promise.

EJ’s note: According to Twitter reports, Keith Staten was JUST in the studio with Donald Lawrence– he’s making a guest appearance on Donald’s upcoming album, YRM (Your Righteous Mind), due in stores in the Spring of 2011.