Quiet as it’s kept, B Reith has got to be one of GospelPundit.com’s favorite artists because of his style and sound, but also because of his innovation and refusal to be boxed in. We’ve covered him before and, though he’s not as widely known in the gospel industry, he’s someone you ought to know about!

B just finished several dates on the MisFit Tour, which featured Da’ T.R.U.T.H., The Ambassador, Mali Music and more. His latest album, How The Story Ends is in stores TODAY.

The 12-track project features B Reith in his sing-song style of hip-hop and soul. He’s both a gifted rapper and vocalist, and he beautifully weaves the two together. B could definitely have let this project be a one-man show, and it would have been great, but he’s got enough smarts to know that two heads (and sometimes three) are better than one, so the project features guest vocals from heavy-hitters like Lecrae, as well as underground faves like Lisa Gungor and PJ Morton.

Standout tracks on this project abound, but some of my faves are “For Once In My Life” with PJ Morton, “New Found Love,” and “Made for More” with Lecrae and Lisa Gungor.  Look out, also, for “2 Steps Forward” and “Not Who I Am” featuring Dave Barnes.

Check out snippets of How The Story Ends and buy it right here, right now–

If you ask me, Calvin Nowell doesn’t release music NEARLY as often as I wanna hear it from him, but when he does… wow.

An incredibly gifted vocalist and worship leader, Calvin Nowell is also an awesome songwriter (you may know one of his hits, “Unrestrained,” which was recorded by Myron Butler & Levi on their Stronger album in 2006). Plus, he’s QUITE an artist manager, guiding the careers of Gungor (you MUST know them) and B. Reith (you MUST know him, too– new album in stores November 1st).

Anyway, Calvin’s back with a new single that is so powerful, titled “Alright.” From his lead vocal to the background arrangements, layered over the building band… it’s GOOD.

And it’s available for download on iTunes now. Before you buy it, though, you can listen to it streaming on the Pundit Player at the bottom of this screen. Let me know what you think!

And check out Calvin’s official website at http://www.calvinnowell.com/ to learn more about him!

The 41st annual Dove Awards were taped last night in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole Opry House.  The show, hosted by Natalie Grant and Bart Millard (of MercyMe), featured a who’s-who of artists and execs in Christian music, along with great collaborative performances.

Among the winners in gospel categories were Fred Hammond (Contemporary Gospel Album – Love Unstoppable), Smokie Norful (Traditional Gospel Recorded Song – “Justified”), and Israel Houghton(Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song – “The Power Of One”).  There was also a tie between BeBe & CeCe Winans (“Grace”) and Israel Houghton (“I Just Wanna Say”) in the Urban Recorded Song category. 

The night was great, featuring key performances by Donald Lawrence & Jason Crabb (in a special tribute to Andraé Crouch), Natalie Grant & Jordin Sparks, TobyMac, BeBe & CeCe Winans, MercyMe, Francesca Battistelli and more.  As I mentioned yesterday, I was backstage for much of the preparation and the taping, itself, so I missed seeing a lot of the performances (I could hear ‘em though, and I loved it!).

I’ve also gotta say that I loved the vibe of the show.  Everyone seemed like one big family and I didn’t see too many of those “gotta-hold-it-together-for-the-camera, but-I’m-really-mad-that-I-didn’t-win” faces.

All in all, the evening was great fun.  Backstage, I got a chance to speak with Natalie Grant, Donald Lawrence & The Co., Wess Morgan, Brian Courtney Wilson, Calvin Nowell, B. Reith, Mandisa, Melinda Doolittle, TobyMac, Casting Crowns, Tony LeBron, Britt Nicole… I KNOW I’m forgetting folks. Sorrrrry…

If you don’t know who some of the above-noted folks are, tell me so I can feature them for you QUICKLY.  And I think I’m gonna write an editorial soon, cuz I’ve got something else to say… stay tuned.

For a full list of winners, head over to gmc’s official website.

The show will air this Sunday, April 25th, at 8pm ET/7 CST exclusively on gmc.

Watchin’???

The nominees for the 41st annual Dove Awards were announced on Thursday.

Natalie Grant and Bart Millard will host the awards show on April 21st.  Unlike last year, the awards will not be broadcast live– they will air on gmc on Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 8pm-10pm EST.

There are 43 categories and you guys don’t know most of the names in ‘em, so I’m not typing it all… sorry.  BUT, you can visit http://www.gmclife.com/41st-dove-award-nominees for the full list.

In the meantime, a quick recap of some of the folks you’ll find there:

Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton, Melinda Watts, Freddy Washington, Brian Courtney Wilson, Mali Music, Vickie Winans, Smokie Norful, Mary Mary, Crystal Aikin, Bishop Paul Morton, Hezekiah Walker, Heather Headley, Mandisa, B. Reith, Fred Hammond, Group 1 Crew, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., BeBe & CeCe Winans… see, there are just too many to name!

Ok, more Dove Awards info and discussion as the time draws nigh.  Until then, tell me what you think about the nominee list!

My wife and I were fortunate enough to receive an invitation to a private gathering to celebrate the release of the full album from Gotee Records recording artist B. Reith, entitled Now Is Not Forever.

We’ve been jammin’ to B’s seven-track EP for months now, so we were excited to be in the swank little Franklin, TN spot to hear the full project.  Folks who weren’t able to attend were able to watch the party as it streamed live on his website, BReith.com.

It’s kinda hard to sum up B. Reith’s style– he’s a singer and a rapper, and does both VERY well on his tracks.  But he’s also an incredibly gifted songwriter– some of his melodies are reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s memorable tunes and his musical ideas are refreshing and innovative.  More than anything, he’s in love with Jesus Christ and he uses his gift to demonstrate what THAT relationship looks like as he lives his life.

At the event, B chatted with the crowd, played some recorded tracks, performed a few cuts live, and even showcased some hot new apparel bearing the title of his new album, Now Is Not Forever.  And to make sure we all knew how important this release is, tobyMac was in the house to show support for B and to encourage us all to buy this project (and, if you follow me on Twitter, you saw me gush about how hot his pair of Pumas was).  All in all, it was an exciting time. 

So, here’s the deal… I need you guys to check him out and check out this album.  Visit his MySpace page to hear full-length tracks and learn more about him.  I believe you guys are gonna really enjoy it… I’m a HUGE supporter.  Special shout-out to Calvin Nowell, B’s manager, for the invite!

For your listening pleasure, I’m embedding one of my fave tracks from the album, called “Rain Down”:

Lemme know what you think!