I enjoyed Troy Lilly’s Sunday Best recap so much last week, I figured… let’s give it another go!

So, without any delay, here’s our new BFF Troy…

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And then there were five.  Last night on Sunday Best, two more contestants went home, leaving behind season three’s Top 5.  But it had to be the toughest elimination call for the judges thus far.  There was not a single “bad” performance, so their decisions really came down to finite observances of the seven performers.

Regular Judge Tina Campbell of duo Mary Mary returned this week, while Kim Burrell continued to provide pre-performance mentoring behind the scenes.  R&B vocalist Chrisette Michele was the show’s opener, to the surprise of virtually everyone.  Singing Donnie McClurkin’s “Stand,” she put a unique supper club-like spin on the hit.

The focus for the evening was particularly on vocals.  Kirk Franklin announced that night’s theme was “One Mic,” meaning musical accompaniments would be scaled back to emphasize each contestant’s voice.  Here’s the rundown:

Dathan Thigpen – “Friend of God”
During the mentor moment with Kim Burrell, we saw her encourage Dathan to embrace his “performer” side in addition to his “worship” side.  He seemed to explore the stage more than before, but not at the sacrifice of his signature vocals.  He sounded great as usual.  The judges, however, were split.  I’m not sure the upbeat number was the best fit for an evening of more intimate – unplugged if you will – performances.

Tiffany Carlin-Laird – “Goin’ Up Yonder”
Although she sang second, Tiffany really set the tone for the night with her slow simmering delivery of another song made famous by Tramaine Hawkins.  She showed great skill by harnessing her powerhouse voice with precision.  There were opportunities for her to revert to screaming, but she maintained a beautiful tone that showed her versatility.  I absolutely loved it.  The judges did, too.

Durward Davis – “Lean on Me”
Durward pretty much pulled a Tiffany on us.  He guided the audience through the poignant lyrics of Kirk Franklin’s song with a conviction that we saw on his face and heard in his voice.  He also demonstrated precise vocal ability, giving just enough without launching into growl mode.  He’s clearly a seasoned singer knows how minister.  Tina was very concise in her critique and used the word “perfection” to describe his performance.  Kirk said Durward made him want to rewrite the song.

Martha Buries – “Holy, Holy, Holy”

A week after returning to Sunday Best as the wildcard contestant, Martha showed she’s here to stay.  The chopped-and-screwed arrangement of the traditional hymn was risky, but Martha didn’t hold back.  I love that she showed the velvety side of her voice without abandoning her style as a singer.  She was yet another contestant who got the most of her voice by caressing the notes instead of attacking them.  One other observation: it is just me, or does she have a look of sheer terror in her eyes at times?  Homegirl is doing a great job.  Just hope she knows it.

Brian Smith – “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”
I must say that Brian has one of the best voices this season.  And his styling is so unique… kind of contemporary and soulful at the same time.  However, he really needed to knock the judges socks off tonight.  He didn’t really do that until the very end of his song.  Man, Brian is probably the most likeable contestant on the show.  He’s so humble and receptive to all the advice he’s gotten.  At this point, though, I feel the other singers could be performing professionally tomorrow and have eclipsed him.  He still has a bit of artistic growth to do.

LeAndria Johnson – “Endow Me”
The folks at Sunday Best read my mind. I was longing for a Clark Sisters song, and who better to channel all four sisters than LeAndria?  She didn’t tone down her voice at all, but gave me a little Karen, Dorinda and Twinkie in less than two minutes.  She nailed the Karen-like runs, Dorinda’s smoky scat, and belted out Twinkie’s growl in one breath.  This girl can sing an-y-thing.  She received and deserved a standing ovation.  The applause also gave her time to collect herself because she looked like she was about to dance.  Whew.

Elder Goldwire McLendon – “How Great Thou Art”
At age 79, Elder McLendon is as smooth as they come.  He again showed that he’s just a great singer.  I’m impressed by the sound of his voice alone, which made “How Great Thou Art” sound almost operatic.  Then he sealed his fate for sure by ending the song with a sustained note that was simply amazing.  His competition is praying they sound this good in thirty or forty years.  The judges couldn’t help but admire his craft.  Tina said his vocal ability was bananas.

The judges had to make some very difficult eliminations tonight. I personally didn’t want to see anyone go, but I was pretty confident I knew who was going.

So here’s the Top 5:

Tiffany Carlin-Laird
Durward Davis
Martha Buries
LeAndria Johnson
Elder Goldwire McLendon

As for Dathan and Brian, both guys have a future in gospel music.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing from them soon.  But, I also understand why they were eliminated at this stage in the show.

What are you thoughts, people?  Wasn’t this an amazing show?

I’ve been traveling this weekend, so I enlisted the help of one of GospelPundit.com’s newest guest contributors for this week’s recap– Troy Lilly.  You remember Troy’s great work from his recap of Jason Nelson’s live recording a few weeks ago.  Well, he’s back with his perspective on last night’s episode of Sunday Best on BET.  I think it’s both thoughtful and thorough– I feel like I watched it already!  Check it out…

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This week ‘s episode of Sunday Best was extra special for two reasons – a wildcard contestant who was sent home last week got a second chance to shine. And the incomparable Kim Burrell dropped in as a guest judge alongside Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams!

So, I was expecting a pretty memorable show.

But when J Moss hit the stage to open the show singing “We Must Praise,” the first single from his 2004 debut album, it seemed Sunday Best had pulled another “throwback” performance out of the hat. Fret not, though, because he quickly snapped back to 2010 with a powerful performance of his latest hit, “Rebuild.” The lyrics in the song are already powerful, but he really sang them – dare I say he was squalling at the end.

The bar was clearly raised for the 10 remaining contestants and there was added pressure since each singer got to choose their song, too. By the end of the night the true artists would stand apart from the rest of the pack.

Brian Smith – “I Won’t Complain”
Dubbed by the Sunday Best judges as Mr. Bowtie, Brian kicked things off with a mid-tempo rendition of the song. The arrangement was refreshing and allowed him to find his sweet spot vocally and command the stage a bit more. Judges agreed and enjoyed his performance and his nice “spirit.”

Orlando Wright – “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus”
There were signs of trouble with Orlando’s voice in the rehearsal footage. In my opinion, not much changed in his actual performance. He struggled to plant his voice in the melody and sufficed to improvise with plenty of questionable phrasing choices. The judges’ critiques were mostly succinct and vague. ? Hmm…

AND NOW FOR THE WILDCARD contestant…

Martha Buries – “Change”
Martha deserves to be back and she proved it by giving Tramaine Hawkins a run for her money on this traditional rendition of “Change.” In fact, her jazzy chops reminded me a lot of contestant Jessica Reedy from last season. I want to see her move ahead and Yolanda noted, “I knew God wasn’t through with you!” Definitely not.

Franklin Davis IV – “Savior More Than Life to Me”
No one was more disappointed in Franklin’s performance than he was. For all the flair he brings to the stage he wasn’t very sure this time around. Maybe he got nervous singing Kirk’s song in front of him, but then again, he picked it. He’s got the range but didn’t believe what he was singing. Before the judges said a word he was hanging his head.

Dathan Thigpen – “Speak to My Heart”
For Dathan, his song choice – a Donnie McClurkin classic – was a perfect choice. He literally tore it up, especially when he jumped from the bridge to the vamp. That big jump was make or break and Donnie applauded him for pulling it off. Yolanda called him “phenomenal” and Kim said he “exceptionally sang.”

Tawanna Tarvin – “Now Behold The Lamb”
Was Kirk song #2 the charm? Well let’s say it started very strong…maybe a little too strong. Tawanna has quite a range, and she started the song in the rafters and never came down. Her upper register was hurting a bit by the end. But there’s still no doubt she can rip a song apart, she just has to take her time doing it.

Durward Davis – “That’s When You Blessed Me”
Durward took on a big L.A. Mass Choir song, and with amazing background vocalists, he pulled that thing off up in Sunday Best time – and he was so sincere. Tears were welled in his eyes the entire time. Kudos to him for “doing just what he said,” as Kim put it.

LeAndria Johnson – “He Was There All the Time”
Singing a “testimony” song, LeAndria was true to form, which is to say flawless. From beginning to end she delivered. At this point, she’s the one contestant I would say is ready to launch. Stage presence, vocal control and dynamism and anointing. She’s the full package.

David Wilford – “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
David is a very cool dude. And that’s exactly what came across in his performance. To be honest, he kind of had a duet with the saxophone and the arrangement was very mellow, almost soothing. David crooned without missing a note. Somehow I feel he failed to grab the attention of the audience or the judges. It was certainly a safe performance. Sadly, it may have been a forgettable one as well.

Tiffany Carlin-Laird – “I Need Thee”
The judges told her she needed to own the stage and Tiffany ran with their advice. She tackled the traditional hymn with fervor, showing she could be soft and still pack a nice growl, too. I hope she continues to mature and grow comfortable with her gift.

Elder Goldwire McLendon – “Yes, Jesus Loves Me”
When I watch Elder McLendon all I can think is “oil”. There is oil all over him. Even before he opened his mouth to sing, he ushered in the Presence of God. We already know he can sing in the purest sense of the word, so what’s more intriguing is the way his singing changes the atmosphere. The audience (and judges) couldn’t contain the power that followed Elder McLendon’s performance. He literally shouted off the stage.

But in the end, only 7 contestants remained.
The Top 7:
Brian Smith
LeAndria Johnson
Elder Goldwire McLendon
Martha Buries (Wildcard)
Tiffany Carlin-Laird
Dathan Thigpen
Durward Davis

For once I agree totally with the cuts from the lineup. The remaining contestants have a certain degree of artistry. They are no longer just singing songs, but they have a unique style and approach to singing that is distinguishable. A few can still benefit from the professional mentoring. For the most part, though, they’ve got “it.”

By the way, this episode got me thinking: I would love for Kim Burrell to open the show at least once before the season is over.

Now what did you really think?

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Well, shooooooooot… I guess I’ll start by saying I think that’s a dope recap!

Then, I’ll add that I am quite pleased with the top 7– these would probably have been my choices, too, even from the week before.  I would have loved to see David Wilford progress through the competition a bit more, but I’ll have to see the performance footage from last night.

So, like Troy asked, what did you really think?

Last night’s episode of BET’s Sunday Best chopped 20 finalists down to 10 and we’re one week closer to crowning a winner.  Here’s how it all went down…

Kurt Carr was the guest artist, opening the show with “In The Sanctuary.”  There was a funky edit during the modulations, in which a phrase started in one key and ended in another, but aside from that, it was cool enough.  I would’ve liked to hear something a tad more recent from him (like “Peace And Favor Rest On Us”), but “In The Sanctuary” was a black church anthem at one point, so thought it’s 10 years and two albums old, it still works, I guess.

The competition this week was as tough as last week.  The judges– Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams and Tina Campbell, were straight-up and on-point, in my opinion.  They were kind to all, but absolutely honest in their critiques.  Let’s go one-by-one:

Mesie Augustine – “How Great Is Our God”
I wasn’t a fan of the arrangement and her nerves got the best of her on the vocals, but I really like her spirit.  I kinda knew the judges were gonna call her on the nervousness– it made an otherwise capable young lady subject to her anxiety, rather than being able to own her voice and do what she wanted with it.

Orlando Wright - “The Presence Of The Lord”
I just don’t know.  I like him and his voice, but I don’t know if I’d want an album from him.  I don’t know if he’s got an innate “artist” quality to him.  That said, he’s a likeable guy who clearly believed what he was singing– I think he has an audience, I just don’t know if it’s on a national platform.  I see him more regional, but time will tell.

Brittney Dear - “Here I Am To Worship”
Nerves again.  Oh my goooooodness, it made me nervous FOR her. I really wanted her to be okay, but the vocal performance really suffered as a result of her emotions.  Her tone and vocal quality was completely different from what we saw in her audition– I think Tina said it best– that her nerves consumed her.

David Wilford – “I Will Bless The Lord”
Loved this performance– it was full of energy, demonstrated his range and agility a bit… and he’s comfortable on the stage, which always puts others at ease.  For my taste, he could demonstrate a bit more control and focus on some of his riffs, but I enjoy him, for sure.  I wanna see more.

Tiffany Carlin-Laird – “Walk With Me”
Loved her at the audition and loved her on stage.  That performance was HOT.  Like her audition, she came and delivered without a problem.  She owns her voice, and the stage on which she uses it, and that makes you WANT to hear more.  She never gives too much or too little, it seems… I really love what she brings to the stage.

Dathan Thigpen - “Open The Eyes Of My Heart”
This performance was really great, too– his voice matched the acoustic vibe of the song.  It was just an awesome performance and there’s really very little to say about it– it was just RIGHT, y’know?  I felt like we were simply invited to his own worship moment on stage.  He did what he would probably be doing if he were by himself, and not being taped for TV.  It translated well.

Martha Buries - “Our God Is Awesome God”
She gave a solid performance– it was a jazzy and tasteful rendition of a song that generally puts me to sleep (not because of the message, but because of how slowwwwwwly some people sing it in worship).  In any event, she kept my attention.  And I would like to hear more of what she does. 

Brian Smith – “Precious Jesus”
Good ol’, Brian.  He’s just a nice guy, and that translates to his entire performance– he’s got a nice tone with a nice delivery, nice agility with a nice stage presence.  NICE!  I like it a lot.  In future weeks, he’ll probably have to show more stage confidence and ownership if he’s to compete with some of the people that came harder with it, but until then, he’s someone I wanna hear.  By the way– DOPE song choice.

Bethany Divine – “For Every Mountain”
I loved her vocal.  She played it safe quite a bit and I wish she had just gone for it, but I felt like she knows her voice.  She may know it better than most of the finalists we’ve seen.  And her tone, her vocal agility… she’s got one of those pre-approved voices for gospel.  She fits right in and I think we’ll be seeing more of her.  This is the one performance with which I disagreed with the judges a bit.

Vernell Payton - “Praise Is What I Do”
Vernell’s got a great tone and control, and he does all the things you’d expect, but there appeared to be a disconnect, and the judges did not delay in talking about it.  I dunno what it was– the performance just didn’t… go… from vocal performance to ministry moment.  I have no clue as to why.  All in all, I enjoyed his vocal performance enough, but I don’t know if he’s ready to give more than a great vocal when he’s on stage. 

At the end of the show, the top 20 were shaved down to the top 10 for next week.  And they are:

Durward Davis
Franklin Davis
Tawanna Tarvin
LeAndria Johnson
Orlando Wright
Brian Smith
Tiffany Carlin-Laird
David Wilford
Dathan Thigpen
Elder Goldwire McLendon

One wildcard will join ‘em next week, so we’ll have to see who they saved from elimination… I’m hopin’ for Bethany Divine or Jonte Thomas.  Aside from those omissions, I’m actually quite satisfied with their selection– I think they kept the finalists who demonstrated the most prior preparation and future potential.  It’s gonna be a good show.

And that was that!  What were your thoughts?  What did you think about the show?

Talk to me!

If you read my post yesterday, you know that I really wasn’t sure that I’d watch Sunday’s episode of Sunday Best.  I kinda felt like, with these audition cities, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all.

But, after a lil’ convincing from you good people, my interest was piqued and I went ahead and watched.  And I have to agree with you– it may have been one of their best episodes to date.

I think the judges in New Orleans– Erica & Tina Campbell and Donnie McClurkin– were hilarious, as usual.  For me, it’s about comedic timing and delivery and few can time and deliver better than Tina.  Favorite lines from her were her reference to the “fast forward ministry” and “I’ma have to go with the ‘no’ on the ‘sing somethin’ else’.”

I can’t believe that New Orleans has better singers than every other city, so I’m gonna go ahead and say that the edits were dope.  We got to see some great talent this time around, but my favorites were LeAndria Johnson (“This Is The Day”), Tiffany Carlin-Laird (“I Know I’ve Been Changed”), and Jonte Thomas (“For Every Mountain”).

Your top 20 contestants for this season of Sunday Best are:

Lamesha “Mesie” Augustine | Indianapolis, IN
Martha Buries | Friendswood, TX
Tiffany Carlin-Laird | Baton Rouge, LA
Franklin Davis | New Orleans, LA
Durward Davis | Tulsa, OK
Brittney Dear | Madison, MS
Bethany Divine | Maumelle, AR
Davon Fleming | Baltimore, MD
Robert Hatcher | Cincinnati, OH
LeAndria Johnson | Ocoee, FL
Elder Goldwire McLendon | Philadelphia, PA
Funmi Oduyemi | Lagos, Nigeria
Vernell Payton | New Orleans, LA
Quiana Pettigrew | Cleveland, OH
Brian Smith | Chicago, IL
Tawanna Tarvin | Monroe, LA
Dathan Thigpen | Ridgeland, MS
Jonte Thomas | New Orleans, LA
David E. Wilford | Millsboro, DE
Orlando D. Wright | Cincinnati, OH

For the second season straight, industry peeps have just casually spilled the Sunday Best beans about the tapings– who’s been moving forward and who’s gone home.  They don’t intend to ruin things for me… they just wanna talk.

In any event, I’ll not be so cruel to you.  Tell me who your favorites are!

The second week of BET’s Sunday Best continued with auditions in Detroit.  I dunno if they simply chose to edit out the incredible performances, but… I don’t think I saw much that excited me.

At the judges table, Erica & Tina Campbell (Mary Mary) joined Donnie McClurkin this week.  They were not giving any freebies, and I’m glad about it.  Just cuz you can sing doesn’t mean you can be an artist.

Tina had some GREAT one-liners… my favorite was probably, to the woman who sang ”I Know I’ve Been Changed,” Tina responded “DEFINITELY take that to the Black History Program.”

I have two favorites from the night.  One was Missy, the soft-spoken, but confidently sung young lady from the UK.  The second was Brian Smith (the last contestant).  He and I used to sing together (along with Jermaine Sellers) in Walt Whitman & The Soul Children Of Chicago.  I wonder if this means that I’ve gotta audition for Sunday Best next year…

Anyway, I’m already excited for the episodes with the finalists in New Orleans (they’re taping now and some of the guest performers include Y’Anna Crawley and J Moss).  That’s when the gettin’ gets good.

What did you think of the show?