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!

EXCLUSIVE LISTEN – DOUBLE PLAY!

Ashmont Hill is one of my favorite new groups.  Their self-titled debut album was released in 2008.  I don’t think it got NEARLY as much attention as it deserved, but in due season…

They’re back with their sophomore album, Your Masterpiece, which will be released on May 25th and GospelPundit.com is giving you the exclusive first listen to TWO NEW TRACKS– the title track, “Your Masterpiece,” and another called “Around.”

If you recall, my wife and I visited them in-studio back in September and I raved about a song that they were working on– “Your Masterpiece” is it.  That track features beautiful lyrics and great vocal performances from the group.  “Around” is a catchy and rousing declaration of praise– “your love has turned me around.”  It’s great stuff!

I’ve just added BOTH OF ‘EM to the PunditPlayer.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!!!

And make sure you lemme know what you think!

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’???

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!

I first learned of this dynamic group from Boston, comprised of three siblings and a hubby, about a year ago.  My wife and I spent over an hour on the Ashmont Hill MySpace page, reading their bio, looking at photos and listening to their self-titled debut (which we immediately purchased twice, one for each iPod).

We enjoyed the refreshing fact that they seemed like unaffected industry “outsiders,” by comparison to other emerging artists.  And we loved the fact that, because their writing, production and arrangements are noticeably influenced by both CCM and gospel music, their music appeals to multiple markets, authentically.  I think they represent a style of music ministry that is desperately needed in Christian music, across genres.  A universal appeal…

With co-production from Sal Oliveri and Calvin Nowell, they more than “do justice” to a couple of Matt Redman covers (“Blessed Be Your Name” and “Gifted Response”), and the original compositions are just as great.  My favorites include “I Give You Worship,” a powerful praise and worship song, “Praise His Name,” a worship-inspiring ballad, and “I Live to Worship,” an intimate, jazzy track.

I scoured the dern internet for a clip, but I can’t find one to embed on here, so you’ll simply have to TRUST ME and go to the Ashmont Hill MySpace page to hear full-length clips!!

So… whatd’ya think???