When the second season of BET’s Sunday Best was on, I made it abundantly clear that my favorite contestant was Jessica Reedy.  Never get it twisted, though– I also looooove the voices and ministries of several of the other contestants, like (of course) winner Y’Anna Crawley, Latice Crawford, Dontavies Boatwright, John John, Camille Betton… but from jump, Jess just… shocked me.

And I wasn’t alone cuz I know a bunch of y’all adore her, too… which is why I reached out and said “let’s talk again and tell the people what you’ve been up to!”  So, here we are!

Friends, here’s our buddy, Jessica Reedy:

*     *     *

EJ:  How have you been, sister?!

JR:  I’ve been wonderful!  I really have.

EJ:  You sound happy.

JR:  Thank you.  I am!

EJ:  I’m so glad to be chattin’ with you.  Last time we talked for the website, you were in total shock over the fact that so many people enjoyed you so much. You still amazed?

JR:  I’m still shocked.  I’m shocked that people still remember me.

EJ:  Still remember you?!  It was only four months ago.

JR:  Yeah, but there’s so much new stuff going on.  And I don’t have anything out to keep your mind refreshed, so it still amazes me.

EJ:  I hear that.  I wanna re-visit Sunday Best for just a quick second.  The night of the finale, you’re at home with your family in Saginaw, watching the whole thing.  Did you know the results before Kirk Franklin announced them?

JR:  No, I didn’t.  They taped two endings, so me and Yannie both were waiting to see which ending they played.

EJ:  Yep.  I dunno if you saw the blogs and heard the commentary on radio, but fans of the show lashed out at BET.  They thought the competition was rigged, they said the finale wasn’t good, they said the results were known before that night, but you’re saying that the first time you heard anything was with the rest of the nation?

JR:  The first time I heard anything.  And the crazy thing is that the local news decided to be at my house, to catch my first reaction.  I had no clue.  What we did know was who would be the last two, but once we got home, that was it.  We didn’t know anything else.

EJ:  Okay.  So, you didn’t know what would happen… Kirk announces Y’Anna as the winner.  What was your immediate reaction?

JR:  I told Yannie this– I knew God had blessed me, but I sort of expected my flesh to be a sore loser.  I had no bad feelings… I was so happy for her, to the point that it shocked me AND my family.

EJ:  *laughs*

JR:  But I had no kind of bad feelings because I knew how good God had been to me already.  And to feel something stupid like that would be such an insult to God, in my opinion.  And it shocked the heck outta me– all I could do was smile.

And my cousin was like “it’s alright,” and I was like “it IS alright.” *laughing*

EJ:  You’re a good-hearted person.  I dunno if everyone would be as kind about that.

JR:  I couldn’t find another person who is more deserving.  She’s a kind-hearted person.  You know, she has two kids.  She has a boy, in a minute, he’ll be in college.  And here I am, I just turned 21.  At the time, I was 20 years old.  God has so much more for me than I can even imagine.  Yannie’s what…32?  Lord, bless HER.  I’ll take the backseat– I can’t believe I’m in the top 2 anyway, so I’ll take that.  I don’t mind.

EJ:  And the beauty of televised competitions like Sunday Best is that, once you’re in the top two, each finalist is pretty much set to get SOMETHING.

People haven’t heard too much about you on a NATIONAL scale since Sunday Best ended, but I know that you’ve been quite busy– tell us what you’ve been up to.

JR:  Awww, man.  God’s been good.  He’s been telling people to call me! *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing* Yep!

JR:   He’s been giving people a desire to wanna hear me some more, so churches have been calling me, pastors… just people who want me to come to anything they might be having.

They fly me out, which is amazing!  It’s like… God will bless me like THAT?!  I’m grateful.  I’m so grateful.  I can’t believe it because singing is something I do all the time.  And you wanna pay me to come and do it?!

EJ:  That’s awesome.

JR:  And I’m grateful.  They do more than they have to… they’ll say “do you want to go to the movies,” or “do you want to go shopping?”  I’m like “wow,” and my manager reminds me “they don’t do this for everybody.”  So, it’s another confirmation from God, like “Jessica, you’re on the right track.”

EJ:  Ok, so the big question that’s on everyone’s mind– when can we expect some music from you?

JR:  Okay.  Now, I’m working extremely hard to get some leniency on my contracts.  Right now, I cannot record.

EJ:  You can’t record because of your contract with BET?

JR:  Nothing.  Right now, they’re allowing me to travel, but that’s all I can do. So, I’m praying!

EJ:  Well, I’ll make sure we get to prayin’ too!  Because people want something.  Badly.

JR:  Really?  See, that’s amazing to me!

EJ:  Oh, absolutely.  Folks are going crazy over the few YouTube videos of you that are up.

JR:  Oh my goodness.  Honestly, I look at all of this as a blessing in disguise.  God won’t leave me.  He reminds me “Jessica, I brought you from the bottom and raised you to runner-up, among thousands.”

And this down time has gotten me to a point where my relationship with the Lord has grown even more.  It’s making me find more within myself, even creative ideas, so that when I do get out of the contract, I’ll know what I want to do.

EJ:  True.  And this is good down time.  I often think of “down time” as an awesome time for God to prepare us and work on our character, work on those things we didn’t even know were issues.

JR:  Right.

EJ:  Do me a favor, and I think I speak for all of your supporters.  TRY YOUR BEST to re-make Kirk’s “Brighter Day” for your debut album, with the same arrangement that you had on Sunday Best.

JR:  Okay!

EJ:  I’m serious.  Cuz we NEED to be able to listen to that whenever we want it.  Deal?

JR:  That’s a deal.  I promise.

But you know what?  There’s a compilation album that we all did– the top 10.  And that’s the song that they chose for me to do on the album.  It’s not the exact arrangement, but it’s sweet… it’s nice.  I honestly like the original arrangement that I did on the show, though.

EJ:  That’s what you HAVE to do.  And if you have to go back to watch the YouTube clips so you can remember what you did, do that.

JR:  *laughing*

EJ:  *laughing*  Okay, let’s see… you’re on Twitter now, so people can connect with you socially there (http://www.twitter.com/jessicareedy).  But how can people book you if they want to get you for an event?

JR:  Contact my manager, Phil Thorton, at 323-937-3700.  And email jessicareedybookings@yahoo.com.  You’ll get a response in NO time, I promise.  I won’t make people wait.  I’ve got no time to waste. *laughing*

EJ:  Well, you already know that I think the world of you and your voice.  I continue to wish you all the best.  I appreciate you, sis.  Thanks for touching base.

JR:  Thank you.  I really appreciate this, EJ.

EJ:  No doubt.  And we’ll talk soon.

JR:  Okay then.  You take care.

EJ:  You too.  Bye-bye.

*     *     *

Ain’t that crazy that she’s locked into her contract and can’t record for us the glory of God?!  Geeeeez.  But it’s great to know that she’s doing well and making the most of her time, giggin’ and what not.  Good job!

Oh, and just for kicks, here’s that awesome performance of “Brighter Day” that we all loved so much:

I chatted with Dontavies Boatwright.

You may be thinking “but, EJ… Sunday Best is over… let it go.”  To that, I say “hush up” and “so what?!”

The PEOPLE we met on the show still exist and their ministries are still going, if not more so.  Last year, folks saw a bunch of talented contestants, but where are they now?

SO, I’m committed to making sure that we at least follow-up with a handful of the people… and Dontavies Boatwright is a GREAT guy with whom to kick things off!  Lots of us loved his soaring baritone and thought he was eliminated too soon.  I definitely wanna see more from him… and I think we will.

In this interview, Dontavies dispels LOTS of rumors about the show, as well as gives us the real deal about how production went down (cuz y’all are STILL mad about “how BET did us”).  And we’ll hear what he’s up to now and how we can keep up with him in the future.

Are ya ready???  Here’s my chat with Dontavies Boatwright…

*     *     *

EJ:  What’s up, man?

DB:  I’m good, guy.  How are you?

EJ:  I’m good.  Thank you for chatting with me.

DB:  Absolutely.  My pleasure!

EJ:  Why don’t we start by talking about your experience on Sunday Best.  What was it like for you?

DB:  It was unbelievable.  To be there with all the contestants and the artists… I mean, I’ve got their CDs in my car, and to be standing there face-to-face with them was amazing.

EJ:  Sounds like a great experience!  Do you feel like the show always “fair”?  Even if you hoped for a different outcome for yourself, do you feel like there were some aspects of the show that kinda weren’t fair or was it pretty even?

DB:  I think it was pretty even.

EJ:  Good.  You were eliminated how many contestants in?

DB:  I made it to the top 5.

EJ:  And what did you feel like that night, when you were eliminated?

DB:  *laughs* Honestly, my first thought was “this is not happening.”

EJ:  *laughing*

DB:  I mean, I’m gonna be honest.  I’m not gonna sugarcoat it.  I was like “what happened?!  This cannot be happening.  I’m not supposed to go home.”

I can’t say that someone should’ve gone home over me, but I was just reviewing it in my mind… it was so quick.  When they called my name and said we were going home, I immediately began to play back my song in my head, like “what did I do wrong?”

EJ:  Right.

DB:  But at the end of the day, it was a competition and the judges had a job to do.  So I guess reviewing things, it was just my time.  I’m grateful to have made it that far, though, to the top 5.

EJ:  Absolutely.  And congratulations, because it wasn’t easy.  Watching the auditions, there were some phenomenal vocalists who weren’t even put through, so I was like “I dunno what it TAKES!”

DB: Right!

EJ:  When you watched back, week by week, is what America saw really what happened in Atlanta?  Are there things you wish they had shown that they edited out of the final tape?

DB:  I do wish that they had shown the shout-out that I gave to my hometown, which is Fort Pierce, Florida.  When I said, initially, who I was and where I was from, I said I was from Fort Pierce, Florida, now living in Jacksonville, and they only gave the shout-out to Jacksonville.  And I wish they had kept that in because my hometown has supported me.

EJ:  Sure.

DB:  But that was it.  I mean, mostly, what you see is really what happened.  There were some things that were edited in production, but it was what it was.

EJ:  Good deal.  Now, folks were HIGHLY disappointed with several aspects of the show and I want to get your reaction to some of those criticisms.

It all boils down to expectations, in my mind.  Viewers EXPECTED Sunday Best to run like a gospel American Idol.

DB:  Right.

EJ:  But the reality is that it costs A LOT of money to produce a show like Idol.  So, television magic is used to cuts some costs and a lot of the viewers felt like they didn’t get what they expected.

Talk to me about the taping schedule.  The show was taped over the course of a week or so?

DB:  Actually, it was two weeks.  One thing I do wish is that we had longer so that our voices had time to rest.  But with the time, and because of the budgeting, I think the show was presented in the best light possible considering those things.

The schedule was tight.  8:00 or 9:00 in the morning call times… there all day.

EJ:  You were there all day?

DB:  All day.  30 or 40 minutes between shows…

EJ:  Wow.  Taped two shows a day?

DB:  Yes.  Most of the time, it was two shows a day.  I think, as it got down to the last ones, there was one show a day.  But the schedule was still tight.  And if we weren’t taping, we were in rehearsal.

EJ:  So, what was that like for the contestants?  You were there for two weeks, but the contestants who were “sent home,” actually just sat in the audience and watched?

DB:  The second group of 10 did.  The first group, if I remember correctly, they were there for the second group’s first show, then went home.

I know it looked like, week-to-week, I stayed there, but my elimination show and the show when Zebulon came back, those were taped the same day.

EJ:  And the second group of 10, those who were eliminated stayed until the end?

DB:  Pretty much everyone stayed ’til the end…

EJ:  And what was the dynamic like for those contestants in the audience, knowing that your friends were continuing on and you were just there… chillin’?

DB:  From the audience, it was like “I’m supposed to be UP THERE! What happened?!”  And again, for me, this was the same day.  I got eliminated, went backstage and did an interview, switched clothes, and came to sit in the audience.

So, it wasn’t like I had time to think.  My mindset was still the same.  I was like “I’m supposed to be up there, I have my song, I know what I’m supposed to be singing, I’ve got my wardrobe picked out…”

EJ:  Oh man… that’s rough!

DB:  But again, I wouldn’t let that overshadow my rooting for my fellow contestants because we were like a family.  I know you’ve heard this a million times, but it really was true.

EJ:  Sure.

DB:  I mean, we bonded.  We were helping each other with song arrangements.  And I’ve done many vocal competitions, but I’ve never seen that.

EJ:  Yeah, and that definitely comes across as authentic.  I’ve heard it, like you said, from a bunch of y’all by now– Jessica, Camille, Y’Anna, Latice… everyone has said “we are family.”  And they meant it.

DB:  Right.  We talk on the phone on a regular basis, we text… I did a radio show on Sunday and the top 6 called in to say “wassup.”

EJ:  Very nice.  That’s a great take-away.  Talk to me about the finale, cuz people had an issue with THAT being pre-taped, too.

Everyone talked about the lack of emotion on the faces of Y’Anna and Jessica.  I say, it’s just hard to script that type of stuff and I don’t fault them for it.  What are your thoughts on how it turned out?

DB:  I didn’t see it as a problem considering the schedule.  There were two endings that were taped and two takes of BOTH endings.  So, getting up there, doing the commercial with the ladies, hair and make-up… it was a lot.

I would’ve liked for there to have been some rest.  If there had been some rest time, they could’ve maybe cried or staged some emotion.  But I think we’re lucky to get what we got from them.

EJ:  Wow.

DB:  Yeah, I mean… a really really tight schedule.

EJ:  Okay, dispel some myths for me– did the judges already have a favorite among you all?

DB:  If they did, they didn’t let on.

EJ:  Cool.  Umm… I’m trying to think of other rumors I’ve seen around the internet… Did one of the BET producers have some sort of professional or social relationship with one of the contestants that led to some unfairness there?

DB:  If that’s the case, I wanna know who that is, because it wasn’t me! *laughing*

EJ: *laughs*

DB:  I mean, again, I don’t know about any of that going on.  I don’t even know when we’d have time.  The contestants were all in the same hotel, but not the judges or BET staff, aside from those assisting us at the hotel.

EJ:  Yeah, and that’s what I’d assume.  I didn’t get the sense from speaking to anyone that there was anything shady going on.

DB:  Not at all.

EJ:  Now, you were one of the contestants that folks really loved.  I remember saying on GospelPundit that your voice is needed in the industry.  What’s next for you?

DB:  I’m definitely listening to music now, exercising my writing skills… trying to put some foundational things in place– management, a publicist.  I’m looking forward to what’s next for me.

I definitely wanna do plays.  I do aspire to work with Tyler Perry, so I’m trying to create a package of some plays that I’ve done  to kinda pitch something to him and the theater world.  So, hopefully soon, there will be something out that the fans can have in their hands.

EJ:  Very nice.  You were trained in theater?

DB:  Yes.  I have a theater background and an opera background.  Gospel is my first love, though.

EJ:  And that’s cool because not many people are bringing that element to gospel music.  I think that’s one of the reasons so many people liked you– they could see the passion, but also hear the formal training in there.

And it wasn’t fake training, you know… cuz some singers have never been trained, but they try to get that sound. *laughs*

DB:  *laughing*

EJ:  And I’m not gonna name names, but I’m just sayin’… *laughs*

DB:  *laughing*

EJ:  Where can people find out more about you, man?

DB:  MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/dboatwright).  And I’m on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/Don_SundayBest).

EJ:  Yes, you ARE on Twitter and I noticed something from your daily tweets– anyone who loves coffee half as much as I do, you’ve gotta be a good dude!

DB:  I’ve GOTTA have my Starbucks in the morning!

EJ:  Got to! *laughs*  And you’re a trained vocalist and you’re saying coffee is ok, right?

DB:  I would say decaf.  And I increase my water intake when I drink coffee.  Caffeine dries you out, so I increase my water intake.

EJ:  Hmmm… I’m not big on decaf, but I’ll try.

DB:  Yeah, it’s an acquired taste, but once you do it, you’re fine.  I laid off Coke… I do drink Sprite, but Donald Lawrence took me off of carbonated drinks while we were there.

EJ:  He said no carbonated drinks at all?

DB:  He said “I advise NO carbonated drinks.”  So, I adhered to that, but when I came home…

EJ: *laughing*

DB:  *laughs*  I’m tellin’ you.  Before I got my BAG, I got a Sprite.

EJ:  Hilarious! *laughs* Dude, thanks for the chat.  I’m excited for you cuz I think you’re gonna do well in the industry.

DB:  I appreciate it, man, definitely.  Just coming from someone who knows and talks to artists, with an eye on that stuff, I do appreciate it.

EJ:  No, I’m just lil’ ol’ me.  But I really do believe we’ll see you doing stuff.

DB:  Well, thank you.

EJ:  No doubt.  And we’ll talk soon.

DB:  Okay.

EJ:  Bye-bye.

*     *     *

Dontavies is a COOL dude.  No lie.  Make sure you check him out on MySpace and Twitter.  Like I keep saying, I really think we’re gonna see more of him.

What did you guys think???

People people people… BIG stuff happening.  Can’t talk about all of it JUST yet, but here’s what I CAN say:

1.  Just launched the industry’s ONLY GospelPundit TwitterRoll today!  It’s an ever-growing directory of your fave gospel artists on Twitter.  Make sure you check it out and if you see it elsewhere… you know the deal!

2.  I’m a new contributor for RocSpaceNews.com– I write weekly updates in my column there, called In Gospel. Fret not, y’all will always be my first priority and you KNOW you’re gonna hear everything first right here at GP.  But RocSpace is a great site with TONS of great content, so make sure you add it to your daily links.  Click here for my column: http://www.rocspacenews.com/ink/EJ-Gaines.

3.  Coko’s sophomore gospel album, The Winner In Me, is due in stores on July 14th.  She’s promoting it with some great video blogs, which you can view on the sidebar in a lil’ area I’ve called “Coko’s Corner.”  Check it regularly for updates directly from Coko!

4.  Monday is Memorial Day.  Dunno if I’m posting new content that day or not… let’s play it by ear, okay?  Enjoy your respective BBQ’s and what not…

5.  Remember how I gave away 10 tickets to the Tim Reid Celebrity Basketball Game & Pre-Game Concert in Virginia?  One of the winners, Janna B., was sweet enough to send a pic that she took with Tim & Daphne Reid at the game.  Thanks Janna!

Okay, that’s it for the updates.  Keep it locked cuz I’m posting an exclusive interview with Dontavies Boatwright (Sunday Best) in the 4pm hour.  He’s dishing on the behind-the-scenes reality of the show, as well as telling us what’s next for him.

Until later…

Okay, as promised… my thorough (albeit delayed) recap of last night’s episode of Sunday Best… generally: good show.

We FINALLY got to see Donald Lawrence on camera.  Everyone was saying he was the backstage coach/mentor, but we hadn’t seem him YET, so I’m glad he got some screen time.

Ann Nesby ended the show with her performance of “I Found A Place,” the single from her latest album, The Lula Lee Project.  Alright jazzy lady!  Great voice, great look.  Fine for me.

The wildcard contestant was Zebulon Ellis, which I was actually okay with.  I was slightly disappointed cuz I wanted to see more of Clifton Ross III, but it’s cool.  I think Clifton will do well, in God’s timing, in spite of that.  Plus, Zebulon ain’t a bad vocalist anyhow!!

Zebulon Ellis – “A Song For You”:  He has a nice voice and he did well, but I didn’t enjoy this performance as much as others probably did. The melody is classic, so I didn’t want his rendition to be so varied from the original.  It’s cool to “make it your own,” but… I dunno.  BeBe said “you took it away from Donnie [Hathaway]“.  I firmly disagree.  No one has ever taken ANY song away from Donnie Hathaway.  Again, though, good vocalist.

Jessica Reedy – “Just As I Am”:  She is just so doggone incredible to me!  She looked great (again) and brought the sincerity, the worship, the rawness (with a polished presentation)– again, I want my album NOW.  I agree with BeBe when he said “tone will tear me down.”  It is ALL about this woman’s tone and choices.  She rocks and I cannot wait to hear more from her.  She’s my favorite and I’m sure y’all know that by now.

John McClure – “You Are My Life”-etc.:  An incredibly great song from Fred Hammond, which turned into a medley of sorts.  Not the best we’ve heard from him.  It was very very good, but it didn’t provide the same “wowwww” factor as the other contestants have been giving us.  BeBe said it well: “quiet storm,” meaning that he didn’t give it to us with all the stomps, shouts and whistles that other contestants give, but he did well.  But was it well ENOUGH?

Latice Crawford – “Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand”:  I did NOT like the song choice until the vamp, which she killed, as usual!  Her voice was hoarse, but she yanked those notes from SOMEwhere.  She’s awesome, and there’s no denying it.  I hope her voice holds up for the coming shows.

Dontavies Boatwright – “How Great Is Our God” [Editor's Note: I JUST talked about this song in my first Across The Aisle post about Chris Tomlin, remember???  Click here to see that again]:  I like his voice a lot.  I wanted him to deviate a bit and play with the melody more– it’s a simple worship chant, so there was plenty of room to be more creative with it.  That said, I want him in the industry, kinda to become the new generation of soaring crooners in gospel.  We like you, Dontavies.

Y’Anna Crawley – “Waiting On The World To Change”:  This song wasn’t built with the room to kill it like Y’Anna has demolished songs in the past, but she MADE spaces in which to demonstrate her ability anyhow!  That makes for a great artist, in my opinion.  She was polished and seasoned, as always, and she looked great.  Great job.

So, those were the contestants.  I think I feel some kinda way about the show having them do so many mainstream/R&B songs… there’s AMPLE material in gospel music to have these gospel singers sing gospel songs on the gospel talent competition.  And I’m not hating on other genres cuz my iPod is full of a wide range of music, AND I’m not saying that the songs couldn’t be re-interpreted to be about Jesus… but… we haven’t run out of gospel stuff yet, have we?

In any case, the finalists were Jessica Reedy, Zebulon Ellis, Latice Crawford and Y’Anna Crawley. I’m incredibly pleased, though I kinda wasn’t expecting four contestants to be finalists (thought we’d go down to three), nor was I expecting Zebulon to be among them, quite honestly. Still, great show and I’m cool with all of the judges picks.  EACH ONE of these singers are phenomenal vocalists and could hold their own on most stages, so I’m kinda excited to see what happens.

SUPER SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT to my awesome guest Twitter-er.  This special individual kept the conversation fresh and stimulating and I appreciate it!  Thanks!  

Some of you have already let me know your thoughts on my earlier post today, but what does everyone else think???

My, my, my… Between tweeting on Twitter, updating my status on Facebook and takin’ notes for this post, I barely saw any of the show… but I HEARD it all and that was good enough for me!

Kirk Franklin opened the show with his Grammy-winning single, “Help Me Believe.”  I saw Charmaine, Anaysha, Nikki, Eric and Isaac singing bgv’s, but ummm… where’s Ashley?!  I kinda don’t consider the group complete without her, but maybe I’m just weird. In any event, great job and THANKS for not having the contestants behind y’all, talking ’bout some ”ooooooooh”…

The show kicked off with each singer doing their thang and, as usual, my humble recap:

Dontavies Boatwright – Medley of Fred Hammond’s “Glory to Glory to Glory” and “Blessed”:  He’s got a really nice, soaring voice (that training!).  He had a really nice look, with great energy, too.  I enjoyed him more last night than any time that I’ve seen him thus far.

Jessica Reedy – “Brighter Day”:  Let me tell you something right now.  I don’t care WHO wins this competition– my favorite, since the auditions, has been this young woman and she is HANDS-DOWN my pick for this entire deal.  She brings something soooo smooth, so unique and original, so relevant… She sang an incredible arrangement of Kirk Franklin’s “Brighter Day,” and I mean… Jessica demolished it from the first note to the end, was confident, looked great, COMMANDED the stage.  Folks get stuck on the contestants’ riffs (which she does well), but for ME, it’s about the musical CHOICES an artist makes– did you stick to the melody only, or did you go exploring?  was it tasteful?  did you do something that I can’t hear elsewhere?  Jessica channeled a little of everybody (did y’all hear that Anita Baker-esque deal she did?!).  Ok, I’m moving on, but I’m just sayin’… Jessica Reedy.

Clifton Ross III – “Total Praise”:  I agreed with the judges that Clifton seemed a bit more nervous this time around.  I also agreed with Erica Campbell that he should have done a bit more in the beginning instead of saving the killer vocals ’til the end.  That said, he still gave a smooth, consistent vocal that I really enjoy.

John McClure Jr. – “??????”:  Umm… I ain’t never heard the song, but it was something about having a testimony.  Anyone know???  In any case, he’s got a great voice.  He reminds me SO much– vocally and appearance-wise– of Smokie Norful.  He did a good job on the song and I still wanna hear more from him.

Y’Anna Crawley – “Grandma’s Hands”:  She’ll sing out the side of that mouth, but SING, she does!  She’s absolutely another fave of mine.  Any time the host asks a contestant to do some MORE of the song they just sang, it’s sayin’ something.  She delivers– vocally and with stage presence– like she’s been doing this for decades.  She’s already a pro, in my book, and we’re just kinda waitin’ for the album.

Zebulon Ellis – “He’s Able”:  Another reaaally nice arrangement of a classic Kirk Franklin tune.  I think he did a great job.  His spot was kinda unfair cuz he had to come on the heels of audience members laying slain in the aisle cuz of Y’Anna’s performance, but I think he held it down.

Jeff Spain – “Yesterday”:  He did Mary Mary’s hit, and he did a nice job.  I really like him as person, for sure.  And I love that he’s only been doing gospel for a couple of years, but that he’s determined to do it.  I mentioned on my tweet last night that I dunno if he translates well for gospel audiences.  By that, I mean that the MAJORITY of the gospel audience often wants a vocalist to come and slay us with the squall and the riff.  “Churchy” is not Jeff’s style.  Funny thing:  Though he’s got more of a voice for R&B, he doesn’t want to use it for that and I respect THAT.  For that reason alone, I say that if we don’t have room for him, we try to make room for him.  We like you, Jeff Spain.

Carolyn Johnson-White – “Secret Place”:  Now, I typically don’t like folks doing Karen Clark-Sheard cuz I think 9 out of 10 will only embarass themselves.  And, while she had a few theatrics that I didn’t need (“shush”-ing folks and what not), I think she really made the song her own and, to be honest, I kinda didn’t think of it as a KCS track anymore– I thought of it as a Richard Smallwood track (which it is), sung by a great vocalist in a way that really captured what the “secret place” may be like.  And, to that, I say “very good and well done, ma’am!”

Kalind Haynes – “Healing”:  Alright, sir, with the hip new look!  Got the hat and what not… I see you.  Kalind gave a nice, smooth vocal, as usual.  I didn’t feel like the performance was necessarily strong enough to keep him in the game, but I enjoyed him.

Latice Crawford – “Praying Spirit”:  So, this is one of those songs that I don’t ever want people to touch because I’m almost certain they won’t do it right.  So, when the music came on, I thought “uh oh.”  To that, Latice said “ummm… I can kinda sing my face off, so BOOM!”  And WOW.  This woman delivers every time.  And the reason that I enjoy her is that she REALLY has some of the hardest, most nostalgic tunes to do each week (remember her doing Vanessa Bell Armstrong’s cut a few weeks ago?).  That’s tough.  And to not just do them, but to do them like you own ‘em… great stuff.  Definitely a fave.

As great as EVERYONE was, the judges had to cut the 10 down to 5.  They are:  Jessica, Dontavies, Y’Anna, Latice and John.  Plus, there’s a wildcard contestant from the Top 10 that will be selected to perform next week… I’m kinda hoping it’s Clifton.

Thoughts about the show???  Do you agree with the Top 5?  Who do you wish was in there that isn’t?  Among the Top 5, who’s your fave?  HOLLA!

Y’all watched, right?

Byron Cage opened the show with “I Will Bless the Lord.”  He looked all cool and casual with his jeans and blazer.  I see you, dude!  Too bad the contestants wore those cliché blue choir robes behind him.

As for the contestants’ performances, I think they were collectively weaker than last week’s contestants, but there were a few REAL gems in there.  My thoughts:

Pete Robinson – “Through It All”:  He was one of my faves from the auditions cuz I love his sincerity, but he sang the entire song a half-note higher than the melody.  That may have been nerves, but it’s a problem.  Nice dude, though, and I hope he gets more opportunities.

Y’anna Crawley – “For Every Mountain”:  Though the arrangement never got around to the “for every mountain” part of it, it was a good performance that allowed her to showcase her INCREDIBLE vocal prowess.  She gave it to the people and there’s no denying it.  Me likey.

Maurice Griffin – “In The Midst Of It All”:  ummmm. YESSIR!  Reminds me of Micah Stampley, timbre-wise.  I agree with the judges on his needing to connect more, but I think he’s reaaaally good.

Sharon Gomez – “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”:  She seems like such a sweetheart, but this particular performance was just not on par with the other singers there.  Still, I think there may be a place for her in the marketplace.

John McClure – “I’m Lost Without You”: I’ve always adored that song, so when I heard the opening CHORDS, I thought “please please please don’t mess this up.”  And he didn’t!   He had a really beautiful voice for it.  I wasn’t thrilled with his ad libs, but he’s solid for sure.

And when Kirk had BeBe sing the first line real quick– dang it!!! THAT man.  *rushin’ to listen to the original recording*

Crystal Holland – “Melodies From Heaven”:  She did a really smooth, jazzy arrangement, and I LOVED it.  But it didn’t feel like she meant it.  That said, I like her a lot– great style, artist appeal, nice voice.  I wanna see her again.

Ian Knighton – “The Presence Of The Lord Is Here”:  The audience and the judges raved, but it felt kinda “Broadway showtune” to me.  That’s probably a result of his vocal training, but it seemed scripted in a way.  Still, he’s got a great voice and he’s got a lot of appeal, so we may see more of him.

Cekoya Burch – “In The Morning”:  It’s a harder song to sing than many would think.  The tempo of this particular performance seemed too fast for her because she seemed rushed and a bit pitchy, especially through the bridge.  But she looked great and I really wanted it for her…

Dontavies Boatwright – “What The World Needs Now”:  If the producers really are picking these songs for the contestants, I think they owe Dontavies a BIG apology.  He wasn’t bad AT ALL– just didn’t like the song.  But, he’s got a really nice voice and I’m excited to hear him do other songs.

Carolyn Johnson-White – “I Know I’ve Been Changed”:  I was finna snooze until she modulated at that vamp and hit that high note at the end… Ma’am?? Ma’am!!  And when she got to testifyin’, yooo… Good ministry there.  We like you!

Twenty were chopped to ten, and they are:

Dontavies Boatwright, Latice Crawford, Y’Anna Crawley, Zebulon Ellis, Kalind Haynes, John McClure, Jessica Reedy, Clifton Ross III, Jeff Spain, Carolyn Johnson-White

My 5 faves:  Jessica Reedy, Clifton Ross III, Y’Anna Crawley, John McClure, Latice Crawford

Thoughts???