Folks, I want you to check out the debut album from new artist Jamie Grace, titled One Song at a Time. It’s in stores TODAY and is worth a listen and a purchase.

After hearing tons of buzz about Jamie in both gospel and CCM circles, I finally met her at a tobyMac concert this weekend (she’s the newest artist on his label, Gotee Records). The 19-year old college student is as gracious and fun off-stage as she is on it. Just a cool young lady with a remarkable gift.

Her single, “Hold Me,” reached #1 at Christian radio in May and doors just keep opening for her.  Check out the full video for the tune–

You can learn more about Jamie at her official website. And listen to/buy the full album, One Song at a Time, right here–

Artistic Soul Entertainment’s popular Beyond Potential Music Gathering & Showcase is taking place this weekend in Nashville, TN.

The two-day conference is the brainchild of Brandon Egerton & Antonio Neal and has been very successful over the past several years, providing attendees with a LOT of industry info and some great performance/feedback opportunities.

On the evening of Friday, April 16th, there will be time to chat with Joey Elwood (President, Gotee Records) and Wade Jessen (Sr. Chart Manager, Neilsen/Billboard), followed by an Open Mic Showcase hosted by Wayne “Holla” Waller.

On Saturday, April 17th, there will be a full day of instructional seminars and discussions featuring presentations by Larry Blackwell (VP/GM, EMI Gospel), Karen Jackson (Director of Artist Development, EMI Gospel), Marcelo Pennell (GRAMMY-winning mix/recording engineer), and several other notable industry folks.

If that’s enough to draw you in (and it oughta be), yours truly will be teaching a class on “Maximizing Social Media”, as well as sponsoring a Networking Luncheon & Halftime Show.

Visit http://www.GoBeyondPotential.com for details on how to attend– I don’t think it’s too late!

Several of you have reached out to me on Twitter, telling me you’ll be there.  Can’t wait to see ya!  Who all is coming???

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!