Hey folks– just a heads-up to let you know that “Simply Redeemed,” the single from Isaac Carree, is now available at iTunes!  Click here to buy it.

And you know what THAT means… it’s comin’ off the PunditPlayer!

I’m not trying to be mean, nor do I EVER want to deprive of you of dope streaming audio, but I DO want to make sure that we, as a community, don’t become so accustomed to free listens that we think we’re entitled to free music all our days.

So, if you like it, please support it.  Cool?

Have you guys heard the debut single from Isaac Carree?

It’s an incredibly beautiful song called “Simply Redeemed,” penned by the legendary Tommy Sims and Marc Harris.  If you have Heather Headley’s debut gospel project, you might have heard it there as the opening track.  But don’t be fooled– different voices, different arrangements, different approaches… different songs.

Isaac Carree finesses this song with his own signature style, riffing with the acoustic guitar before building to a rousing vamp.  In my opinion, it’s a tasteful vocal performance that does a great job of introducing him as a solo artist (don’t fear, though– Men of Standard hasn’t disbanded).

Don’t just take my word for it– I’ve just added “Simply Redeemed” to the PunditPlayer!

Click here to listen!!!

And let me know what you think!!!

Yesterday, BET’s Sunday Best transitioned from auditions to competition in the anticipated first-week of vocal throwdowns.  This week, 10 of the 20 finalists were commissioned to sing songs recorded by judges Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams.

Before they got started, though, the show opened with a nice medley of “Are You Listening” (Kirk Franklin’s Haiti Relief song) and Donnie McClurkin’s “Ooh Child.”  The former featured vocal performances from McClurkin, Isaac Carree, Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell and Tina Campbell. The performance also included the contestants singing BGVs.

The end of the show, albeit incredibly short, featured Y’Anna Crawley singing her new single, “Grandma’s Hands.”  She looked and sounded great, but I wish it hadn’t been cut short… even Y’Anna expressed some initial shock over it on her Twitter page.  Seems to me, they coulda cut out some of the choir oohin’ and aahin’ at the top of the show…

Oh, and I’d be lyin’ if I said I didn’t miss Erica Campbell at the judges’ table.  Yolanda’s doing a good job, but I miss the innate chemistry between Erica & Tina.

Okay, on to my competition commentaries:

Jonte Thomas – “Just A Prayer Away”
I loved the jazzy arrangement of this tune. It’s one of my faves from Yolanda, so I wouldn’t encourage anyone to touch it, but Jonte did it well. She’ll have to demonstrate more of her own unique style to stand against some of the other competitors, but she’s got the chops, for sure.

LeAndria Johnson – “In The Midst Of It All”
That woman is just dope and we all know it.  Not only did she demolish her vocal like a seasoned professional, she was believable and captivating because of her passion and delivery.  She’s a natural at this and she just flat-out SINGS.

Robert Hatcher - “What About The Children?”
He’s got a great, clear tone with an old-skool crooner richness to it. The performance was a little too ‘Barry Manilow‘ to me, but he’s got a great voice– I wanna hear more from him.  Hopefully, we’ll get to see more of his style come out on the next song he does.

Tawanna Tarvin – “I’ll Trust You”
In my opinion, it was a bad song choice.  And I don’t say that because she can’t do it, but because time restrictions made her draw the song to a climax before we knew it was coming.  Donnie finessed that song so that, by the time it reached its peak, we were drawn in and ready to go.  Tawanna’s arrangement (not her fault, in my opinion) did not allow for that build-up, so it felt kinda Broadway-ish.

Davon Fleming – “We Fall Down”
Dude is kinda fresh to me.  He needs to know when to blaze with the falsetto and when to leave it in the natural (so, he’ll also have to pay attention to the lower register so that he has control of his tricks down there, too), but I really like him.  And that says a lot because I don’t EVER want to hear anyone but Donnie McClurkin sing “We Fall Down” (I think few can do it well)– he’s got potential, for sure.

Quiana Pettigrew – “Great Is Your Mercy”
I think I wasn’t a fan of the arrangement. It had a bossa nova vibe to it, but it didn’t lend itself to showcasing her vocals well.  I’m sure she can do it, but the arrangement made it tough to work it.  The vocal was a bit unfocused and, though she can definitely sing, I don’t know that she knew what to do with the song.

Franklin Davis – “I Believe I Can Fly”
Again, wasn’t too thrilled with it, but I believe it was because of the urban/Caribbean arrangement that they put on the song.  It kinda distracted me from what he was doing, which is unfortunate because I can recall the odd musical arrangement better than I can recall his vocal performance.  That’s not good.

Funmi Oduyemi – “Open My Heart”
It was just not okay.  But it’s not her fault, exclusively.  We pulled a Nigerian singer to the States, expecting her to sing in a way that would appeal to the U.S. gospel industry and the musical palettes within it.  If it were an easy task, someone would have done it by now.  I think it’s a tall order and she just didn’t measure up on this one.  But she’s got a great spirit and demeanor– I really do want the best for her.  I just don’t think it’s in the U.S. gospel marketplace.

Durward Davis – “Victory Chant”
This was a hard song to sing in terms of showcasing one’s talent– it’s really a call-and-response praise & worship song, which wouldn’t be an obvious choice for a vocal competition.  That said, he did a VERY good job of delivering it… so much so that I wanted him to keep going!  I liked Durward’s performance a lot.  Definitely wanna see more.

Elder Goldwire McLendon – “The Battle Is The Lord’s”
Aaaaand I’m SOLD.  I don’t think I need to see this through– he’s my pick.  He’s who I want an album from.  Someone else can give one, too, but I want Elder McLendon’s ministry in the mix right now.  He’s got a Pop Winans kind of vibe to him that is endearing and familiar… I want him to be a part of the fabric of our industry.  I want him to impart into the younger generation.  I want him to… I enjoyed him.  Thoroughly.

And that’s THAT.  Okay, folks… lemme know what you thought of the show and lemme know what you think of my recap.  You think it’s baloney, don’t you?  No, wait… you wholeheartedly agree, don’t you?

Talk to me!

Say the name “Nikki Ross,” and most people will get the Jesus-stank face and shake their heads. Their positive, albeit odd-looking response will probably be due to the musical ability– vocal and on keys– that Nikki has displayed as a guest vocalist in countless settings across the nation.

Over the past several years, Nikki Ross has become widely known as one of Kirk Franklin’s singers, but she’s been doing “music” her whole life.  She generally showcases her voice to jaw-dropped audiences who marvel at her musical ear and limitless range.

Our chit-chat has been a long time coming, but we finally connected recently and caught up on all that she’s doing.  In this interview, Nikki shares how she got started, how it’s been going, and what she’s got planned for the future (and yes, it includes the looooong-awaited solo album!).

Without further delay, I give you the incomparable Nikki Ross…

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey there!  How are ya?

NR:  Heyyyy!  I’m great!

EJ:  It’s great to catch up with you.  Thanks for taking a minute to chat with me.

NR:  No problem!

EJ:  I wanna talk, first, about how you got your start in music.  I’m sure you’ve been singing all of your life, but when did it become more than a church thing and more of a music business thing?

NR:  It became a career when I started to sing with Ricky Dillard and his choir, New G.  Ricky came to Houston and did a workshop at my home church, St. Stephens Baptist Church.  My brother was helping me with my business, and helping me to network, and he introduced me to Ricky.

That allowed me to sing a song at the workshop’s concert and from there, it took off.

EJ:  Awesome.

NR:  And I had been going to different conventions, like the COGIC Convocation, and I knew that music is what I wanted to do– that’s where my passion was.  It didn’t matter to me if I was singing lead, doing background or playing.  I just knew that music was my heart.

So, that’s where it all started.  And I had sung in groups before Ricky, like with Gary Mayes’ group.  At the time, we were called Friends In Christ.

EJ:  Whaaaaat?

NR:  *laughing*  Nobody knows that, but that was like way back in the day.  We were like “FIC!”

EJ:  *laughs*

NR:  *laughing*  Yeah, we were hard on it, too.  Everybody in our group could just SING and hold their own.  It reminds me, a little bit, of singing with Kirk [Franklin] now, because everybody who steps to the mic can literally hold their own.  That’s how it was…

Just to name a few of the singers– it was Cheryl Fortune, Nakitta Clegg, my godbrother Bryan Nelson, who’s now the pastor of a church here called Jericho City, Cedric Ballard… everybody could just hold their own.

So when Ricky came and he heard me, he said “okay, I want you to sing with my choir.”

EJ:  Even though you didn’t live in Chicago?

NR:  Yeah!  I would fly there.  It was a little bit of a concern, too, because I wasn’t from Chicago.  Everybody who was a member at the time, before it became nationwide, was from Chicago.

EJ:  Right.

NR:  So, here I am, this Houstonian, flying in to meet up with them so I can sing with them… and it took a little time.  You know how it is when a new baby comes to the family and people try to feel you out.  But once I started participating and being a part of it, the love just started showing.  I really took it as something great.

So, that’s how I got started on a national level.

NR:  Well, Myron Butler and I are really good friends.  We were friends even before God’s Property.  He made mention of me to Kirk– and Kirk trusts his musical opinion a lot.  He told Kirk about me and Kirk mentioned me to Isaac Carree as someone he was considering… Isaac seconded what Myron said… and that kinda sealed the deal.

EJ:  Wow.

NR:  Mmm-hmm… so, it was basically from me doing stuff and being around.  Myron knew what I was capable of, and his recommendation meant a lot.  I thank him to this day!

EJ:  What has it been like with Kirk?  I know I interviewed Candy West a while ago and she said it’s good, but you have to understand that it’s also business, so you don’t catch feelings if he doesn’t call on you.  And Candy vouched for his character in a big way.

NR:  You know… and I’ve been in situations like that.  Sometimes, he’s not able to take everybody and that’s cool.  When he can, he does.  And we know what it is.  There are never any hard feelings about that.

This year makes 5 years of me working with him and I’ve been working really strong with him… it’s been a blessing because this opportunity came at a time in my life when I was almost about to give up on music.

EJ:  Nuh-uh!

NR:  Yeah. *laughing*

EJ:  Really?

NR:  I know it may sound cliche, but as a person who’s in the ministry of music, it happens to the best of us.  We get to a point where we feel like we don’t have anything else to offer.  And I had a couple of other things going on with me, personally, and I was just ready to kinda give up the whole thing.

But when I got that phone call, I felt like it was God, Himself, opening my eyes to see that He had and has a lot more that He wants to do with me.

EJ:  Absolutely, He does.  That’s great.  I want to talk to you about the effect that you have on people.  If anyone goes to YouTube, they can type “Nikki Ross,” and they may see you playing keys, doing riffs–cuz you have a great ear– and a lot of times, you can barely hear Nikki Ross singing over the folks in the audience falling out, like “OH MY GOD!!!” and “OHHHH JESUS!”

NR:  *laughing*

EJ:  And I know that some people judge that, saying “they’re more impressed with her tricks than with her anointing.”

NR:  Yeah.

EJ:  What do you say about that, as a person who is able to do the tricks?  Are you throwing them out there to get a response?  Are you frustrated by people who give that type of response?

NR:  I am.  I am because, you know what, they honestly don’t understand where it came from.

EJ:  Wow.

NR:  Sometimes, I’ll even stop myself.  And not that I have to explain what I’m giving to God, because I know of my relationship with Him… what you see out in the open is what I give Him when I’m at home.

It just frustrates me a little bit because they can’t see PAST the gift.  And that’s not my M.O.  There’s a story behind everything I do, when it comes to me, musically.

EJ:  How so?

NR:  Well, for example, I trained my ear from the time that I was 7, 8 and 9 years old.  Though I was taking lessons, I was too scared to play for myself and I wasn’t really at that level, at that age, anyway.  But local churches would ask me to come to sing a solo for their program and, most of the time, the song that I wanted to sing, the musicians wouldn’t know.  So, I would have to sing the song a cappella and people would notice that I wasn’t changing keys or falling off the pitch at all.

But it seemed like– and I don’t know how crazy this might make me sound, but I don’t care– it seemed like, as I was singing the song, I would hear a piano in my head.  It was like God was playing the song for me while I would sing.

EJ:  I believe that.  Absolutely.  And people who have a musical gift can hear the chords you’re making– you’ll make a different chord with a riff.  And it’s not necessarily to dazzle people, it’s to tell people how you’re feeling that chord– it’s not just a major chord, it’s a major 7th.

NR:  Right!

EJ:  I think people get so excited by what you’re able to do– and we see it with Kim Burrell and Karen Clark Sheard, too– it’s like… you all just feel the music that way, it’s not FOR the audience, necessarily.

NR:  Yeah, it’s just how I feel it.  It’s not to impress anybody or “wow” anybody… it’s just where we came from.  Even when you listen to Ella Fitzgerald– a lot of people didn’t understand what she was doing, but it’s what she felt.

EJ:  Mm-hmm… but uhh… you DO know that “how you feel it” is killin’ the people, right?

NR:  *laughs*

EJ:  I’m just sayin’… you can go ahead and say it.  It doesn’t have to be the primary reason, but you DO know that, soo…

NR:  *laughing* Well, I guess I can produce a little ear candy every now and then.  Y’know. *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing* Alright!

NR:  But it’s nothing that I brag on because just like I can give it today, I can lose it tomorrow.  I wouldn’t want that to happen.  I honor and cherish God for even thinking of me to give me something of this capacity, you know?

To be able to hear like I hear and do the things I’ve been allowed to do– I’m a steward over my gift.  It’s not mine to own, it’s His.

EJ:  Sure.  Listen, everyone wants to know… when are you stepping out as a solo artist?

NR: *exhales* I’m doing it SOON!

EJ:  Everyone wants to know!  I asked my wife to help me with my questions and I said “babe, what do I need to ask Nikki Ross?”  She said “just ask her when she’s doing a SOLO ALBUM!”

NR:  *laughing*

EJ:  Like, I don’t have to ask you NOTHIN’ ELSE.

NR:  I am working on it as we speak.

EJ:  But how?  Like, working HOW… working like it’ll be done by the end of this year, or like “check me in 2011″?

NR:  Yeah, it’s gonna be done this year.  We’re looking at like, late summer/early fall.

EJ:  Oh, for real?!

NR:  Mm-hmm.

EJ:  Who are you working with?

NR: *pauses* I can’t say right now! *laughing*

EJ:  Ok, ok.  I understand.

NR:  I can’t, but I’ll tell you what– as soon as everything is a “go,” I’ll let you know.

EJ:  Please do.  The people need to know.  I’ve just been going to YouTube, typin’ in “Nikki Ross Total Praise” and there’s a clip from a COGIC Convocation that has been holding me until the solo project comes.

NR:  Ohhhh! *laughing*  You won’t have to wait much longer, I promise.  This is the year.

EJ:  This is the year!  Okay.  Well, lemme ask you… You’ve done a lot of guest vocal spots– from James Fortune & FIYA, Gary Mayes, Rodnie Bryant, Ricky Dillard… Do you ever fear, as you get ready to go the solo route, that people won’t receive you as a solo artist?  Like, ”she’s great for a guest spot, but not a whole album”?

NR:  I don’t really think that.  I think that what God has allowed me to do has been nothing but teasers.  People keep asking “where’s your album,” and they’ve been saying that for over 7 years.  What I thought was gonna happen– I thought they would just stop asking. *laughing*  But nobody has!

EJ:  Nope!

NR:  So, I’m excited to know that there are people out there that are waiting on a record from me.  I’ve had people to say “you did spots on everybody else’s record– we want a whole record of just you.”  I’m like “are you SERIOUS?!”

I think, once this record comes out, people will appreciate it.  I’m not going just one way.  I will have, like… maybe a medley with me just sitting at the keyboard, singing and playing.  I am gonna do that because that’s pretty much where I started.  It’s how everyone got to know who I was– this red-head chick on the keys. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs* Right.  That’s great.

NR:  Yeah, I don’t think people just want guest spots from me.  I don’t think I’ve been dwindled to that.

EJ:  Well, how do you want to be received?  What do you want people to know about Nikki Ross, the solo artist?

NR:  I just want them to know that, first of all, I love God.  And I’m just real.  I don’t try to preach– that’s not my area. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs*

NR:  If there’s something that God wants me to say, it’ll come out.  But for now, I just believe that God made me a psalmist and that’s what I wanna be– that’s my heart, it’s my passion… to deliver encouragement through music.  I just want to be one of the ones who encourages, who expresses the love of God, and who won’t pinpoint sin.

What I’ve learned is that everyone who’s pinpointing sin, their sin is always the one to come out eventually.  That’s not my story because I have flaws, too.  I’m not gonna judge you for yours.

EJ:  Amen.  Well, I’m excited for what’s comin’!  I’m so glad I got the chance to catch up with you.

NR:  I’m glad, too!  I really am.  And I appreciate it.

EJ:  It’s my pleasure.  I appreciate you, too, and thanks for chatting with me.

NR:  Oh, you’re welcome.

EJ:  We’ll talk soon.

NR:  Okay.  Bye!

EJ:  Bye!

*     *     *

And there you have it!  Will you be buying Nikki’s solo project???

Now, as you know, I always try to embed a lil’ video of the person I just interviewed, just to… y’know… make it official.  LOL

I nearly LOST MY EVERLOVIN’ MIND when I found this video clip and I decided “THAT’S the one.”

It’s from a date that Kirk Franklin did in Sweden, featuring a Swedish vocalist named Samuel Ljungblahd singing “Don’t Cry.”  Kirk has Nikki Ross sing WITH him and the result is simply INCREDIBLE.  Plus, the sentiment of “Don’t Cry” is PERFECT for Easter/Resurrection Weekend!  Thank ya, Holy Ghost! LOL

Check it out–

Whatd’ya think of the interview???  And whatd’ya think of the video?!

Word has it that Isaac Carree isn’t the only gospel artist taking submissions from aspiring musicians via Blazetrak.com.

Paul “PDA” Allen of the hit-making production camp PAJAM recently created a profile on the music site, in which he requests submissions from male and female artists, as well as songwriters.

PAJAM has gotten award-winning placements and production work on albums across music genres, for everyone from N’Sync and Destiny’s Child to Karen Clark Sheard and Shirley Caesar.  If you’ve got an opportunity to partner with them, or at the very least, get some feedback about your craft, you should prayerfully consider it… it might be a worthwhile investment.

Whatd’ya think???

Isaac Carree is working on his anticipated debut solo project, Uncommon Me.  He recently posted requests for musical submissions from producers, background singers and musicians on Blazetrak.

Essentially, Blazetrak connects artists and musicians with one another… kinda like a job matching service thingy.  Okay, that’s not the best description, but picture it– Susie wants two background vocalists, so she puts an ad on Blazetrak.  Jane wants to be a background vocalist reeeaaally badly and she submits her “audition” to Susie via Blazetrak.  Susie is blown away and hires Jane for the rest of her life.  Got it?  Cool.

So, check out Isaac’s page at http://blazetrak.com/isaaccarree… maybe we’ll see you on tour with him soon!

Anybody gonna give it a go???

Word has it that James Fortune & FIYA’s new album, entitled Encore, will feature quite a few guest vocalists.

Expect to hear tracks featuring Kierra Sheard (on “The Greatest”), William Murphy (on “I Need Your Glory”), Isaac Carree (on “I Want To Praise You”), Nikki Ross (on “Can’t Stop”), Lowell Pye & Zacardi Cortez (on “You Are Here”) and Anaysha Figueroa (on “Draw Me”).

Encore is the group’s third project and will be available in stores on January 26, 2010.  The first single, which is the title track, will hit radio this month.

Also, wanna clarify something about their upcoming recording on December 3rd in Houston, TX.  Despite earlier reports that the group would be recording a live album that night, the recording is just a DVD recording.  Don’t fret, though– the live DVD is expected to mirror the studio album, just… live.  The DVD will be released in May of 2010.

Who’s going, who’s buying, who’s supporting?  Talk to me!

Isaac Carree has released the title of his upcoming debut solo project… it’ll be called Uncommon Me.

Word has it that the vibe of the album is supposed to demonstrate the vocal agility we’ve seen from Ike, but will also share another side of his musical style and influences.

The vocalist, known best as a member of hit gospel group Men Of Standard and as a singer with John P. Kee’s New Life Community Choir, has not announced a release date.

He’s one of my favorite male vocalists in gospel, so I’m really looking forward to his solo project.

What do you think?

After Marvin Sapp’s recording on Friday, I caught up with the producer of the project– Aaron Lindsey.  He’s a really good guy.

He mentioned that he learned about James Fortune and Isaac Carree being robbed recently from my post at GospelPundit.com (glad that I’m helping to keep the people informed!).

He also shared that he wrote on several of the songs recorded that evening, including the already-a-hit “He Saw The Best In Me,” “Holding On,” and “I Came.”  In fact, they pre-recorded “I Came,” before the recording and there’s already a ringtone of it available for purchase!

In addition to leading the charge on Sapp’s upcoming album, Aaron Lindsey’s already finished work on the upcoming albums from Byron Cage and Rizen (both due at the end of this month), as well as the new project from DeWayne Woods (due in 2010).

Finally, you just might see him working on an upcoming project from Jonathan Nelson… more on that later!

And that’s THAT.

Word has it that gospel artists James Fortune (of James Fortune & FIYA) and Isaac Carree (of Men Of Standard) were robbed yesterday in Houston, TX.

By God’s grace, both are safe and okay.

According to tweets sent from Fortune’s twitter page yesterday, the two are working on music together.  After eating at Le Peep’s restaurant near Houston’s Galleria, the robbers approached them as they were getting into their car.

Fortune stated that “[t]hey took me and @isaaccarree mac computers, jewelry, passports, and money!  Thank you God for sparing our lives!!”

Let’s pray for them, that they recover completely from yesterday’s events, and pray for their continued safety!