Mia Paylor offers her latest installment of her popular In With The New series!

Micah Smith - All of My Heart (March 2012)
Website: http://www.singmicah.com
Must-Have Tracks: “Make A Way”, “Give Thanks”, “Against the Wall”, “Early”, “Walk By Faith”, “Back to You”, “No More”, “Never Gonna Let You Go”, “With You”

All of My Heart is for the music lovers. I’m not talking about the kind of music lover that just likes to casually listen to hot music. We all want to hear hot music. I’m talking about the kind who can’t listen to music without making faces, playing your air guitar, singing instrumental solos, and hollering at the radio when you hear a tight lick or harmony. I’m talking about the music lover who really appreciates fine musical instrumentation and precision. I’m talking about the music lover who wants it churchy, jazzy, soulful, funky, and gritty…and done with real instruments. All of My Heart is for YOU.

“Make A Way” is a sophisticated, cool approach to a quartet feel. “Give Thanks” (one of my all-time favorite church songs) gets a spiffy facelift. This. Song. Moves. Latin-jazz, y’all. The only thing missing was Sheila E.!

Do you remember the game show, The Price Is Right? Well, “Against the Wall” uses its theme song as a big band backdrop. And, while both “Early” and “Walk By Faith” have a neo-soul vibe, “Walk By Faith” shows Micah Smith straying from his straight-forward and precise tenor vocals to play around with his falsetto range. Imagine what D’Angelo might do on a smoothed out, mid-tempo track. That’s just what Micah’s doing here…and quite well.

“No More” is a mid-tempo mixture of soft rock and pop with great lyrics and a strong declaration that we should turn away from the sin that so easily besets us. “Never Gonna Let You Go” is a moving, gospel-tinged ballad with the most pleasantly unexpected ear candy happening behind the vocals. “With You” rocks out with the best B-section in the entire collection.

Although a few of the songs did seem a bit repetitious after a while, overall, I believe All of My Heart is a very strong solo introduction.

Micah Smith, a native of Baltimore, Maryland and a Morgan State University alumnus, is a singer, songwriter, composer, and musician. He’s shared the stage with many well-known artists ranging from Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell, and Karen Clark-Sheard to Roberta Flack, Kenny Lattimore, Wynton Marsalis and more. Micah is also a member of the illustrious Soulful Symphony (headed by Darin Atwater…check them out) and a background singer for recording artist, Jason Nelson.

All of My Heart gets my stamp of approval, folks. Download this one today!

*****

New, developing and indie artists, keep sending in your submissions for features HERE, on GospelPundit.com! All you have to do is email Mia Paylor at InWithTheNew.MP@gmail.com for consideration!

Make sure you tune-in to gmc to catch “For Richer or Poorer” this Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 7pm ET. It’s the first of four wedding vow-themed stage plays that the network will air over the course of this year.

“For Richer or Poorer” stars Rockmond Dunbar, LeToya Luckett and Angell Conwell, and features an appearance by Karen Clark Sheard. The play tells the tale of a happily married couple whose union is tested after financial setbacks. Their faith is tested as they fight for their marriage.

And don’t worry– if you miss the 7pm ET airing, it will air again at 9pm ET and 11pm ET the same night!

Read more about “For Richer or Poorer” at gmc’s website.

Over Stellar Awards weekend, Karen Clark Sheard announced the signing of the newest artist to her label, Karew Records– Jonathan Nelson!

After that, Jonathan tweeted and confirmed it, as did his twin bro, Jason Nelson. Jonathan was previously signed to Integrity Music, on which his latest album, Better Days, was released in 2010.

We can expect new music from Jonathan Nelson THIS YEAR.

Congrats Jonathan and Karew!

Amber Bullock, the most recent winner of BET’s Sunday Best, will release her debut album, an EP titled Thank You, on December 6, 2011.

The project, produced by Eric Dawkins, will feature studio recordings of the songs that she performed on Sunday Best.

The first single is the title track, her remake of the Walter Hawkins classic “Thank You.” Also, expect to see Kurt Carr’s “For Every Mountain,” J. Moss’ “We Must Praise,” Dorinda Clark Cole’s “If It Had Not Been For the Lord,” Chris Tomlin’s “How Great Is Our God,” the Negro spiritual “A City Called Heaven,” and Karen Clark Sheard’s “Secret Place.”

Don’t forget– Amber is also joining Kirk Franklin’s Fearless Tour as special guest artist. She’ll have her own 15-minute set and be featured with Kirk. Click here for more info on the tour.

*switching from reporting to blogging*

An EP of the Sunday Best songs?!

I want some new music from Amber.

But, I cannot lie– it makes great business sense. Music World Gospel has got a Sunday Best business model going. Cookie-cutter? Yes. Successful? Double yes. Just look at Le’Andria Johnson’s sales…

You buying it???

Shirley Murdock’s new album, The Journey, is a 17-track collection of music with an underlying theme of encouragement running through them. It’s solid, though perhaps not astounding, as a demonstration of great vocals and heartfelt ministry.

With Grammy Award winner Cedric Thompson at the helm of production (Donald Lawrence,Karen Clark Sheard, LeJuene Thompson), The Journey is the culmination of the first live recording of Murdock’s career. And it’s packed with powerhouse vocals from favorites in gospel and mainstream music, including Kelly Price, Beverly Crawford and Regina Belle.

Standout tracks on The Journey include the urban soul-tinged groove “It’s In Your Hands,” ”Upward Way” featuring Regina Belle, and “Lord You Reign,” a building and beautiful worship chorus.

Also, look out for “He Is the Rock,” on which Beverly Crawford outright shines with Murdock, the piano-driven “Keep Lovin’ Me,” which features the incomparable Kelly Price on guest vocals, and the project’s inspiring first single, “Dream.”

Given her success as a touring mainstream artist, it seems that a live set like this would’ve come earlier. Murdock is a natural as she interacts with the audience. Her sweet and genuine personality translates beautifully to this album and leaves you just plain old enjoying her.

My only qualms with the project are that some of the songwriting could have been a bit stronger and, at the height of some of the singers’ ranges, there was audio distortion in the mix. Still, Murdock’s vocals do a great job of making a lot of the songs work well and it’s a pretty good offering.

The Journey hits stores on October 18, 2011 (Tyscot Records), but you can listen and pre-order it right now, right here–

Registration is now open for the annual Singers & Musicians Conference, hosted by Dorinda Clark Cole!

The conference will be held from September 28 to October 1 in Detroit, MI at Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC.  It features daily workshops, nightly artist spotlights, evening worship services, an urban music cafe and a new artist showcase. Registration isn’t necessary to attend the evening worship services or Dr. Cole’s appreciation service, but all other events require registration.

This year’s featured guests include Karen Clark Sheard, VaShawn Mitchell, Wess Morgan, Troy Sneed and Ben Tankard.

You can visit the Conference’s official website for more info and to register.

Anyone planning to attend?

Last night’s episode of Sunday Best, titled “Stairway to Heaven,” was said to feature songs about Heaven. By the end of the finalist’s performances, I realized that the only real “Heaven” connection is that, at some point, the song had to mention it in the lyrics. Not the strongest theme, in my opinion, but we got some nice tunes out of it.

We also got some much longer performances this week– virtually full songs– due to the fewer number of finalists. We were down to 5 and, by the end, we landed at 3.

Before the finalists gave it their best shot, the show opened with DeWayne Woods singing his hit single, “Let Go,” along with special guest Dave Hollister. I didn’t exactly get the connection to Heaven on this one, but it was good to see DeWayne on the show. Though “Let Go” is from DeWayne’s first major solo project (released in 2006… totally underrated… click here to listen and buy to it), it’s probably his best-known single to date, so I’m glad he got on-screen time to put a face to the song with which many are familiar.

After that performance, we heard from the finalists. It went a little something like this…

Andrea Helms – “The Heavens Are Telling”
I have no doubt that Andrea loves God– it is MORE than evident in her performance– but I’m just not as into her vocal performances yet. Her sincerity is what shines each week. She has been consistently serious about this thing as ministry, and I do believe that’s what the judges are feeling in that studio each week. I don’t know if that means she should win the competition, but it’s definitely admirable and refreshing.

Sue Roseberry – “Heaven”
It is not easy to remake a Karen Clark Sheard tune, especially introducing your own ad libs. Mama Sue did a good job, but the song got away from her in a few places. I think the judges didn’t want to really knock her for it, but this week’s performance was definitely not where she has been before. Still, I appreciate her gift and her style– it’s always nice to see someone who can confidently step onto stage and give you their all.

Michael Pugh - “Special Gift”
This was, hands down, my favorite performance from Michael Pugh all season. His tone was killer, his range dynamic, and his approach (and execution) was virtually without flaw. This tune was right in his wheelhouse– allowed him to start by shining with a polished tone, then finish with his signature growls and exhortations (which I feel were a bit more well-controlled last night than usual). Great great great job.

Monica Smith – “Heaven Help Us All”
Great song selection on this one. Monica’s greatest struggle to date has been her own confidence. She hasn’t owned the stage yet, though she definitely could have! The result was an enjoyable performance (despite a bit of an odd ending), but no “wow” factor. If only she knew how great her tone and style was… she might have moved across the stage differently, looked up at the audience a bit more, engaged us and declared that she was ready. I hope we get to hear more from her.

Amber Bullock – “A City Called Heaven”
Amber’s performance was CLEARLY the performance that stole the show.  This was a great jazzy arrangement fit for her jazzy voice and styling. It was impeccable– not a note out of place or trick that she didn’t pull off well. This was on another level. I agree with Pastor Donnie– she “styled” the tune. Great work.

After the finalists, six-man a cappella group Committed performed “Soon I Will Be Done.” These guys are gifted and, despite the natural inclination to compare them to Take 6, I feel like there’s a different audience in the wings for them. Though they won NBC’s The Sing-Off, I enjoy seeing them on sacred stages as well as secular ones. The sound mix was a bit uneven to me, which can be disastrous for an a capella group, but I loved the arrangement.  Their debut album hits stores on August 30th.

In the end, Mama Sue and Monica Smith were sent home, leaving the top three finalists– Amber Bullock, Michael Pugh and Andrea Helms. If I had to call it, I’d say that Amber and Michael should be in the final two, and that Amber’s gonna take the title, though I wouldn’t count out the heart-thumping reach of Andrea’s performances.

By now, you should be able to tell me who you WANT to win this thing– who’s your pick???

The nominees for the 2011 BET Awards were announced live on 106 & Park last night.

In the gospel category, the nominees are–

Mary Mary | Byron Cage | Deitrick Haddon | BeBe & CeCe Winans | Karen Clark Sheard

The BET Awards, to be hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, will air live on BET on Saturday, June 26, 2011 at 8pm ET/7pm CST from LA’s Shrine Auditorium.

Bishop TD Jakes is set to release the second installment of Sacred Love Songs on May 31, 2011.  The project, titled Sacred Love Songs 2, is a 12-track compilation of music inspired by the new movie Jumping the Broom on Sony Pictures.

With guest artists ranging from Fred Hammond to Karen Clark Sheard, El DeBarge to Joe, Bishop Paul Morton to Ledisi, this project promises to have a little something for everyone.

The first single from Sacred Love Songs 2 is a modern remake of Kirk Franklin’s hit “Love,” recorded by Anaysha Figueroa.

Here’s a full track listing…

1. The Vow featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes
2. Let’s Stay Together featuring Ledisi
3. Back At One featuring Micah Stampley
4. Just Take My Heart featuring Crystal Aikin
5. Closer featuring Joe
6. The Homily featuring Bishop T.D. Jakes
7. Inseparable featuring Karen Clark Sheard & Kirk Whalum
8. My Lady And Myself Featuring Fred Hammond
9. Love featuring Anaysha Figueroa & Bishop T.D. Jakes
10. Finally featuring Bishop Paul Morton
11. How Can You Love Me featuring El Debarge
12. Don’t Go To Bed Mad featuring Terry Thomas

Looks pretty good!

It’s no secret that Ricky Dillard, along with the late O’landa Draper, practically wrote the book on how to be choral frontmen with dynamic expression, over-the-top energy and catchy choreography.

With his 8th project, Keep Living, Ricky Dillard again demonstrates that he is THE choir director of today’s gospel industry.

After opening with the project’s banging lead single, “God Is Great,” Chrystal Rucker lends her guest vocals to the title track, “Keep Living.”  This track is a choir tune at its best– it’s the type of tune that “midnight musicals” and “special programs” are made of– and Rucker’s soprano vocal soars to unparalleled heights.

The album moves seamlessly to “Destined for Greatness,” a mellow choir groove with a driving vamp, then to “Speak A Word,” before launching into the progressive, rock-laden “He Turned It.”

Without looking at liner notes, I skipped through tracks to figure out which would feature Lillian Lloyd. Within seconds of hearing the Hammond B3 swell on “My Soul Says Yes,” I knew I had found it. And Lloyd delivers exactly what her supporters wait for– a dynamic punctuated lead and inimitable ad libs that force you to pay close attention.

There are other standout moments on the project as well, like the killer lead vocal from acclaimed vocalist Nikki Ross on “He’s Been Just That Good”, and Karen Clark Sheard’s guest appearance on the vamp of ”The Sweetest Name.”  Perhaps one of my favorite cuts on the album is the well-executed cover of the classic Hawkins tune “Strange” (featuring jazzy scats and riffs from Nikki Ross). The big-band vibe of this tune made it a perfect candidate for New G to remake it, and the newly-added shouting vamp seals the deal.

Throughout Keep Living, the now-famous wobble vibrato that New G brings to the table is consistent and well-placed, but songs like “Speak A Word” demonstrate a welcomed vocal maturity akin to Donald Lawrence’s Tri-City Singers.

Ricky Dillard & New G’s Keep Living is full of singable songs for any Sunday morning, expressed by an untouchable choir with polished lead vocals, and led by gospel music’s master of the choir.

The album drops tomorrow (April 26), but you can listen to snippets and pre-order right here, right now!