Ok, buddies… back with the conclusion of my two-part interview with the incomparable Kim Burrell.

If you missed the Part One, what are you waiting for?!  Click here to catch up.

If you’re ready, let’s jump right back to it where we left off.  Here’s Part Two of my talk with Kim Burrell…

*     *     *

EJ:  I wanna skip over, real quick, to talk about one of my favorite facets of your artistry– your arrangements.  I spoke with Jerard Woods and he talked about how you gathered them around a piano at your house and taught these incredible parts for the Live In Concert album.  When I interviewed Melonie Daniels, she talked about how incredible you are to work with in that regard.

My wife and I went to your Lincoln Center Christmas event in December…

KB:  Really?

EJ:  Oh, yes!  You presented some of the most jaw-dropping arrangements of Christmas standards I’ve ever heard, like on “Little Drummer Boy” and “This Christmas” with Jason Nelson…

KB:  Awwwww!

EJ:  How fun is arranging music for you, in comparison to the actual singing of songs?

KB:  *laughs*  It would be right at the top of the list!  When I tell ya, I love it!  Especially when I have GREAT singers to work with.  And I mean that, it makes it a lot easier to convey what I’m saying because they get it.  Jerard Woods is not only one of my favorite singers, he’s one of my favorite people.  I love him.  He’s my guy.

Melonie plays a part in my life… *laughs*… I like to call her “sister” because we both like to laugh quite a bit.  We’re both very silly around each other and she’s an incredible, INCREDIBLE vocalist.  And that girl’s mind, when it comes down to singing and even arranging, herself, it is nothing less than genius.

EJ:  Absolutely.

KB:  I love arranging.  Arranging is one of my favorite things to do.  I love to sing, don’t get me wrong, because singing is one of my most creative times.  But to arrange other people’s songs is fun because I get a chance to experience my gift.  I don’t necessarily know the level of the gift until I hear it in its complete form… until I hear it all out.

But when I hear it all out, it’s like WHEW! My God!  Especially if there’s some great people singing it.

EJ:  Speaking of that Lincoln Center event, and I blogged about this back then–  my wife and I went, sat among a bunch of folks who probably didn’t know much about you, but perhaps just had season tickets to the Jazz at Lincoln Center series… my wife sat there and screamed out “that’s alRIGHT Kim!”

KB:  Oh, was that her?! *laughing*  You know, the very last show, we had CHURCH.

EJ:  Did you?

KB:  Oh, it was ridiculous!  We got loud up in there and I told them “some of y’all may be feeling a little warm… we know what it is, it’s the HOLY GHOST!”

EJ:  *laughing*

KB:  Oh, we lost it.  I don’t care where I am.  You know, the first couple of shows, I had to try to be nice, know my limitations… But I thought about it and said “Lord, there is no way you’re gonna open for me a door like this and I not be who I’m supposed to be.”

EJ:  Right.

KB:  Honey, I went there.  I lost it.  So, you know I’m coming in having church this year because we’re going back.  I’m doing it again.

EJ:  I’m going to have to be there for that.  It was unreal. Are you doing a Christmas album from that?  I heard talk about that.

KB:  I was gonna do it.  You know, I still have the material from it and I’ve not quite listened to it yet.  It was like a trial run because it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be.  It was nice, I enjoyed it.  But, at the degree and level that I want?  I may release it as a DVD.

EJ:  NICE!

KB:  But it was not something that I felt was CD-ready.  I could’ve cleaned it up, and I planned to, so I could release it, but nah… not right now.

EJ:  I wanna ask you about something that remains a hot topic of debate in gospel– associations and collaborations with secular artists.  You’ve been outspoken about your friendships with mainstream artists like Chaka Khan, Omarion and countless others.  And you’ve recorded with some mainstream artists as well.  Yet you have peers in gospel, some of whom you’ve even recorded with, who are just as outspoken about NOT fraternizing with people in hip-hop or R&B.

What is the responsibility of the gospel artist in reaching artists in other genres, if there even IS one?

KB:  The Bible is the truth for me.  And it said “go into the highways and hedges and compel men to come, that My house might be filled.”  It did not say “go and compel Christian men.”

EJ:  Wow.

KB:  Let me get my Bible because I want to quote it exactly… *pauses to grab her Bible*… Luke, Chapter 14, verse 23… and I hope this doesn’t get me in trouble because I’m here in my office and I’ve got this Bible, the one that I pray and cry in.  That’s VERY not safe right now, because we will end up on the phone for 3 hours.

EJ:  Ummm… we can do that.  I’ll take it all.  You can even call and leave voicemail messages with a good word in ‘em.

KB:  *laughing* See, it’s in RED– “unto the SERVANT, go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled.”

Let me tell you something.  THIS is a priority.  If Jesus said it, it’s priority.  And if we’re going to ever, EVER preach and teach and compel, I don’t plan to EVER do it just in the house of God, with people who are commanded to do the same thing as I am.

EJ:  RIGHT!

KB:  Why in the world would we not communicate with people… and people say “why can’t you just minister to them and call it a day?”  I do.

I called Tyrese the other day– he’s in Austria right now and he’s finishing up his movie.  Right before he went to Austria, I called him because he was heavy on spirit, because of my interaction with him, and having dinner with him and spending time with him in L.A.

EJ:  You haven’t been eating with the tax collectors, have you?

KB:  What?  Oh, yeeeeees.  And boy, was the meal good!

EJ:  *laughing*

KB:  *laughs*

EJ:  But that’s the type of interaction I believe that Christ calls us to.  It’s so weird to me that we wanna sing and preach to each other exclusively, as if we’re presenting some new revelation each time.  It’s one thing to remind one another of the Gospel daily, but we’re almost so busy EVANGELIZING Christians.

KB:  That’s right.  And STILL not helping each other.  Because we’re falling in front of each other, and we’re falling WITH each other.

EJ:  Uh-oh.

KB:  Some are leaving church together, getting drunk together, men AND women, whatever the gender… doing everything under the sun.  But judgmental of things with which they have not been acquainted, things that are unfamiliar territory for them.  They don’t know how to encounter it, so it becomes a “no-no.”

When people have only done what they’ve been taught, and they’ve not experienced it or asked God about it, they’ll be judgmental.  But my commission, my priority is to do what the Lord has called me to do.  And I’ve been successful with that.

EJ:  Amen.

KB:  I’ve had PLENTY of opportunities because of it.  Like Tyrese, I mentioned calling him.  He was just waking up and he said in his tired voice, “hey Lovely,” (that’s what he calls me) and I said “hey, when you wake up, call me because you’re in my spirit and I need to pray with you.”  He said “I’ll do it, give me ten minutes.”

He called back in five and I shared some things with him and prayed with him.  Do you not know, my friend, that he said “Kim, I’ve got 103,000 people following me on Twitter right now and I’m letting them know that what you’ve done for me, that you just prayed for me.  And I’m starting a Twitter page for you right now.” 

He grabbed whatever pictures he had of me and set something up… within maybe 5 hours, I had over 2,000 people following me. [Editor's Note: You can follow her at http://www.twitter.com/kimburrelllove.]

EJ:  Yep.

KB:  You mean to tell me that I’m not supposed to reach out and have dealings with them?  They say “well, you’re doing music… you have to represent…” I REPRESENT GOD.

You’re tellin’ me that every person in the Armed Forces, that’s saved and loves Jesus Christ, knowing that they might have to go and MURDER somebody if they go to Iraq, they’re going to hell?  They’re not doing the work of the Lord?

EJ:  Right.

KB:  So, I’m not into debates with people because folks always have their own idea about what it is that folks should and should not be doing.  And those who are usually pointing the finger are talking to the wrong people.

And listen, those people found ME.  I was walking in the store, 15 years ago or so, and Chaka Khan called MY cell phone.  I don’t know how she got it.  She called me.  Same thing with Stevie.  I left that message for so long on my machine…

EJ: *laughs*

KB:  But he called me and we’ve been very close for 13 years.  We talk about everything.  But the deal is that these people need an outlet, they need somebody that they can trust.  They know they can’t talk to each other, just like we can’t in church.

We know we can’t go to some of these artists– I KNOW I can’t!  I know several artists I can’t go to right now and trust them with my personal business.  Baby, it’ll be all over the place!

EJ:  *laughing hard*

KB:  With stuff ADDED depending on how they feel about me, with their grinnin’ selves.  Don’t get me started, maaaan.

EJ:  Oh my!

KB:  I don’t get started on that junk.  I’m out here doing work.  I have more comfort with people in the world than I do with them.  Because they’ll come right out and tell you– “if Jesus Christ comes back, I ain’t going.”  And it gives me an opportunity to tell them why I know that they CAN, and deal with their situation.

Rather than church folks sayin’ “oh, I know He’s alright!  High-five your neighbor!”  They ain’t about to say “high-five your neighbor, although I fornicated last night” or “high-five your neighbor, although I committed adultery”… “high-five your neighbor although I’m an alcoholic, and a homosexual and a pervert.”

They ain’t gonna say that.

EJ:  Right.

KB:  But, you know, I love everybody.  I love Jesus.  I love doing this– it is what I do.  I do the work of the Lord.  It happens to come in the form of an album or two once in a while, concerts, and all kinds of stuff that the Lord is blessing me to do.  This ain’t about Kim Burrell.

I haven’t known how to wake up and be about Kim Burrell since I was about 27.  I stopped trying to be about Kim Burrell, especially after I had my son when I was about 31.  I am not about Kim Burrell anymore.  I’ve forgotten how to be about her.

EJ:  Beautiful.

KB:  And when God shows up and gives me favor to go shopping every once in a while, He lets me know “you may not be about Kim Burrell anymore, but I am.”  So, I do that.

EJ:  Nice.  Couple more questions… I’ve asked several people who they’d most like to record with and many of them have said either Stevie Wonder or Kim Burrell.  Now, you’ve already recorded with Stevie Wonder and you are Kim Burrell– so how do YOU answer that question?

KB:  Prince.

EJ:  PRINCE?!  I was not expecting that.

KB:  I wanna record with Prince.  There’s still a sound… I feel the presence of God.  There’s a sound to come out of Prince through submission to the Holy Spirit.  Not just to God, because he has a regard for Jehovah, for God.

But I’m talking about a SOUND to come out of Prince.  I feel like every time I say it, God is shooting it to him.  Not for the benefit of Burrell to do a recording.  We can do it and keep it in the house as far as I’m concerned.  I just wanna record with the man and sit with him because God has invested something in Prince that NOBODY in the world has.

And because of that, he has a worship inside of him that is second to none.  There is an album that he did within the last 5 or 6 years, and one of the songs… honey, when I tell you there is a sound on there that came very close to the Holy Spirit of God… and I know he’s been tapping in on that because of his encounters with God.

EJ:  I believe that.

KB:  But there is still something that is to come out of him that I want to experience, and I’d love to do a recording with him because I want to experience that moment.  I want the Spirit of God to flow through him to write and say some things to God that can change some people’s lives, and change how people worship.

I believe that Prince has an element inside of him that can change the way worship is heard.

EJ:  Hmmmm.  I pray that it happens.

KB:  I do, too.

EJ:  Okay, last question: of all the albums you’ve released, which one is your favorite?

KB:  *takes a long pause* I haven’t done it yet.

EJ:  Hmm.  Fair enough.  Well, then, I’m waitin’ for that!

KB:  Me too. *chuckles*

EJ:  I wanna thank you so much for chatting with me.  It has meant a lot to me and I’ve really enjoyed it.

KB:  Thank you.  I love you, my brother.

EJ:  I love you so much.  Thanks.  And I’ll be in touch.

KB:  Please do.  God Bless you, sweetheart.  We’ll talk soon.

EJ:  Alright, bye-bye.

*     *     *

That, ladies and gents, was my chat with Kim Burrell.

There was SO much more to it, but some of it was just for me– she carries the Word of God in her and she is an encourager, a servant, a minister… I was tremendously blessed by this woman of God.

Another video to bless ya… Kim on TBN singing “I Believe”:

Sooooooooo, what do you think about all that she had to say???

My DUDE Grant Jenkins, of Point5ive Agency, invited my wife and me to an awesome event at Sony’s offices in Manhattan last night– an “Hour Of Power” with Integrity Music recording artist Freddy Rodriguez.

By now, y’all HAVE to know how much I enjoy Freddy’s ministry– I’ve done an album review, album giveaways and a bunch of other features on him at GospelPundit.com.  He’s a great artist, with great music and an inspiring calling.  So, I was super excited to attend the shindig.

It was an intimate “getting to know Freddy” type of deal in which he shared his heart, his testimony and his music with some local industry folks and church leaders.  A very awesome concept and an inspiring time.

Freddy started the event with “No Other Name,” a rousing praise track from his album, Light In The Darkness.  He chatted with us about how he came to know Christ and his passion for inspiring people to worship through music… it was great.  Then, he ministered with his hit single “I Will Run” and the presence of God was practically tangible in the room.  INCREDIBLE.

Among those in attendance were Jeremy Castro of Integrity, Andree Farias (you’ve undoubtedly seen his great album reviews at ChristianityToday.com) and vocalist extraordinaire Melonie Daniels.

A coupla pics for your viewin’ pleasure (please pardon the quality– I used my camera phone cuz I was TwitPic-ing the night away):

Guys, I cannot stress enough that YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT THIS ARTIST!  Visit his website at http://www.freddyrodriguezlive.com and listen to his tracks.  I really think you’ll be blessed by the music, but even more, blessed by his entire ministry.

Ask and ye shall receive.  I said “I WANNA TALK TO JESSICA” and, just like that…

THEN, I got Y’Anna and Latice, so I’m launching a Sunday Best Edition of my artist interviews.  EVERY NIGHT this week, a new interview with a different finalist– just to get y’all ready for this Sunday’s show!

Up first is Jessica… Now, I’ve not been quiet AT ALL about the fact that Jessica Reedy is my favorite contestant on BET’s Sunday Best.  I like her tone, her approach, her look, her testimony… We like you, ma’am!  Plus, she’s just as sweet and humble as you’ll find ‘em, and we LOVE that, ma’am!

So, without further ado, here’s my chat with Jessica Reedy…

*     *     *

EJ:  Jessica Reedy.

JR:  Yes!  How you doin’?

EJ:  Good, how are you?

JR:  Wonderful!

EJ:  I don’t know how familiar you are with my gospel music blog, GospelPundit.com–

JR:  I read the reviews.

EJ:  Yeah?

JR:  Yes, I’m addicted!  I read those things all the time.

EJ:  Oh, on my site or across the web?

JR:  On YOUR site.

EJ:  Oh, well thank you!  This is gonna be easy, then.  First, do you have any idea how good you are?!

JR:  Absolutely not.

EJ: *laughing*

JR: *laughs* Listen, EJ.  I am shocked!  Every episode you watch, I’m shocked that I make it each time I do.  Now, I know a lot of people would say it’s a lack of confidence, but there are a billion and one singers in this world.  In my mind, it’s like “why me?!”  I have no idea what people hear.

EJ:  But I think some of the greatest singers feel that way.  I just posted an interview with Melonie Daniels and she basically said “yeah, well, my tone… it’s nothing special to me.”

My wife and I sit and watch you with goosebumps EVERY week, and I watch your performances EVERY day on my DVR.  I know every note, every riff…

JR:  *laughing* awww…

EJ:  Serious!  And if you gimme another week, I’ll know your stage positioning!

JR: *laughing*

EJ: I think you’re bananas!

JR:  Are you serious?!  I cannot believe you’re saying this.

EJ:  I’m serious.  I speak with other folks in the industry and everyone agrees that you are NOT playing.  I mean, don’t get me wrong– we’ve got Y’Anna and Latice, too.  All THREE of you are phenomenal vocalists and at this point whoever wins, it’s gonna be fair.

But you are just doing so well, week-by-week.  How overwhelming is it all?

JR:  EJ, I am from Saginaw, Michigan.  I don’t know if you’ve even heard of a “Saginaw.”

EJ:  *laughs*

JR:  *laughing*  I mean, I can’t believe it.  I didn’t believe I got past the auditions, so being on the show is overboard for me.  It’s not even reality yet.  I am overjoyed.

I’m so grateful to God to be favored enough in His eyes to be placed on this type of platform.  I cannot believe it.

EJ:  And we can see that, too, because each week, as the judges give their feedback, you always seem a bit shy and you have this “shocked” expression on your face… like “really?!”

JR:  *laughing* I’m just shocked.  Especially with the comments they make… I wish you could see how I act before I go on stage and when I come back, after the performance.  I’m still like “oh my God, did y’all hear that?”  The other contestants are like “Jessica, you did good.”  EVERY time.

EJ:  What musical experience had you had before Sunday Best?  Were you doing music already?

JR:  Ummm… well, I pursued an R&B career when I was younger.  I would mimic Brandy and think “man, I wanna sing like that,” but I was raised in the church.  After going through life’s struggles, I got saved and there was just no way that I could sing R&B.

EJ:  That influence kind of shows because some would say that you have the least “gospel” sound among the contestants.  But you seem to be infusing those mainstream sounds into the Gospel message, which is why a lot of folks like you.

JR:  I read somebody’s blog and they said “she doesn’t have a gospel voice” and, my thing is, Gospel is a message.  And the Gospel can be delivered in all kinds of ways– through preaching, through a walk of life, how you live– and I hope somebody will explain that to people.

I love God, EJ.  I don’t even know how to express that to you.  I am so in love with God.  If you had met me about four months ago, you would be like “wow… I can’t believe you’re smiling or you’re happy.”  I was in such a bad place in my life.

I owe everything to God.  So, I’m grateful that God has given me favor with the judges, favor with people, but it’s GOD’S doing.  I am NOT that good.

EJ:  Amen.  The other day, my wife was watching you and she was like “when I watch Jessica, I feel like she MEANS what she’s SAYIN’!”  You appear to mean it, not just because you learned it growing up, but because you tested that faith out last month or last week… it’s real for you.

JR:  Yeah.  Definitely.

EJ:  Now, you have a son and I can imagine that the Sunday Best tapings cut into your “mommy time”.  How do you manage all that you have to do for the show with your responsibilities as a mom of a baby boy?

JR:  I honestly don’t know how I manage it.  I’m really preparing myself now because of the conclusion of the show– I don’t know how busy I might be.  And I love my boy.  If you notice, he’s at every episode.

EJ:  Yep, we see him sitting with your sister?

JR:  Yeah, with my sister.  And, beforehand, my mom was saying “well, Jessica, leave him here so you can stay focused.”  And I said “absolutely NOT!”  I’ve gotta have my boy.

He’s my blessing.  For a while, I thought he was my curse because I was so young being pregnant.  Like, this was my punishment.  But that boy, he is… man, I can’t even explain it.  So, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with it, to be honest.  I have no set plan.  I don’t even think I’m mentally prepared for it.  Because I can go to a store and think “okay, I need to go home and get my boy, I miss my son.”

EJ:  That’s awesome.  BET aired a portion of your testimony during the auditions, but for those people who missed it, can you briefly share it with the GospelPundit readers?  What went down regarding your pregnancy and how did God work in that situation?

JR:  Well, my town is so small.  When you excel at something, it blows up.  I was in this group called ACT-SO.

EJ:  I know of ACT-SO.

JR:  Yeah, and I won gold my senior year.  It was really big in Saginaw, put on by the NAACP.  Then, I got a full ride, a scholarship in music to Tougaloo College in Mississippi.  Once I got there, I had favor with all of the teachers, all the students.  Then, I got pregnant.

I had been working on music– I was working with J-Pat, Usher’s mom.  And some of the other people I was working with were saying “so, you’re pregnant… yeah, this is not a good time for a baby, so what are you gonna do?”

EJ:  Like that?!

JR:  Yeah, and I was thinking to myself, “HUH?!  What are you asking me?”  I was already ashamed and embarrassed.  One guy was like, “maybe you should go home and have your son, or you could stay here.”  I said “stay here and kill him, right?”  And they said “well, right now is not a good time for a baby.”

I said “I’m going home.”  Now, granted– did I want to have my son?  I questioned it, just to be honest, but I don’t have enough guts to go to a clinic, passing people with signs that say “don’t kill your kids.”  I don’t have enough guts.  So, God blessed me with enough courage to take what I call that “walk of shame.”

Now, my family, they all can sing.  But they’re older now and I was the closest person to reaching those dreams of singing.  So, when I got pregnant, they were like “J, we were really hoping that you would be the one.  Man, Jessica.  How did you do this?  How did you get pregnant right now?!”

EJ:  That’s a lot of weight on you.

JR:  And I was the talk of the town, too.  “Y’all heard?  Jessica Reedy got pregnant.  I knew she wasn’t gonna be nothin’.”  It was the first feedback.

So, I stayed in the house.  Nobody saw me.  I barely went to the mailbox.  And I just cried.  And on top of that, I was by myself with my son… his father didn’t want to be involved.  AND, I’m young, so I’m like “no, God, this can’t happen to me like this.  I’m not a fast girl.  I made a mistake, but you can’t do me like this.”

That was my mindset.  And I was just so depressed.  I know everyone has their own separate pain, but my pain hurt me so badly.  And for [Sunday Best] to happen…

EJ:  Wow.

JR:  This was just going out on a limb.  A friend of mine auditioned last year for Sunday Best.  He didn’t make it, but he said “I’m going back.”  I had just lost my job– my only source of income– and I lost my car!  And I was really depressed then.

My friend said “Jessica, you need a break.  Come on and drive down here with us.”  So I agreed to go, but even then, people were like “you don’t need to audition… you’re not ready.”  And I was like, “yeah, you’re right.”

EJ:  Like, spiritually?  Because of all that had happened?

JR:  No, just my vocals!  After I had my son, my voice got deep.

EJ:  WAIT.  What?  That wasn’t like that before?!

JR:  I never could hit those notes.

EJ:  GIVE ME A BREAK!

JR:  I promise you.  I was a soprano!

EJ:  Oh my goodness.

JR:  While I was pregnant, I couldn’t go any higher than maybe a middle alto note, but I started hitting all these low notes.  And I was depressed about THAT!  I was like “Ma, I sound like a man!  I can’t sing like this.”  I was so used to being able to sing high.  And I thought I just didn’t have any range.

EJ:  And what did God do?

JR:  I’m talkin’ bout… God DID it.

EJ:  For REAL.

JR:  Yeah.

EJ:  And so, your confidence is being built?  You’re saying you’re a work-in-progress.

JR:  I am.  And I’m not gonna sit here and lie to you.  I have never been one to be in denial– my confidence is not… all the way up there.  I question my ability all the time, even now, watching myself on the show, I say “God, why did you choose me to do this?  God, I can’t do this.  I’m scared… help me.”

EJ:  Yeah.

JR:  I’m sorry if that offends somebody, like “she’s not ready.”  Whatever.

EJ:  Nah, that’s real.

JR:  I’m being honest.  This is how I feel on the inside– I’m scared.  I don’t wanna mess up, I don’t wanna… you know, I wanna make sure that I’m saving souls, but that’s a big responsibility because everyone’s got you under a microscope now.

Like, a lot of people, for example… I know Y’Anna.  That’s my friend.  A lot of people say she’s arrogant.  Y’Anna has a little sarcasm, but she’s funny.  It’s like you make one facial expression, and everyone says “oh, she’s arrogant.”

Everything now MEANS something.  Every movement you make, it means something.  “Did y’all see how she did her fingers???”

EJ:  *laughing* Not fingers!

JR:  *laughing*  You know?  Every little ol’ thing.  So, I’m scared, but I trust God.  So, I’ve kinda gotta let that fear go.

EJ:  I think you should be proud of yourself.  Definitely, be mindful of how you got here, but rejoice in that grace that He’s given you because it’s a beautiful thing.  And He’s definitely faithful.  And I know God is committed to working with you like He’s committed to working with everyone else.

JR:  Absolutely.

EJ:  Well, we’re gonna keep watching to see how things shape up on the show.  We actually want an album TODAY, but we’ll wait if we have to.

JR:  Oh my goodness, thank you so much.

EJ:  No doubt.  I appreciate you for taking a minute to chat with me.  And definitely keep in touch.

JR:  Okay.

EJ:  Alright, take care.

JR:  Bye!

*     *     *

That, ladies and gents, is Jessica Reedy!

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for my interview with another Sunday Best finalist!  You don’t wanna miss it.  In the meantime…

What did you think???

Okay, people.  Here’s the culmination of my chat with our vocalist extraordinaire, Melonie Daniels.  If you missed Parts ONE and TWO, click here to catch up on what she’s had to say so far!

In this segment, Melonie shares a bunch of info about her vocal routine, what it takes to be a great background vocalist, her work at NYC’s Village Undergound, her transition from background to foreground as a solo artist, and what’s next for her.  You don’t wanna miss it!

Ladies and gents, enjoy PART THREE:

*     *     *

EJ:  How do you prepare for a studio session?  Like, how much rest do you get, what foods do you avoid, and all that?

MD:  Well, that’s a biological thing and it’s an individual situation.  There are those of us that are lactose intolerant, or allergic to citric acid, or whatever.  You have to know what your body is capable of handling, what your allergies are…

EJ:  And you don’t mean “allergies” like if you eat it, you have to go to the hospital, right?  You just mean “allergies” in the sense that your body responds negatively in some way?

MD:  Right.  It’s not a blanket thing.  I love the teachings of Lady Tramaine Hawkins, but her routine may not work across the board for everybody.

EJ:  What does she do?

MD:  She’s very protective of her voice.  Wherever she ministers, she has to shut down the air in the entire place, she stays wrapped up.  She can’t handle air conditioning.  And there are several singers that do that.  For me, I’m like “turn down the heat, turn up the COLD.”

EJ:  Really?!

MD:  I chew ice.  I don’t have a problem with dairy products, but I can’t do orange juice because I’m allergic.  So it really is dependent on the individual and knowing what your body can handle.

EJ:  Know your instrument, people!

MD:  Yeah, you have to really study yourself.

EJ:  That’s funny cuz some people take themselves so seriously based on what they’ve heard… like “no, no… I can’t do dairy right now because we’re singing later,” when that may not even affect them in the same way.

MD:  Right.  When I’m ministering and they ask me if I want water, I’m like “yes, ICE COLD.”

EJ:  Are you for real?

MD:  *laughing*  Yeah!  I’m like “you got some ICE?  Crack me up some ice!”  But that’s just me.

EJ:  *laughing* What does it take to be a great background vocalist?

MD:  Be teachable.  Be very studious.  And be quick about it.  Have good intonation, memorization, good pitch… Ear training has a lot to do with it because you have to pick up stuff so quickly sometimes.  And you don’t get a second chance a lot of times.  Rehearsal is the only place where you can fool up and get away with it, but when it comes to performance, you’ve gotta nail it.

And that’s why a lot of background singers are losing jobs– because a lot of people now are keeping Pro Tools nearby and aren’t using background singers.  You’ll never sound like what they have on the record because artists will either hire session singers that don’t travel, or they’ll do the vocals themselves.  So, there’s no way to sound just like that.

Most of my life, I’ve done live stuff.  I don’t sound exactly like the record, but I try to come as close to it as possible– to do the same inflection, the same words, and the same tone quality, if possible.  I have the advantage of being like a mimic, especially from growing up and watching cartoons, because I could mimic the characters’ voices.

EJ:  So, watch your cartoons, folks! *laughing*

MD:  That was my thing.  And even people’s speaking voices.  You have to study those things in order to be effective as a background singer.  And that’s why people keep getting called– they can give the singer certain nuances, they can give the artist something familiar.  You may have a great voice, but if you’re not able to conform VOCALLY to what someone requires of you for that moment…

That’s the hardest part of background singing for a lot of people– conforming vocally.  You have to, though.  They called me at the last minute to do something with Ricky Martin 8 or 9 years ago.  That next morning, I was on a flight and I had to learn five or six songs, three of which were in Spanish.  I took French.

EJ:  *laughing*

MD:  *laughing*  So, I had to take a crash-course in learning how to phonetically pronounce the Spanish lyrics.  And then, you know how some Spanish artists have the mariachi-type, nasal sound?  I had to adapt to that as well.  So, you have to be a chameleon of sorts as a background singer.

You know, the Bible says don’t conform to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… that’s the only place I conform! *laughs*

EJ:  *laughing*  Right!  I ask most of the background vocalists this when I interview them– can you assemble a dream team of background vocalists for me?

MD:  Ummm… Jerard and Jovaun Woods.  Blanche McAllister-Dykes… ummm… well, that’s a soprano, alto and tenor right there!

EJ:  Aaaaaand you’re DONE! *laughing*

MD:  See, that would be a great session.  Working with people like Donald Lawrence and Richard Smallwood, even with Mariah… I’ve had the opportunity to sing, coast-to-coast, with some great voices.  There’s a girl named Sharlotte Gibson, she’s on American Idol now singing background.  She used to sing with Mariah and she’s incredible, one of the L.A. crew.  Umm… the late Olivia McClurkin was a wonderful person to sing with.

EJ:  I know.

MD:  Oh my God.  Incredible voice.

EJ:  For real!  I miss her.  You know, in these interviews, I like to ask about how lucrative session work can be.  Do background vocalists need a day job or can they be alright?

MD:  They can be alright if they have a certain work ethic.  There’s no job too small, no job too big.  Pride goes out the window.  It can range from doing a demo session for somebody and getting $250 to do it, all the way to doing a performance and getting paid $5,000 to do background with Madonna.

EJ:  For one show?!

MD:  For one show.  It can be very lucrative.

EJ:  Am I on the wrong side of this business?! *laughs*

MD:  *laughing* That’s why I’m sayin’… If Sting, Elton John, Madonna and Cher… if any one of them wanna call me to put me on the road and I get $5,000 a show, guess who’s goin’?

EJ:  *laughing hard*

MD:  Me and my Bible!  *laughing*  But, like I said, there are certain criteria that have to be met before I can do that.

EJ:  Right.  No matter how much.

MD:  Yeah, no matter how much.  I’ve been offered hundreds of thousands of dollars and said “no,” because it didn’t feel right.  It didn’t sound right to my spirit to accept it.

EJ:  I understand that.  I wanna get to your solo artistry in a sec, but talk to me for a minute about the Village Underground in NYC on Sunday nights.  For those who’ve never heard about it, how would you describe what it is?

MD:  Basically, it’s an open mic– anyone that wants to come up and sing can sign the list and sing, accompanied by the band LIVE… no performance tracks.  And it’s just somewhere to let your hair down and enjoy music without being threatened by what you believe or don’t believe.

There was a time that we did, one Sunday a month, a gospel night.  But because we were in what people call a “secular” place (a bar), the owners complained because they were losing money. *laughs*

But there’s a responsibility involved in invoking the presence of God.  We were literally changing the atmosphere.  And they said they were losing money at the bar because we were singing gospel music.  We were forced to discontinue the gospel night, but that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped singing gospel music.  At any time, in that venue, someone may come up and sing a gospel song.  If it’s true to that individual, spirit recognizes spirit, and whoever’s in there will hook into it and we will have a worship moment in there that’s better than what you can find at some churches.

EJ:  Why do you think it’s become so popular?  It’s even been featured on Bobby Jones Next Generation as the place to be in New York.

MD:  It is an outlet for people, especially in this new generation, to be “in the world, but not of the world.”  Because you can be in a place, and not be a part of what’s going on in the place.  But that comes with a level of maturity in your walk with Christ.

I’ve heard people emphatically say “I will NOT” or ”I cannot be caught in a place like that.”  Those were the words that were used.

EJ:  Really?

MD:  Yes.  But on the flip side, Martha Munizzi comes down, Israel comes down, Lisa McClendon has called me to get information, Shari Addison and Crystal Aikin were there a month or so ago.

EJ:  Yeah, I haven’t been in years, but it’s great.  My wife and I are coming soon!

Listen, I wanna chat about your transition from background vocalist to artist.  First, is it hard to do and, if so, why?

MD:  Ummm… a lot of times, it’s an insecurity issue… not feeling adequate to deliver.  Comfort zones– you feel safe in a group, in the back.  I’m speaking all from personal experience.  Not feeling like you have anything to convey to the general audience…

But mostly, it boils down to insecurity.  Everyone has a purpose because God put us here with purpose.  It’s up to the individual, in their walk, to recognize the purpose that God has placed in them and to walk in that purpose.  And that can be difficult.

EJ:  Amen.  But you went for it… a coupla years ago you released your long-awaited solo project.  Talk to me about your album, Live In Concert.

MD:  It started as a conversation with my pastors.  And the church invested in me.  And September of 2006 was the result of that investment– we recorded a CD.  They just sowed into my life.

EJ:  That’s great.

MD:  Yeah, so that’s how the record got done.

EJ:  Who wrote and produced it?

MD:  Stanley Brown produced the music with Nathaniel Townsend III, the drummer.  I got to handpick everyone.

EJ:  How do you describe your style of gospel music?

MD:  The CD’s style is as eclectic as I am.  You can hear “Glory After This,” which is straight churchy, or “My King,” with intricate harmonies and chord structure, kinda gospel-jazz.  I’ve got a song on there called “Kingdom I,” which has a neo-soul kind of vibe.

EJ:  You workin’ on another album?

MD:  Umm… still planning stuff out.  Not actively working on it yet, but just thinking.  There are so many different directions I could go in, because of my musical influences.  I would love to do a “big band” gospel CD… I would love to do a neo-soul set, unplugged… I would love to do alternative-sounding stuff, because I’m a student of music, not just gospel music.  To me, all music is God’s music, honestly.

So, I have so many ideas that I have to narrow them down to get at least the NEXT project out.

EJ:  I was gonna say “we will take all of the above, thank you!”

MD:  *laughing*  That’s enough material for three more projects.  I would even love to do a CD of love songs for gospel folks who are uncomfortable buying Luther [Vandross], or Joe or Anita Baker… or Jill Scott.

But, then again, you have to contend with the critics who say that it doesn’t glorify God…

EJ:  Ewww… well, please contend!  I think that would be great.  Either way, I’m looking forward to it.

MD:  We’ll see.

EJ:  Well, that’s it for me.  I have REALLY enjoyed chatting with you and I appreciate you for taking the time to do this interview.

MD:  Thank you!

EJ:  No doubt.  I’ll talk to you soon.

MD:  Okay, bye.

*     *     *

And, that’s THAT!  You can learn more about Melonie (and buy her bangin’ album) at her website, http://www.meloniedaniels.com/.

Sooooo… what did you guys think of the interview series???

Oh, and as a parting gift, here’s the Melonie clip for this segment.  It’s an audio clip of a KILLER track from her solo album, entitled “Glory After This”:

Okay, y’all have waited long enough… Let’s continue our conversation with Melonie Daniels.  If you missed PART ONE, make sure you click here to get caught up on things, then come right back!

In this segment, Melonie continues talking about her performing experience with Mariah Carey.  Then, she discusses her own voice, why she actually does NOT think it’s that spectacular, and why she continues to train it.

I hope you enjoy.  Here’s PART TWO…

*     *     *

EJ:  Talk to me more about your work with Mariah Carey.  What was it like?

MD:  It was incredible.  I filled up a passport, had to add pages, and then pay for another one. *laughing*

EJ:  Someone wanted me to ask you this and I told them I would:  If Mariah was ever hoarse on stage, did you ever do her whistle tone notes for her?

MD:  Oh, heck no.  Mmmmm… That ain’t my ministry. *laughing*

EJ:  You can do that!

MD:  Not those whistle notes, I can’t do that whistle stuff.  Well, I can do it, but it’s not controlled.  It’s like a happenstance.

EJ:  But you used to do her soundchecks for her, right?

MD:  Yeah, cuz she wouldn’t come.  *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs*

MD:  But, it’s like… at a certain point in your career, you know what you’re gonna do and you know what you’re gonna sound like.  And if you have people working with you who know your characteristics, and they’re able to handle it, you let them do what they do.

I don’t think it was a “diva” thing.  People who reach a certain status have so many people around them who overload their schedules.  So, she would have interviews, photo shoots, TV tapings and all kinds of stuff, up ’til an hour before a performance.  She wasn’t able to even come to the soundcheck.  So, I would end up checking for her and her sound guys– so on point.  They knew what hertz, what megahertz, the treble… all that stuff.  And I was able to mimic her voice enough that they could get exactly what they needed, so that when she hit the stage, it was ready to go.

EJ:  What was the road like with her?  How did you fare, as a little Baptist girl, thrown into the mainstream industry like that?

MD:  I was scared outta my mind! *laughing*  And I had a moment– I was like “God, I know you didn’t give us the spirit of fear, but I’ve gotta be honest and say that I am scared witless that You’d allow me to go into this situation where I may be one of few, or maybe the ONLY one… I need You to shine through each and every thing I do– the way I work, carry myself, and sing.”  I didn’t put singing first– I wanted my interactions before the singing because, at that point, singing was secondary.  I had rehearsed and practiced enough.

EJ:  How many years were you with Mariah?

MD:  Eleven.  From ’92 to 2003.

EJ:  Do you miss working with her?

MD:  I do and don’t.  I did the road for eleven years and it was wearing.  I walked away without it being a bad taste in my mouth.  So, if an opportunity presented itself again, I would go.  But I don’t think it would be with that camp because I believe that, whatever my assignment was, it’s done.

EJ:  But, how did you know that?  Why did you stop?

MD:  Umm… God said it was time to move.  I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t know where He was moving me, but it was a faith walk.  And it was about taking the lessons that I learned in that professional surrounding and bringing that level of excellence to whatever was next, which happened to be Greater Allen Cathedral in Jamaica, New York.

I got there with people that had been in the industry with me, and because of our expertise, we were able to pour into the music ministry the things we had learned, to make a more excellent offering to God.  Not just to build a music ministry and walk away, but to show people that it can be done excellently and still allow for the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do.

EJ:  That’s needed in the Body.  So, do you ever get star-struck?  Like, do you still have those “I can’t believe I’m here for this gig” types of moments?

MD:  Yeah, I have those.  Like, any of the awards shows.  Because you turn one way, there’s Stevie Wonder.  You turn another way, it’s Eric Clapton.  You turn another way, there’s Boyz II Men (at that time)… Then, you’ve got David Foster walking past you and here comes Clive Davis and Aretha Franklin, Faith Hill and Celine Dion… You either take it in and process it, or you pass out from all the excitement. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs*

MD:  I’m the kind that takes it in and processes it.  The only person I get twisted over is Stevie Wonder. *laughing*  I stop breathing when the man walks into the room because his ears are impeccable.

EJ: *laughing*  But you’ve sung with him before, right?

MD:  I’ve never sung with him.  But when BET did the Walk Of Fame thing a few years ago, Mariah had to sing.

EJ:  I remember that.  She did “You And I.”

MD:  Right.  And I did the vocal arrangement for the backgrounds, because he didn’t have background vocals on that song.

EJ:  I remember the performance AND the background vocals, and I could hear you loud and clear!

MD:  *laughs* And I did her soundcheck.  I’m glad they told me afterwards, but he was sitting in the back listening to me.  And I was like “WHAT?!”

EJ:  Oh wow.

MD:  And I was like “I’m glad y’all didn’t tell me” because I would’ve said “I’m not doing it… somebody else do it!”

EJ:  Are you kiddin’ me?!

MD:  I’m so serious.

EJ:  But don’t you KNOW… you know how great your voice is, right?

MD:  Mmmm…

EJ:  You really don’t?

MD:  I don’t agree. *laughing*  I do not agree.  I hate to hear my voice.  The only reason I listen to myself is for recording situations, if I have to match what I’ve done, or stack vocals.

EJ:  What do you think is wrong with it?

MD:  It’s not pleasing to me.  I believe I have a decent voice, but it’s not pleasing to me.

EJ:  But, you don’t think you have a nice tone?

MD:  No.  I think it does what it needs to do.  But you’ll never get “high praise” about my voice from me.

EJ:  I hear that.  But that’s most vocalists, I think.  How did you train your voice?  Was it classical, jazz, piano lessons, what did you do?

MD:  All of the above.  I didn’t grow up playing piano, but when I went to college at Five Towns College, it was part of the curriculum.  My ear was developed enough that I could take piano classes and make the connection between my voice and the music, and I was able to understand that it shouldn’t be separated.

And, just outside stuff with groups growing up– David Gates & Love, Peace and Joy, another group called God’s Creation, and another called One Accord, as well as being choir director at my church.

EJ:  So, tons of formal training and experience, plus some informal work.  How many octaves is your range, really?

MD:  I think it’s four.  I’ve not tested it in a minute, but I think it’s four.  And females have less of a range than males do, actually.

EJ:  Really?

MD:  Yes.  Claude V. McKnight is my principal example for this– he sings first soprano with Take 6, but he can sing as low as Alvin Chea.

EJ:  He sings bass in the group, right?

MD:  Yeah.  So he has, like, a 6-octave voice.  And the reason that guys have a wider range is because at puberty, when your voice changes, you get the low end, but you still keep that prepubescent high end, which most guys use as their falsetto.

For many females, three octaves is it.  Some have four or five.  I think I’m maybe four, or four and a half.  When I was a kid, like around 12, I had a freakish situation as far as my voice was concerned– my voice changed in puberty.

EJ:  Really?

MD:  I was singing soprano like a squeaky little girl and, next day, I was singing tenor.  I was devastated.  So, my mom took me to voice lessons and I began exercising those top parts of my register.  I have a pretty low break for a female– the break is that place where your voice changes from chest voice to head voice.  For me, it’s pretty low.  So, all that stuff you hear with me doing the high stuff is usually my falsetto and it’s been exercised to a point of strength, such that it sounds like my chest voice.

EJ:  RIDICULOUS!

MD:  But I did it out of a strange devastation.  *laughing hard*

EJ: *laughs*

MD:  I was like ”I’m a freak.  I don’t wanna be a freak.”  Please, it devastated me.

EJ:  Did kids make fun of you?

MD:  They didn’t make fun of me because they didn’t know what was going on.  All they knew was that I was a chick with a low voice. *laughing*

EJ:  Now, how did you learn to work a song so well?  Some people start right in with all they’ve got and, by the vamp, there’s nowhere else to go.  How did you train for that performance aspect?

MD:  It’s about knowing the choices, knowing what your voice is capable of and not capable of… knowing what is comfortable for you.  As far as ad libbing, if you don’t have the Word of God in your heart and your mouth, you have nothing to say.

EJ:  SAY it!

MD:  All it’ll be is riffs and “oh” and “yeah” and “no”.  And that’s the extent of your WORD repertoire.  You can tell if people are worshippers by how they ad lib on a song.  You can tell what they have to offer by how they deliver a song.

Now, ”oh” and “yeah” is not always a bad thing, but it’s up to the individual with the gift to work your education of that gift.  The gift comes from God, but the gifted are not perfect vessels, so we have to hone and train the gift in order for it to become effective.

EJ:  It’s funny you mention honing and training the gift.  A while back, your Facebook status update said you were on your way to a vocal lesson, and I laughed so hard because everybody was like “WHAT?!  Not YOU!”

MD:  Maaan, they blacked OUT! *laughing*

EJ: *laughs hard*

MD:  I mean, I got so many comments for putting that up– “what do you mean?” or “you should be teaching it!”

EJ:  Right.  What’s the problem with those types of responses?

MD:  It’s ignorance to think you don’t need it.  But it’s also “celebritizing” things.  Like, Meryl Streep– I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes and does stuff to keep herself sharp, and we call her one of the greatest actresses of the century.  Or, like Denzel… he still shows up and does Shakespeare in Central Park.    You know?  Just to keep himself sharp.

There’s always room for improvement and the moment you think you’ve got it all, or that you don’t need anyone to show you anything… go on and pick out your casket.

*     *     *

Wowwww… good stuff, right?!

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m ending each interview segment with a clip of Mel doing her thing.  Someone posted this video on YouTube and, though the video is not great, it’s MORE than worth the listen!

When we did the interview, she had just gotten back from this performance at the Gospel Heritage conference a couple of months ago.  She told me that she had been sick with an upper respiratory infection (which almost turned into bronchitis) for several weeks.  She had been on vocal rest during that time, and THIS PERFORMANCE was the FIRST DAY that she had sung in weeks.  You’d never have known it cuz she held it down, as always…

Here’s Melonie singing “Precious Jesus”:

Lemme know what you think about the clip, but make sure you gimme feedback about the INTERVIEW too!

She’s one of my favorite singers to EVER walk planet Earth.  And I interviewed her.

Melonie Daniels is revered by many for her incredible range, her unique and distinctive tone, and a precise vocal agility.  She is multi-faceted and has sung with just about everyone– from her long career backing Mariah Carey to BGV’s and guest solo spots with gospel’s greatest artists (if I name them, we’ll be here all day, but for starters: Kim Burrell, Karen Clark-Sheard, Donald Lawrence, Andraé Crouch, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond…).  Most recently, you’ve prolly heard her voice in the background on the theme song for BET’s Sunday Best.  And since she stepped out as a solo artist a coupla years ago, she has been gaining even more attention among consumers.

We talked for so long that I’ma have to split the interview into 3 parts.  People, gather round and read PART ONE of my chat with my buddy, the INCOMPARABLE Melonie Daniels…

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey!

MD:  Hey!  What’s going on?

EJ:  Nothin’, except we’re doing our interview! YAY!!!

MD:  *laughing*

EJ:  I’ve been so excited for this interview.  You’ve been on my list.

MD:  Yeah, I was watching your progress as you interviewed Andrea [Mellini] and Jerard [Woods], and I was like “HEY!  When’s he gonna call me?!” *laughing*

EJ:  Are you kiddin’ me?!  You can ask my wife, ask anyone.  Everyone knows that you’re my fave.  And I kept saying “and ONE day, when I’ve ARRIVED…”

MD:  *laughs*

EJ:  Plus, I had a hard time when I was thinking about you because I wanted you for the “On BGVs” series, but you’re also really pursuing the solo career hard right now, so I didn’t know where to place you.  Same thing with Jerard [Woods] and Candy West.  I thought it would defeat the purpose of what you’re trying to do to feature you on the background vocalist tip.

MD:  Not necessarily.  Being part of a worship team at the church, and as a servant, you’ll always be called back and forth.  A lot of times, a lot of artists forget about the process because they’re busy doing what their goal was.

But one of my ultimate goals WAS to be a background singer.  All the rest is whatever God wants me to do, but I TREASURE that and I love doing it.

EJ:  I’m so excited right now.

MD:  *laughs*

EJ:  Really.  Because I love that we’re gonna get that perspective, and here’s why:  A lot of people– and it’s not a bad thing at all– but a lot of people intended to be solo artists and background work was a stepping stone to that end.  But you’re saying that background singing WAS your goal?

MD:  It was my plan from the time I was 4 years old.

EJ:  Why?!

MD:  Here’s the thing.  I’ve been in the church since conception, went back a month after I got out, and I’ve been in the church ever since.

EJ:  *laughs* I’m mad at “got out.”

MD:  *laughs*  Yeah, when I got out!  Cuz I was there from conception to birth, I waited for about a month, then I went on back to church.

But my mom and dad were both very active in ministry.  They were presidents of different auxiliaries at different times, superintendents of the Sunday School, ushers, pastor’s secretary, trustees, deacons… all that stuff.  So, I was always at church.

And, my parents (around the house) played every kind of music.  I was born and raised Baptist…

EJ:  Are you Baptist??  I thought you were COGIC for some reason.

MD:  What?!  Baptist born, Baptist bred, when I die, I’m goin’ to see Jesus. *laughing*

EJ: *laughs*

MD:  But, my mother tells me that, when I was 3 or 4 months old, she would say “hi,” and I was matching pitch with her.  I’m like “are you crazy?” So, from the time that I could function, cognitively, I was sitting on the bench next to the musicians of the church, listening to them teach parts to the choir.

EJ:  You were BORN to do music.

MD:  I definitely believe I was.

EJ:  Wow.  Ok, so this was the plan.  Talk to me about that, though.  Growing up, if this was the plan, how did you know HOW to do it?  Because there’s no roadmap.  People don’t write books on how to become a background vocalist.

MD:  Right.  And that is one of my desires, to do that, because there is no handbook.  Most of the time, like you said, they fall into it because they have a good voice, they’re teachable and they wanna help.

For me, I grew up listening to cartoon music… The reason I can identify certain pieces of classical music is because of Bugs Bunny.

EJ:  *laughs*  Right.  That’s true.

MD:  Ummm… TV commercials.  I was always intrigued by people who did those things because they weren’t seen.  And it’s like, “who’s DOIN’ that?”  Or TV theme songs.  You never knew who was doing that either.

EJ:  So, you specifically did NOT want the glory of being seen?  Cuz, as a kid… kids often wanna be singers because they think of the spotlight or the solo mic, or the glamour.  At age 4, you didn’t want that?

MD:  Mm-mmm.  My parents are ministers and they’re behind-the-scenes people.  They never exhibited that desire to be in the front– they always wanted to help.  And that was my example growing up.  So, I never wanted to be in the front.  Actually, I was anti-front. *laughs*

EJ:  Why?

MD:  It just didn’t intrigue me.  It didn’t capture my attention.  I was just like “as long as I can be a cog in the wheel, to help it get to the destination, I’m good.”

EJ:  But Mel, you have one of the greatest voices around.  Are you supposed to BE a cog?  Some people would say you’re not a cog-in-the-wheel voice… you’re a spoke-in-the-wheel or something.

MD:  Hmmm… No.

EJ:  You don’t take that?

MD:  No.  Because I think of it as the Body of Christ– everybody’s got a function.  And I don’t think anyone is more important than the other because we all need each part to function, interdependently and independently, in order for the Body of Christ to be effective.

Because if there’s just one person that always wants to be at the top, and they don’t offer anything to the Body, the rest of the Body can become ill.  Or, because of a lack of a function, it can become dormant or cause disruption.  And I don’t want that to be the story.

When I was growing up in my church in Long Island, I was an usher, I taught Sunday School, I worked in the kitchen.  I’ll STILL do it.  When Judy [McAllister] did her recording at [Greater Allen AME Cathedral], I was one of the sopranos.  And one night, we decided we would feed them.  Now, I don’t cook, but I was in the kitchen helping.  Had the hair net on and the plastic apron…

EJ:  Stop it. *laughs*

MD:  *laughing*  You know?!  But I don’t think that’s a take-down… it’s a part of being a servant.  Because, unfortunately, a lot of people reach an area of prominence and… I mean, the word “minister” in Greek, doesn’t that mean “servant”?

EJ:  Right.

MD:  And they forget that.  They think that they are to be served.  No, you are to serve.  That was the whole crux of Christ’s ministry.  So, I find it very very foreign for people to want to be served when they’re in a place in which they’re supposed to be serving.  It’s just strange to me.  And actually, it saddens me and sometimes sickens me when I see people that call themselves Minister, or Elder, or Apostle… Evangelist… and they want to be served instead of serving.

EJ:  This ain’t an interview– this is SERVICE!  *laughs*

MD:  *laughing*

EJ:  Okay, wait… cuz I’m getting sidetracked.  This is about to be my own personal convo.  Can you rattle off a quick list of people you’ve worked with?

MD:  A short list?

EJ:  I dunno how you can, but try. *laughing*

MD:  Okay, I’ll give you three and three.  And I’ll explain why cuz this is another area where people don’t understand why I do what I do.

EJ:  I know what you’re gonna do.  SAY IT!

MD:  Mariah Carey, Kim Burrell, Ricky Martin, Karen Clark-Sheard, Marc Anthony, Donald Lawrence.

EJ:  Perfect set-up for my next question!  Now, you just gave a very diverse list…

MD:  Exactly.  A little Spanish, a little R&B… *laughs*

EJ:  Right!  Respond to those critics, first of all, who say “if you sing gospel, you’re not supposed to be doing R&B.”

MD:  Oh, you’ve not read the comments, huh?  There have been major debates on YouTube– and I don’t even have an account there, other people put that stuff up and I just read the comments.  There’s a video where I’m singing “If Only You Knew,” I’m wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt.

EJ:  At the Village Underground.  I’ve seen that.

MD:  Yeah.  And this woman was like “it’s amazing… she has a wonderful voice, but I thought she sang gospel.  I hope she did this BEFORE she committed her life to Christ.”

EJ: *laughs*

MD:  And one of my best friends responded and said “obviously, you don’t know who Melonie Daniels is because you would understand that she is very focused, she knows who she belongs to, and that Jesus Christ is her source.  She loves music, and she sings all kinds of music because of that.”

My opinion, and my opinion does not agree with everyone else’s– I believe that God created all music.  What happens is that the deceiver gets in the ear of the gifted, who are supposed to translate that message to glorify God, and perverts it and twists it.  But I believe that the source of every bit of inspiration is from God for music.  So, I love all music.

I have everything in my collection from Yo-Yo Ma to Slum Village.  And everything in between.  Big Band, Rosemary Clooney, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie… all the way down to Aerosmith, Def Leppard, to Journey, REO Speedwagon.

I just believe that music is made to give God glory.  The gift comes perfect, but the gifted are not perfect.  And I’ve gotten to a place in my walk with God where I can see Him in stuff.

EJ:  So, He’s there in “If Only You Knew”?

MD:  Yeah.  And people have talked to me, expressing their disdain or disappointment with me for the choices I’ve made, career-wise.  And it’s like, why are you mad at me because of the assignment God gave me, just because He couldn’t trust you with it?  God is able to trust me because he knows how far I will go.

EJ:  And how do you draw the line?

MD:  Ummm… there are certain things, like I’ve had rappers approach me like “Yo, Ma, your ‘bleep’-ing voice is incredible.”  And, first of all, I won’t do the cursing thing.  Your song can’t be profane, and it can’t demean women.  And then, you’ve gotta get into the whole hip-hop culture, too– it’s anti-Christ anyhow.

It’s all about getting money, gettin’ paid… women, trying to get respect and have street credibility.  I’m not with that.  My audience is God and I want HIM to be pleased with me.  I couldn’t care less what other people think.

I’ve grown to that point, but it wasn’t that way always.  I was bound for MANY years by what people thought of what I did.  And I had to come to the realization that GOD is the one I need to be pleasing, and nobody else.  And if He trusts me enough to be in these places, to be a light for Him, I have to (with integrity and a good work ethic) just do what I’m supposed to do.

EJ:  I hear that.

MD:  When I was singing with Mariah, she wasn’t singing all that stuff about “Touch My Body,” and all that.  And she knew there was a line that I wouldn’t cross, so there were songs that she wouldn’t even have me on, because of the subject matter.

And, you know, there’s that story in the Bible where there was a king who didn’t believe in God, but had one of the children of Israel in his court.  And when people tried to challenge him for that, he said “no, no… he worships the God of Israel and I respect him for his God and how he carries himself.”  That’s what God did for me in that season of my life.

EJ:  Amen.

MD:  And it was great.  SHE was covering me and the church people that are supposed to have a relationship with God didn’t do the same thing.  But she covered me.

*     *     *

So, that’s Part One, folks.  What did you think???

I think, for your musical pleasure (and mine), I’ma feature a different musical clip of her at the end of each interview segment.

First up is one that I’ve posted here before, but it REALLY embodies why she’s one of my favorites.  Her range is nuts, she finesses a song cuz she FEELS it, not cuz she’s trying to impress folks.  This clips makes me go wild, thinking about the glory of our God.

This is her singing “Forever” at her church, Greater Allen Cathedral.  It’s a longer clip, but worth EVERY SINGLE MINUTE.  Watch it, PLEASE, and worship the Lord:

Yeah, people Slept On it.  BIG TIME.

I had been eager to buy Andraé Crouch’s Mighty Wind for a while before it came out cuz I heard that it would feature guest spots from some of the industry’s greatest artists.

Well, the treats simply TUMBLE out of this project, as almost every song features a powerhouse vocalist.  The first track, “I Was Glad,” featured Tata Vega on lead (if you don’t know her name, you definitely know her voice– she is the recorded singing voice of Shug Avery in The Color Purple) and you can hear Melonie Daniels doing some riffs in the bgv’s.

Then, the album moves to “All Because Of Jesus,” with Marvin Winans DEMOLISHING the lead.  Next is “Jesus Is Lord” with Karen Clark-Sheard… oh man!  Then Fred Hammond takes lead on “Oh, Give Thanks.”  Other notable guest spots include Marcus Cole (“Come Home”) and Crystal Lewis (“We Give You Glory”)… y’all don’t OWN this?!

In short, this whole project was BANANAS and I think a lot of people don’t own it, which is a sin and a shame.  I couldn’t find full-length streaming audio, but here are TWO snippets for ya– Marvin Winans on “All Because Of Jesus,” and Karen Clark-Sheard on “Jesus Is Lord”:

Somebody, PLEASE tell me you have this project!

It was a re-run.

But it was still as good as the first time I saw it!  It featured performances from Fantasia, Melonie Daniels and Isaiah D. Thomas.

I already posted a clip a coupla months ago of Melonie’s awesome performance, and Isaiah D. Thomas did his thing well.  But I wanna chat about Fantasia.  MAN, OH MAN.

She AND her mama sang “He’s Done Enough” like it was going out of style.  I mean, they brought it FOR REAL.  Then, she came back at the end of the show to sing “Total Praise”– phenomenal.

After the credits rolled, she continued in the same vein of worship, talking to the audience about her recent vocal surgery and how she has a voice to sing despite the doctors’ predictions.  She cried and sang some more, thanking God for who He is.  Great stuff!

I think Fantasia’s a bit of an anomaly in the music industry.  After Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, and maybe Whitney Houston, she’s probably the biggest-named artist who puts out “secular” albums, but can also be found doing tons of gospel stuff on the regular.  Not only is she accepted in both markets, she’s believable in both genres.

I’m aware that I could be startin’ something, but I wanna know what y’all think about her.  Holla!

I could speak of both albums that this church choir has put out, but I’m gonna focus on the most recent one, released independently in 2007, cuz I listened to it a bit earlier today.

I dunno how many people really know of Bishop Eric McDaniel outside of New York, which is rather unfortunate cuz he’s done quite a bit.  Aside from being for the Bronx what Hezekiah Walker has been to Brooklyn (he’s a local artist, turned pastor, turned bishop… and he’s also one of Bishop Walker’s closest friends), he’s written songs you’ve undoubtedly heard, like “Restore Your Joy” and “When We Get Over There” (recorded by Hezekiah Walker & LFCC), and “One More Chance” (Ricky Dillard & New G, but originally recorded by his church choir and led by his wife).

On Restoration, the choir’s sophomore album, Bishop McDaniel BRINGS it.  In addition to the local radio hits, “Something Good” and “Thank You,” the album features stellar performances from regional and national giants.  “A Closer Walk” is an awesome worship track led by Ayana George (a member of the church, known for backing vocals with Donnie McClurkin) before Karen Clark-Sheard blesses us on the reprise.

I also love to hear the choir modulate to the RAFTERS on “Nothing But Praises,” featuring choirmaster James Hall on lead vocals, but my favorite track is prolly their remake of the Tramaine Hawkins cut “Holy One.”  It features a duet by Lucinda Moore and Melonie Daniels, and… ’nuff said!

I think that, in a time when a lot of choirs simply are not delivering, Bishop Eric McDaniel & The Lord’s Church Cathedral Choir provide some great stuff.

Listen here to “Thank You”:

For the record, what do y’all think?

I think we’re at part four of this series.  I don’t know how many more I’ve got in me, but I had to talk about this one.

I don’t think I’ll have any dissenters– Mariah Carey’s album, Merry Christmas, is one of the best Christmas albums to be released in the past two decades.

On that album, from 1994, she did more than create the instant classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (with background vocals from Melonie Daniels and Kelly Price noticeably blazing) and the magical “Jesus, Born On This Day.”   She gave new life to old classics like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “O Holy Night.”  And who could have predicted how she would demolish the ENTIRETY of the downright churchy “Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child”???

Other noteworthy tracks include “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” and her awesome arrangements of “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.”

This album is Mariah at her best– polished, soaring and effortless.  You kinda need to own it.

Listen to “Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child” here: