Kim McFarland, Monique Walker, Táta Vega…

At a time, these were some of the choir/ensemble soloists whose names were practically synonymous with the leader of that choir or ensemble.

You saw Andraé Crouch, you expected to see and hear Táta Vega. You saw Hezekiah Walker, you expected to see and hear Monique Walker. You saw Milton Brunson & The Tommies and you’d better get to see and hear Kim McFarland!  With solos on various songs by their respective groups, these and other voices served as the benchmark for the sound of contemporary choir music.

Out of curiosity– who are the choir/ensemble soloists of the new school?

My mind instantly wanders to folks like Zacardi Cortez (James Fortune & FIYA), David McClure (JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise) and Lillian Lloyd (with Ricky Dillard’s New G).

Who else comes to mind???

It’s rare that I pass on doing a CD review, then fall so helplessly in love with a project that I change my mind.  The Anointed Pace Sisters’ latest project, Access Granted, was one such CD and this, the debut album of Smokie Norful’s Victory Cathedral Choir, is another.

The album, Smokie Norful Presents Victory Cathedral Choir (EMI Gospel), was released this Tuesday and, in a nutshell, I’m loving it.  BIG TIME.  Song after song, this project delivers classic choir music that will fit well into the 11am service at anybody’s church.  From choir vocals, to lead vocals, to songwriting and production, the project is a must-have that does not disappoint.

While Smokie Norful is responsible for “presenting” his church choir, I’m glad that it doesn’t feel at all like a Smokie Norful album.  In fact, you’ll only remember that he’s involved with it two times– on the two songs he leads.  Everything else screams “Chicago old school choir” like Milton Brunson & The Tommies or something.

The album opens with the invitational chant “Rejoice” before moving to the band-banging “Come Too Far,” led by Norful.  The vibe slows a bit with “Your Latter,” with a lead vocalist slightly reminiscent of Kim McFarland.

Up next is the shout-ready single, “The Greatest Name,” followed by “You’re All I Need,” a beautiful choral piece that almost sounds like it could have been recorded by Richard Smallwood & Vision.  The worship ballad “You Are Holy” comes next, set delicately to a beautiful piano with an equally beautiful lead vocal over it.  From there, the cohesive project continues to moves seamlessly, from Smokie Norful’s lead on the downright churchy “I’m Still Here,” to “Refuge” and “Just Knowing Jesus.”

The project ends with what might be my favorite track on the album (and which, in my humble opinion, might have been a better single), “I Made It.”  The precise syncopation of the band, choir and lead vocalist on this classic churchy, hand-clapping tune… it’s Sunday morning in all of the right ways.

I think what I like most about this project is that it’s an ode to the true church choir.  It reminds of the days when choir soloists were content to sing their song on Sunday and go back to their 9-to-5 during the week.  The fact that they could sing the walls down at church didn’t make them want to be national recording artists– they were content to serve in their local body.  And serve WELL.

That rant will be for another post, but in the meantime– click here to purchase this project!

I added the single, “The Greatest Name,” to the PunditPlayer several weeks ago (click here to listen again).

Anybody else have this incredible album yet?  Anybody gonna check it out???

Is it just me, or is gospel the only genre that allows (maybe expects, and even demands) artists’ names to follow the format of “So-And-So” & “Such-And-Such”?

Think about it… Jonathan Nelson & Purpose, Myron Butler & Levi, DeWayne Woods & When Singers Meet…

But it didn’t just start happening… there was Israel & New Breed, Kirk Franklin & The Family, Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ…

And before them, Richard Smallwood & Vision, Walter Hawkins & The Hawkins Family, Andraé Crouch & The Disciples…

And let’s not forget the choirs– Hezekiah Walker & LFC, Ricky Dillard & New G, John P Kee & New Life, Milton Brunson & The Tommies, O’landa Draper & The Associates…

Understand this– my absolute ALL-TIME FAVORITE gospel artists are mentioned above, so I’m not mad at their names at all.  Love you guys and you KNOW it!

I definitely think the the name choices make sense– ours is the only genre with the artist format of frontmen backed by an ensemble or a choir.

But I’d be lying if I said it isn’t refreshing when I hear creative names like Mary Mary, Excelsior, 21:03 and Mali Music.

In short, it’s not a good or bad thing, just… a thing.  A gospel thing.

Anyone noticed???

I will admit that I was skeptical– if you remember last year’s Celebration Of Gospel, there were just a bunch of moments that left us wondering… “WHY?!”

But this year, for its 10th anniversary, BET seems to have taken time and done things well and with purpose.  I honestly thought it was a GREAT show.

My quick comments about each song, in order:

Fred Hammond featuring Kelly Price and Shirley Caesar – “Awesome God”
I loved the album version of this song (and wondered if it should’ve been the single) for months now. For me, the addition of Kelly Price to the performance made this song a great opener.

Yolanda Adams – “Victory”
It’s a great song, and Yolanda always gives an incredible live performance, but I didn’t necessarily NEED it. Just seemed a bit random.

Anthony & Tarsha’ Hamilton – “Better Is One Day”
One of the best performances of the night for me. It was an awesome arrangement of a CCM favorite, it was heartfelt and simple. And Tarsha’ can SING! Geeeeeeez.

Bobby Jones & The Nashville Super Choir featuring Y’Anna Crawley – “The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow”
Dunno what was up with Dr. Jones’ costume in the beginning (it was creative, but the bubble wrap thing threw me for a loop), but by the time the singing started, I was all in. Y’Anna sounded & looked great, the Nashville Super Choir went hard, and it was a solid performance.

Kelly Price & Ledisi – “How Great Thou Art”
From what I hear, BET edited some of the best parts of this performance from the TV broadcast. No matter… even as an edited shadow of itself, the performance was one of the night’s best. These are two of the most gifted female vocalists in the music biz right now. Loved it.

BeBe & CeCe Winans – “Close To You”/”Grace”
I sent a tweet last night that, though I love them, BeBe & CeCe could’ve done a throwback tune for me and I would’ve been thrilled. From a business standpoint, I get it (and they still did a great job)… I’m just even more eager for that reunion tour!

City Of Refuge P.S.A.L.M.S. Choir – “Shout”
I’m not a huge fan of the choir, but they did a great cover of this classic Milton Brunson tune. Lots of energy and a clean look make them stand out. Nice job.

Shirley Caesar – “Celebration”
The First Lady of Gospel always delivers a solid performance. Performing her newest single, she remained consistent and demonstrated that traditional vocals will NEVER go out of style.

James Fortune & FIYA – “I Trust You”
A bit underwhelmed by the use of background vocal tracks instead of live bgv’s until the vamp, but the song is powerful and so was the performance. This group is solidifying itself as a mainstay in the gospel landscape.

Fred Hammond – “They That Wait”
Actually, I wasn’t as interested in this song without John P. Kee being there. Makes me wonder if, in the end, it wasn’t the collabo that made the song so popular. I didn’t necessarily need to see this performance, especially given that he did the opener…

Fantasia & Diane Barrino – “He’s Done Enough”
From the moment she hit the stage, Fantasia’s shoes were off and she was jumpin’. It’s how she does gospel and I LOVE it. I also loved seeing her mama lookin’ like an artist herself… they performed together at the 2009 Chicago GospelFest and on Bobby Jones last season– I could get used to this!

Rance Allen Group – “Something About The Name Jesus”
Watching Rance Allen perform is always an adventure– you never know where the riffs & squalls are gonna come from, but you know they’re coming! It was great to hear him sing this classic tune, but I’m beginning to see less of a need for the “Group.”

Tye Tribbett & G.A. – “So Amazing”
It’s been said that this is the last we’ll see of G.A., as Tye is reportedly disbanding the group (per in-the-know journalist Jawn Murray, who attended a “farewell concert” on New Year’s Eve). If so, this was a nice performance to end their run. The song is good, the energy was what we’ve come to expect… cool deal.

Donnie McClurkin – “We Fall Down”
Donnie continues to demonstrate why there is no substitute for a good song and a solid vocal performance. No frills or gimmicks– just a 10-year-old tune and a vocalist who never really misses. Excellent.

Marvin Sapp – “The Best In Me”
This song was a hit from the moment he sang the first note at his live recording. And you all have been listening to it here for a while now, and lovin’ it. Another dynamic performance from an incredibly gifted singer. Chalk up another one for Marvin Sapp.

Donald Lawrence – “Back II Eden”/”The Best Is Yet To Come”
An awesome finale performance, with the incredible Floyd Wilkinson on the vamp, from the man with the Midas touch. The only thing missing for me was Donald’s group of singers, but I’m just spoiled.

All in all, this show was really great. The tribute to Steve Harvey was heartfelt and touching. And I’ll say this– if some of the greatest ministers of music in our industry come together annually, and interact with non-believers, we’re SUPPOSED to see a change in people. What that says for other annual televised gospel programs, I’m not sure… but it’s encouraging to see what God’s been doing in Steve’s life through Celebration Of Gospel.

Now… WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE SHOW?!

Wednesday at GMWA was a slower day, not cuz there wasn’t plenty to do, but because people were kinda dragging and showing their fatigue… folks were skippin’ events and what not. LOL

I got a chance to chat with Floyd Wilkinson, who leads the hit Donald Lawrence & Co. single, “Back II Eden.”  To be one of the singin’-est dudes you’ll find in the game, he is incredible kind, humble and down to earth.  And he’s hilarious.  Gotta love that.

I stopped by the “Tribute To The King” concert, which was being hosted by Kurt Carr.  I didn’t stay for the whole tribute, but I noticed some of his singers, so I’m sure they ministered their faces off.  I also got a chance to see Dottie Peoples and Chrystal Rucker backstage.  The attendance at the tribute was rather low, but they were goin’ in on some classic James Cleveland tracks before I had to leave.

Took a quick break for dinner at some Korean bistro (it was pretty good) before heading to the Youth & Young Adult showcase, which featured a bunch of great aspiring/new artists.

When I arrived, Isaac Cates & Ordained were on stage and sounded GREAT.  Not long after, Sunday Best finalist Zebulon Ellis got on the piano to play and sing the classic Milton Brunson tune “For The Good Of Them.”  I’ll say this– we, the Sunday Best viewing audience, were cheated out of experiencing how awesome his vocal ability is.  Dude can blow, FOR REAL.

A bit later, Melinda Watts performed “There Will Come A Day” from her new album, followed by a organ-accompanied “When We All Get To Heaven” and “When I See Jesus” medley.  It was HOT.

After her, JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise took the stage and performed their hit song “Incredible God, Incredible Praise.”  Lemme tell ya– incredible PERFORMANCE, too.  They ended their set with their new single, “Resting On His Promise,” and had Bishop Eric McDaniel join them for the vamp (as he does on the recorded version).  They had great energy and an even better sound.

I ducked out before the end, lest I fell out from fatigue– this week will wear you OUT if you don’t get your rest!  Geeeeez.

That’s it for now.  ‘Til later!

I’ve been a supporter of Melinda Watts since she won Gospel Dream last summer on Gospel Music Channel.  From that time, I anxiously awaited her debut album, People Get Ready.  The wait is over– I’ve got it and it’s a great album.

This ten-track project (available this coming Tuesday, the 28th) is a solid blend of music that will appeal to both gospel and CCM audiences alike.  She covers all bases with a range of production styles– from Freddy Washington, Jr. to Aaron Lindsey, from PAJAM to Bernie Herms.  At all times, though, it’s clear that she understands her calling to bridge gaps in the Christian music marketplace.  And she does that well.

The danger of creating an album like this– one intended to reach all Believers– is that by aiming at both markets, artists often hit neither of ‘em.  Melinda avoids this problem well, but there are a couple of tracks on the project that may be hard to place in gospel radio or CCM radio because they don’t have a clear market sound.  That said, I’m not bound by my “market” (neither are many of you), so listen to what you wanna!

Standout tracks for me include:  the single, “So Good,” which has been gaining radio airplay and already has a video spot on Gospel Music Channel; “Available To You” her duet with J Moss, which re-works the classic Milton Brunson choir song; “Come Boldly,” an R&B-styled song of restoration; “Happy,” a cross-cultural song that simply expresses the joy of knowing God, with co-writing from Evin Martin of 21:03; “Faith That Conquers,” a classic Vanessa Bell-Armstrong track re-made with a simple piano accompaniment before heading to a worshipful vamp; and one of my faves, “Purpose Driven Life,” a moving ballad at the end of the album, written by Smokie Norful and Myron Butler.

In sum, People Get Ready is a summertime staple.  It’s a worthy collection of heartfelt music, from an incredibly gifted vocalist.  You’ll want to add it to your list of must-have music this month.

I don’t know how many people outside of Chicago were aware of the PBS special Going Home To Gospel, hosted by Patti LaBelle, back in 1991 or so.  It was taped at Chicago’s historic Quinn Chapel and remains one of my favorite television concert specials EVER.

It featured music from Patti LaBelle, Albertina Walker, Ricky Dillard & New G, The Barrett Sisters, DeLeon (back when she was a teenager), Edwin Hawkins, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Calvin Bridges (where’s HE these days?), and many more.

One of my absolute favorite performances from the show was Patti LaBelle’s rendition of “He Cares” by Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Singers.  PLEASE watch it here:

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAZY, right?!

Word has it that Melinda Watts and J Moss have re-recorded the classic choir hit ”Available To You,” by Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Singers.

The track will be featured on Melinda’s upcoming CD, entitled People Get Ready, due in stores on July 28, 2009.  I think it’s gonna kinda be a KILLER re-make.  Anyone else excited to hear it?

Oh, and if you’re on Twitter, make sure you follow her tweets: http://www.twitter.com/melindawatts.

My wife and I flew out on Friday and, before we could even get out of New York, Stellar Award attendees were everywhere.  I caught a glimpse of Darius Brooks (artist and former songwriter for Milton Brunson & The Tommies) and a bunch of folks from Love Fellowship Tabernacle at our gate at the airport.

Best of all, we met up with our good buddy, Damon Williams (Director of Marketing at Zomba Gospel) and waited to board.  He was even gracious enough to give me a quick promo photo (with my promo postcards) for the site!

Once we landed, it was straight to the host hotel, the Sheraton Music City Hotel.  No time to relax, though, cuz we only had a quick minute to eat before the next event.

More in a minute!

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post telling you that this new series would start soon– and here’s the first installment!

Few choir soloists have left as indelible an impression on the gospel music community as Kim McFarland.  You prolly remember her from her days with Chicago’s Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Singers.  She led HITS for days, including “I Tried Him and I Know Him,” “For the Good of Them,” and “In My Name.”

But she started waaaaaay before that with Walt Whitman & The Soul Children of Chicago, leading (and co-writing) “We Are One.”  In my opinion, she kinda helped to define what a contemporary choir soloist is gonna need to bring to the table!

And she didn’t stop there… she released two solo albums– New Life in 1994, and Amazing in 1996.  The latter album features one of my favorite cuts from her, “Intercession.”

So, Kim McFarland, where YOU been?!

Various biographical sources on the internet suggest that Kim McFarland is 39 years old, resides in Chicago, and is married to Chris Anderson, who is a producer, vocalist and session musician.  Together, they run CAKM (I’m guessing, their initials), an event and concert production company.  He also wrote several songs on both of her solo albums.

She’s apparently got two MySpace pages– the most recently updated page is private, but available by clicking here; the other, though publicly viewable, hasn’t been accessed since September of 2008.  Access that one by clicking here.

So, is she still singing?  I think so.  I’m not aware of any big guest appearances, but I do see her name as a background vocalist on various album liner notes over the past three years alone: Hezekiah Walker’s 20/85 The Experience, Marvin Sapp’s Be Exalted, Smokie Norful’s Nothing Without You, Coko’s Grateful, Dewayne Woods’ Introducing Dewayne Woods and When Singers Meet, and Joann Rosario’s Joyous Salvation.  That’s understandable because several of those albums feature tracks from Donald Lawrence, who has used her for vocals a lot lately (including on the Tri-City finale album).

But ummm… that’s about as far as I’m able to get on my own.  Anyone know somethin’ else???

YouTube pickings are slim, so you’ll just have to settle for her killing “For the Good of Them” with the Tommies back in the day: