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???

If you are ANYWHERE REMOTELY CLOSE to Chicago on Saturday, June 5th and/or Sunday, June 6th, you already know (hopefully) where you need to be– it’s the annual Chicago Gospel Music Festival in Millennium Park.

The two-day weekend gospel celebration features a mainstage with non-stop concert performances from some of the biggest names in gospel each year.  This year, attendees include Ricky Dillard & New G, Kathy Taylor, Byron Cage, Hezekiah Walker & LFC,  The Caravans, Richard Smallwood & Vision, and Fred Hammond.  Plus, there are two smaller stages with performances from great Chicagoland talent throughout each day.

In addition to the performances, you’ll find food, vendors, gospel radio booths and more.  The event goes down from 11am to 9pm each day and you oughta be there, if ya can.  For full details, visit www.chicagogospelmusicfestival.us.

Lemme know if you’re going!

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

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

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

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

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey there!  How are ya?

NR:  Heyyyy!  I’m great!

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

NR:  No problem!

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

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

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

EJ:  Awesome.

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

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

EJ:  Whaaaaat?

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

EJ:  *laughs*

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

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

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

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

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

EJ:  Right.

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

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

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

EJ:  Wow.

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

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

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

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

EJ:  Nuh-uh!

NR:  Yeah. *laughing*

EJ:  Really?

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

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

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

NR:  *laughing*

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

NR:  Yeah.

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

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

EJ:  Wow.

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

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

EJ:  How so?

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

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

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

NR:  Right!

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

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

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

NR:  *laughs*

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

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

EJ:  *laughing* Alright!

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

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

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

NR: *exhales* I’m doing it SOON!

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

NR:  *laughing*

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

NR:  I am working on it as we speak.

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

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

EJ:  Oh, for real?!

NR:  Mm-hmm.

EJ:  Who are you working with?

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

EJ:  Ok, ok.  I understand.

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

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

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

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

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

EJ:  Nope!

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

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

EJ:  *laughs* Right.  That’s great.

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

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

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

EJ:  *laughs*

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

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

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

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

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

NR:  Oh, you’re welcome.

EJ:  We’ll talk soon.

NR:  Okay.  Bye!

EJ:  Bye!

*     *     *

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

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

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

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

Check it out–

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

Got a group out of Atlanta that I want you guys to know about… Kevin Lemons & Higher Calling have compiled a nice project with solid production and tight vocals.

The vibe is like a good ol’ church service or midnight musical someplace.  And that’s refreshing to me.  In this musical season, where so much music seems almost created for the sake of crossover or mainstream appeal, it’s cool that artists are still filling the need for a choir that is gonna KILL the vocals and leave folks slain in the aisles.

The choir’s got a little wobble (a la Ricky Dillard’s New G or James Hall’s Worship And Praise) but I love their blend more than anything else.

And the musical help enlisted by Kevin Lemons & Higher Calling is impressive, to say the least– guest leads vocals from Charmaine Swimpson (one of Kirk Franklin’s singers for several years now), rising favorite San Franklin, Sunday Best finalist Zebulon Ellis and background vocalist/developing artist Josiah Martin.

Destined For Greatness (produced by Justin Gilbert and Daniel Moore) is available at most internet retailers, including Amazon.com.  You can listen to the single, “Destined For Greatness,” on the PunditPlayer NOW by clicking here.

Let me know what you think!

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???

This performance is from one of my favorite old school televised gospel shows, Going Home To Gospel, which was hosted by Patti LaBelle and aired on PBS.  I think I’ve posted some Goodies from there before.

Anyway, this song… I just love it.  From the classic style of the song to the just-right solo from Calvin Bridges… (and yes, that’s Ricky Dillard directing the choirs).  LOVE IT!

Whatcha thinkin’???

Immediately following the taping of the 25th Annual Stellar Awards, social networking sites were flooded with praises, lauding THIS show as the best Stellar Awards EVER.  And I agree.

I’ve attended numerous times and I’ve watched the show since I was kid growing up in Chicago– the performances on this show were innovative and you’ll be hard-pressed to find more memorable and captivating performances right now.

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

During the taping, I sent tweets via Twitter about who was on stage, but intentionally left off the songs that were being performed.  Here, I’m recapping the ENTIRE taping, so if you wanna leave anything to your imagination, don’t read any further.

If you wanna know the juicy details, do proceed…

As you probably know, the show was hosted by Donnie McClurkin, Vickie Winans and Kirk Franklin.  They did a great job, especially Vickie, who served as comic relief for much of the night.  There was no hype man between set changes this year, so we could’ve gotten really restless but for Vickie’s jokes about herself.

For the first time, the Stellar Awards featured a live house band, which was led by producer Percy Bady.  This made a WORLD of difference because the sound was tighter than ever, the performances came to life, and we weren’t bound by the restrictions of each artist’s performance track.  EXCELLENT decision.

If you follow my tweets, you know that I said that the theme for this year’s show would be COLLABORATIONS.  Almost all of the performances on the show are medleys between artists that have made significant contributions to gospel music over the past 25 years.  The others were performances from artists that left a great impression on the industry in the past year.

The show opened with a collabo between Ricky Dillard & New G and Hezekiah Walker & LFC.  If you love choirs, you’ll get a glimpse of Heaven within the first coupla minutes of the program!

Ricky Dillard & New G performed “Search Me” before transitioning into the classic vamp of “More Abundantly”… you know, the part where the sopranos, altos and tenors break down into parts, singing “JOYYYYY!”  During this time, the Love Fellowship Choir had joined them on stage, just in time for Bishop Hezekiah Walker to lead them in their hits “I Need You To Survive” and “Souled Out.”  It was electrifying.

The next performances came from the legendary Vanessa Bell Armstrong, performing her hit single “Good News.”  She looked incredible and sounded even better.

In a traditional female vocalist collaboration, we were super blessed to witness Lady Tramaine Hawkins sing “Changed” (it doesn’t matter how many years have passed– her voice DOES NOT CHANGE) before Dottie Peoples came on stage to sing “On Time God” like you wouldn’t believe.  As if that wasn’t enough, Pastor Shirley Caesar came to the stage to tell us about ol’ Shoutin’ John in “Hold My Mule”  Y’all remember that song?!  It was a classic performance.

The next collabo came from Richard Smallwood and Smokie Norful.  This was absolutely one of the best performances.  Fortunately, I had seen it during some rehearsals, because I could’ve missed the whole thing.  An usher at the Grand Ole Opry House used this time to SCREAM in my area, talkin’ about “are there any SEAT FILLERS over here?!”  Fortunately, my wife told her to “shhhhh!!!” and we still caught some of it.  Don’t mess with Janice Gaines, y’hear?

Picture it– Smallwood and Norful, both in tuxedos (with tails), each at a black grand piano, tickling the ivories like nobody’s business.  Richard Smallwood started by playing Smokie’s “I Need You Now,” then Smokie followed by playing Richard’s “Center Of My Joy.”  Smokie then played and sang “Dear God” (from his latest project) and Richard Smallwood capped the performance off with his classic anthem, “Total Praise.”

New Artist Of The Year Crystal Aikin came to the stage next with her hit single “I Desire More,” and left the entire room desiring more… I could’ve heard her on that vamp all day.  Her voice soars, effortlessly, and she’s got such control and sincerity… a true treasure.

Another stand-out performance came from our favorite bro & sis– BeBe & CeCe Winans, singing their latest single “Grace.”  They looked like a million bucks and they sounded like they never took a 15-year break.  They’re just pros who don’t miss a beat.

Up next was another classic performance– Kirk Franklin performed with his singers– new and old– a medley of his greatest hits, including “Silver & Gold,” “Why We Sing,” and a bunch of others I’m forgetting.  The best part of the performance was probably when Tamela Mann and Dalon Collins joined them to sing “Now Behold The Lamb.”  That auditorium went UP and IN.  CLASSIC!

Up next was the popular single “I Trust You” from James Fortune & FIYA.  They gave a great performance and reminded everyone why he had such great success at radio– it’s a singable anthem that encourages souls… great stuff.

The next performance is one that you’d BETTER watch for on the broadcast.  Don’t take bathroom breaks even remotely close to this segment.  I’m talking about the all-male vocalist collaboration between Donnie McClurkin, Byron Cage and Marvin Sapp.  There are hardly words to describe it.  The song list was great–  ”Never Would Have Made It,” “The Presence Of The Lord Is Here,” “Faithful To Believe,” “Marvelous” (by Walter Hawkins), and “Stand.”

Each of the three guys took turns singing on “Never Would Have Made It” and “Stand.”  By the end of their set, the ENTIRE room was on its feet worshipping.  They came back in on “Stand” and the taping had to take a break.  I’ve NEVER heard Byron Cage sing the way he did, Donnie’s range was limitless and powerful (as always) and Marvin Sapp was simply incredible.

At this point, Kirk came out and shared some of what’s been on his heart.  One thing that stood out was a quick phrase he gave– “IN ADVANCE.”  He shared that, as we sleep, as we doubt, while we’re not knowing what is going to happen, GOD has thoughtfully already worked everything out for us, in advance.  Our response to THAT should be that we praise Him, in advance.  It was a very powerful moment– I know I’m not typing it well enough to convey that, but… you’re gonna have to trust me.

The fire was kept burning by the next performance, which came from Israel Houghton and Mary Mary.  Israel performed via satellite from London, while Erica & Tina Campbell looked and sounded great on stage as they sang the Grammy-nominated “Every Prayer.”  I loved the concept of it and the execution.  Great job.

The finale of the show came sooner than I had prepared for– I guess I wanted to go until midnight or something– but when it came, it was great.

Donald Lawrence & The Co. (and you guys KNOW I love me some Co.!) sang “Back II Eden” with the Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir, winners of How Sweet The Sound (HSTS), behind them.  It was a great concept to include the choir because HSTS was such a great and popular part of the gospel industry this year.  And when Floyd Wilkinson came up to do his vamp… I’m sayin’… I could listen to that vamp 10 times in a row and never got tired of it.

What I think you WON’T see on camera is Vickie Winans clownin’… she won Female Vocalist Of The Year and the award was presented by Shirley Caesar, Dorothy Norwood and Albertina Walker.  When she won, she was so overwhelmed and blown away that she went to the podium and said to Albertina (who sat with an oxygen tank next to her), “girl, gimme some of this [oxygen].”  I NEED them to not edit that out! LOL

Also, you probably won’t see Tina Campbell with her gorgeous new lil’ baby, TJ.  She walked to her seat with him at one point, and the whole audience awww’ed and oooo’ed cuz it was just priceless.

Even without those moments, you’re gonna get all the rest… and that’ll be one of the best set of televised gospel performances you’ve ever witnessed.

I commend Don Jackson, Central City Productions, Barbara Wilson, and the entire Stellar Awards production crew for an incredible show– definitely my favorite over the past decade, and probably EVER.  Elegant, professional, classic… it was more than just a celebration of 25 years of the Stellars… it was a celebration of gospel music.  Perfect!

Soooooooooooo… sound good to anyone else?  Anyone attend and wanna chime in?  Did I miss anything???

The list of artists who will perform at the 25th Annual Stellar Awards has been released:

Mary Mary
Byron Cage
Dottie Peoples
Hezekiah Walker
Shirley Caesar
Ricky Dillard & New G
Tramaine Hawkins
Richard Smallwood
Crystal Aikin
Smokie Norful
Vanessa Bell Armstrong
Edwin Hawkins
BeBe & CeCe Winans
Jonathan Slocumb
Israel Houghton
James Fortune
Walter Hawkins

For some reason, the list doesn’t mention Donald Lawrence, but it was announced elsewhere that he will be performing with the Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir (winner of this year’s How Sweet The Sound competition).

Should be interesting performances– glad to see some new folks on the show, like James Fortune and Crystal Aikin, as well as some faves that don’t always perform, like Tramaine Hawkins and Hezekiah Walker.

At the fear of sounding redundant, I would love to see Kierra Sheard SOMEWHERE on SOMEBODY’S show… she’s nominated for several awards, including ARTIST OF THE YEAR, for cryin’ out loud.  She can’t get a performance slot?!

As an aside– it’s interesting that, despite the fact that so many indie artists proudly let us know that they “took the ballot by storm” this year, not one of them was given a performance opportunity…

What do you guys think of the line-up?

The Allstate Gospel Superfest is preparing to tape a new season of their successful program of live gospel performances.  Hosted by Flex Alexander and Vivica Fox, the concert will take place on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at the Cintas Center (Xavier University) in Cincinnati, OH.

The anticipated artist line-up is star-studded, as always, including Karen Clark-Sheard, Vickie Winans, Hezekiah Walker, DeWayne Woods, J Moss, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Ricky Dillard, Kierra Sheard and many others.  Should be good.

Last season, episodes of the program aired on Gospel Music Channel… hopefully, they’ll pick it up again.

Visit www.gospelsuperfest.com for more details.

Anyone planning to attend?  Anyone planning to watch the show?  Lemme know…

Chatted with MY DUDE, JJ Hairston.  Not only does he lead the dynamic choir, Youthful Praise, he’s a man who simply adores God and wants to serve Him through his gifts and calling.

Although I kinda wanted to cut up with him during the interview, we managed to keep it professional.  The result is a great interview in which JJ shares his heart for this current album, talks about how Youthful Praise has evolved, and tells us what’s next for him.

Without further delay, here’s JJ Hairston…

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey!

JJ:  What’s up, dude?!

EJ:  *laughs* How are you?

JJ:  I’m good.  How are you doing?

EJ:  Good, good, good.  Let’s jump to it– you’ve got your fifth album coming out on September 1st, entitled Resting On His Promise.  Tell me about the vision of this particular project.

JJ:  Well, we usually praise and worship the Lord, which is what we’re called to do.  But for this album, we wanted to do something a little different– not only did we want to worship God, but we wanted to encourage His people.  So, we used some more thematic songs… songs that kind of speak for the day.  Normally, we sing all of our songs UP… this time, we’re singing to the people, encouraging them that, even in these times, God is still able to take them through anything.

EJ:  That’s needed, man.  Do you have a favorite track on the project?

JJ:  Umm… “Close To You” is my favorite track.  It’s a worship track, it’s intimate.  Everyone knows that I just love to worship Him– that’s just me.  I’m not saying it’s gonna be everybody’s favorite, but that’s mine.

EJ:  Talk to me about some of the collaborations you’ve got on this album–guest spots from Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Deon Kipping, Myron Butler, Bishop McDaniel…  how did those come about?

JJ:  Well, the first one I knew I was doing was with Dorinda.  That was just something… I knew, for this record, I wanted to get my favorite female vocalist and she is still, by far, my favorite.  So that was something I knew I was doing.

Everything else kinda happened in the process.  Pastor Shirley Caesar, of course, is on the label.  That was something I really wanted to do.  The song was kinda traditional to me and I wanted to the “queen”of traditional gospel to sing it.

EJ:  That’s wise.

JJ:  Myron, that was something that James Robinson [of Evidence Gospel] and I were just talking through… it was like, “which one of your friends would you love to do a song with?”  Me and Myron are so cool, but we never really got to work together in that aspect, so we did that and it turned out great.

We actually weren’t in the same room– he was in a studio in Dallas, I was in a studio here, but we kinda compliment each other very well.

EJ:  Wow.  You’d never have known it.

JJ:  Yeah.  William Murphy was supposed to sing the song “Lord, You’re Mighty.”  The night before the recording, he wasn’t able to make it because of some vocal issues.  I called Deon [Kipping] and said “look, I need you to sing this song tomorrow!”  He was like “are you serious?” *laughs*

EJ:  For real?  Did he know it before that, or did he just learn it?

JJ:  No, we rehearsed it the night before, and then an hour before the recording.  And that song, we actually sang on the stage together.  It worked out very well.  Bishop McDaniel– he’s just a great singer and I just feel like he delivers a song so well, so I wanted to include him.  That’s pretty much how it all happened.

EJ:  That’s great stuff.  Talk with me about how Youthful Praise has evolved over the years.  You all started out a long time ago as a youth choir and, as you got older, your sound was similar to other New York-area choirs at the time– a heavy vibrato (like on “Awesome God,” for example) and a killer band.

You’ve still got a killer band, but less vibrato.  And the style of music is a bit different.  Why the shift?

JJ:  I think that as I changed, and as the music I was drawn to changed, the music I wrote changed as well.

EJ:  Yeah.

JJ:  When we did Thank You For The Change, everybody doesn’t know it, but Shawn Brown and I were both directing during that record.  But in the midst of production on that record, Shawn went on to pastor.  So, though I’m the only one on the cover, we did that record together.

Live… The Praise, The Worship was the first record that I had done by myself and it was what was in my heart as opposed to being two different aspects of music.

EJ:  Definitely.

JJ:  Of course, Shawn and I are both church choir dudes and we were doing that type of music, but when it came time for me to do my own type of record, I had to do what was closest and dearest to my heart.  And that’s why that change kinda happened.

Now, because we grew up singing that way, we still have the vibrato.  It’s not as heavily accented by the style of song, but it’s still there.  I heard one guy say that we worship with a squall. *laughing*

EJ:  *laughs* I think that’s accurate!

JJ:  Yeah!  But that’s how it evolved.  Then, the Exalted record really went ALL the way worship.  So what I did with this album, Resting On His Promise, was tried to bring it back to the middle where the live praise and worship was, where everyone that likes church choirs will be able to enjoy it, but people who like praise & worship will also be able to enjoy it.

EJ:  Sure.  And I think you did that well– it’s got variety, but it’s clearly ONE project.  While we’re talking about choirs, I’ve got a more philosophical question for you.

JJ:  Okay.

EJ:  It seems like fewer choirs are getting recognition these days in the gospel industry… almost as if there aren’t as many mainstay choirs.  Do you feel like the choir scene in gospel is changing?  If so, how are you working to remain relevant?

JJ:  Wow.  I think the choir scene has changed because the industry has changed.  And I don’t mean “industry” as far as what people want, I mean “industry” as far as money.  Just to keep it real.

EJ:  Mm-hmm.

JJ:  It’s harder to move a choir because you can only move up to a certain number of people.  So, if you have a concert, you can have someone like J Moss– you have his honorarium, plus one ticket for him and travel for his background singers.  Or, you can bring in Ricky Dillard, who has 50 people.  Even though the honorarium may be different, the cost to move the group is just so much higher.

EJ:  Wow.

JJ:  So, what has happened now is that people are scaling down everywhere they can.  One of those areas is travel.  And choirs are taking the brunt of that because we have the most people.

What I’ve been doing to compensate for that is that I travel with less people, but still maintain the choir sound.  So as opposed to carrying 20 to 30 people, we travel with between 9 and 12 singers and a band.  We still give you the choir sound that you’re accustomed to from us, but you won’t have to pay as much for travel.  Still, 9 to 12 is a lot sometimes, but we move as many as we can.  It’s just a strain financially.

EJ:  Absolutely.  Just getting to the gig.

JJ:  Yeah.  I remember hearing that one choir took a bus all the way from California to New York.  People aren’t doing that anymore.  So, it’s just different, financially, in this industry than it was 15 years ago.

EJ:  Sure.  You mention traveling with fewer members, but you have a large choir.  How do you choose who’s going where and how do you deal with choir members who say “Well, he didn’t pick ME to go, why should I still do it?”

JJ:  Even to this day, we still have the same issue.   There’s a certain sound that has to be produced, regardless of how many people we bring.  And what we try to do is rotate as much as possible because I’ve been blessed with a large group of singers that can really represent the choir well.

Of course, at the same time, we have certain lead singers that people look for when we go places and I can’t leave them home.

EJ:  Right.

JJ:  So, it’s always a hard balance, but we try to move them around as much as we can.  You know, I explain to the choir what the issues are and they seem to understand.  We just try to be as fair as possible when we move people around.

EJ:  That’s a good approach.  You mentioned some of those lead singers we expect to see and I’ve gotta tell you– at GMWA, I nearly lost my mind about David McClure.  I think everybody was like “who?!  WHAT?!” *laughs*

JJ:  *laughing*  You know, honestly, I’ve been blessed over the last year or year and a half with some GREAT lead singers– of course, David McClure… we have a lead singer from New Jersey named Melissa Bell, and another singer named Jennifer Johnson out of New Haven, CT.  I didn’t go out to search for singers, we just happened to go places and we ministered with them there.

David is actually a member of our church and it just felt so right at that point… the timing was right for him to start traveling with us.  He’s great and he’s really a humble guy.  It’s just been a blessing.

EJ:  That’s great to hear.  Now, you’re a husband, a father, an artist.  How do you manage it all?  We hear stories about artists falling prey to different situations– how are balancing your commitment to family and your commitment to ministry?

JJ:  Well, one of the blessings is that my wife sings in the group, so where the choir goes, she goes.  But even if I’m doing a workshop or make certain appearances by myself, I take her with me.  Not because I think I’m going to go out and make a mess if I’m not with her, but because there are so many things that happen today– I wanna make sure I’m covered and SHE covers me.

And with our kids, we try to be there for them as much as we can.  When we’re home, we are HOME.  And when time allows, we do bring them on the road with us, so we’re not away from them every weekend.  Otherwise, we’d never seem them on weekends.

EJ:  Right.

JJ:  It’s worked out well so far.  I was just looking at the schedule for the rest of the year and it’s crazy.  When we go to Italy, I’m taking my kids with me.

EJ:  Are you?

JJ:  I told the promoter, if you want us, you’ve gotta bring my kids.  It’s Christmas and they’re coming with me.

EJ:  You’re a good dad.  So, what’s next for you?  Of course, you’re about to be working this album, but down the line, what do you have in mind?

JJ:  Well, one thing that’s been a blessing is that some people have heard the record and they’ve started asking me to help them with their records.  So what I’m trying to do is– my musical director and I– we’re looking into starting to produce a little bit.

EJ:  That’s awesome, man!

JJ:  We praise God that people enjoy our sound and we wanna be able to place that sound in some other places, maybe even where it’s not a choir– groups and soloists… I’ve gotten a lot of flack from people who say “you turned the choir into a praise & worship group.”  Well, that’s what I enjoy.  But now, I may be able to deal with other groups and soloists that are geared more toward praise and worship, and help to accentuate that sound for them.

EJ:  Very good.  I think that’ll be hot and, of course, I’m looking forward to it! I really appreciate you for taking a minute to chat, man.

JJ:  This is so funny… you’re sounding so professional!

EJ:  *laughs* I’m trying to put on my professional voice!  It’s all I can do to be like “Hi there, JJ Hairston, how are you?”

JJ:  *laughing*  Well, I’ll be professional and say “thank you very much.”

EJ:  Yes. You do that! *laughing*  And may God continue to bless your many ministry endeavors. *laughs*

JJ:  *laughs* Alright, thanks man.

EJ:  Bye man.

*     *     *

That’s it, folks!  What did you think???

One thing that stood out to me is that, no matter how large or successful, the issues that are real for smaller choirs are the same issues that are real for major choirs.

Don’t forget that Resting On His Promise, the new album, is due in stores THIS TUESDAY.  Click here to read my review of the album.

And lemme know what you think!