Take 6 is, hands-down, one of my favorite groups ever– tight blend, tight harmonies, tight tones, tight songs. Open and shut case.
They’re back with a new single, titled “One.” Its lyrics are playful but intentional, and the vibe is classic “Take 6.” The single is the title track from their upcoming album, One, in stores on March 27, 2012.
I also hear that they just wrapped a video shoot for the single, featuring Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight and Lalah Hathaway.
I sooooooo remember this special arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” being released about 20 years ago. I remember hearing all of the different vocalists, trying to pick out who was singing on each part, and thinking “THIS SONG ROCKS!”
We’re talking Melba Moore, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Stephanie Mills, Karen Clark Sheard, Howard Hewitt, Jeffrey Osborne, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Anita Baker, Take 6, Bobby Brown, Gerald Albright… the vocals and music are well-produced. Just great great great.
Anyway, I started humming it this week, randomly, and I thought “I wonder if people remember this?”
I loooove this song by The Williams Brothers and Stevie Wonder… always have, always will. This particular performance is not the absolute best I’ve seen of it– Stevie gets a little easy and breezy on his riffs, plus there’s a little just-for-the-mainstream-churchin’ going on (you’ll see what I mean).
Still, it’s Stevie and The Williams Brothers. C’mon…
This week, I wanted to give you a Sunday Best double-recap of sorts… I have a little somethin’ to say about the show, and will do so later, but first, Troy Lilly is back with another great recap of last night’s episode…
* * *
We’re now very close to crowning a winner for season three of BET’sSunday Best, and last night there was more impressive singing and even a little dancing. But not without a couple surprises. More on that later, though.
If you’ve been watching this season you know how the show works– Kirk Franklin introduces the guest musical artist for the week, they perform, and then the contestants hit the stage, right? Well not when the guest artist is Israel Houghton. The man behind the success of Israel and New Breed ushered the audience into worship with his version of “Moving Forward.” For a moment it looked like we wouldn’t be able to move forward but, after a short reprise, we returned to the regularly scheduled programming, for a while.
The two-part show was graced with another great performance by Brian Courtney Wilson, who stopped by to sing “All I Need” from his breakthrough debut album Just Love. As Kirk said, if you haven’t heard of him you’ll certainly be blessed by his music.
For last night’s episode the theme was “crossover,” blending traditional gospel songs with secular songs that feature inspirational messages. Each of the three contestants were to sing a “secular” song during the first half and a “gospel” song in the second half. I was quite curious to see how this week’s theme would play out as I believed it would further distinguish each singer’s versatility – or lack thereof. But hey, what do I know?
Tina Campbell, Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin held it down as judges once more. Kirk also mentioned there would be “hard judging.” I’m not so sure that’s what we got. But this is how it went down:
Durward Davis – “Change the World” and “I Need You Now”
Earlier this year, EJ explained in a post on Sunday Best rules that contestants have little say in what songs they sing. Durward was given an Eric Clapton song from a movie soundtrack to sing first. I am certain he would have chosen a different song. That being said, he made the most of an unusual song choice. For the limited amount of time he had, Durward really brought “Change the World” to a climax and embraced the melody. He was clearly uneasy after the performance, though he maintained a smile while singing. For round two, he took on Smokie Norful’s gospel ballad which is no easy task, but he nailed that, too (in my opinion). Even after his voice was about to give out, he kept giving his all until the very end.
LeAndria Johnson – “Heaven Help Us All” and “I Love the Lord”
I’m guessing a lot of folks are happy the judges don’t kick people off the show when they forget words, because if that were true LeAndria would’ve gone home tonight. During “Heaven Help Us All – a song made famous by Stevie Wonder – the normally unflappable LeAndria stumbled through the lyrics of both verses. But her voice remained intact (for the most part), and if I wasn’t such a huge Stevie fan I may not have realized she shuffled and omitted words. It surely never showed on her face. LeAndria’s second performance was a victory lap – figuratively and literally. This time her words and vocals were in sync. The surprise wasn’t the judges’ reactions but hers. After her stirring rendition of “I Love the Lord” she dropped her microphone and danced across the stage for about 30 seconds. Yolanda and Donnie cut a step, too.
Elder Goldwire McLendon – “Falling in Love with Jesus” and “Oh, Happy Day” Elder knew he had to rise to the competition a bit after a less-than-stellar performance last week. I’m happy to report that that he didn’t forget the words last night! However, I’m not sure how his first song qualified as secular since it’s a love song about Jesus. I still have a big question mark in my mind here– “Change the World” vs. “Falling in Love with Jesus”? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t get it. Aside from my gripes with the song, Elder McLendon certainly conveyed his love for God when he sang. His tone and approach mirrored what we’ve seen from him every week, and of course, the anointing was on him. Wrapping up the performance portion of the night, he sang the Edwin Hawkins song that introduced gospel music to the mainstream. Again, I was amazed at how tight and consistent Elder’s delivery was in relation to other weeks on the show. He continued to wow judges. Donnie was reduced to tears.
At the end of the night only LeAndria Johnson and Elder Goldwire McLendon advanced to become the final two.
While I wish both LeAndria and Elder Goldwire the best going into this season’s final round, I strongly disagree with Durward Davis being eliminated. The best way I can defend my opinion is with the judges’ own words. From the start of this competition the judges have repeatedly praised Durward’s ability to paint pictures and take people on a journey with his songs. He especially rose to the challenge last night by tackling a vague secular song. He might as well have sung “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper…he may have even been better off singing that. I believe his performances are always complete while other performers give me 1:30 that feels exactly like 1:30 into a song. I’m sad to see him go, but I’m confident he’ll be successful. Again, I’m so thrilled for LeAndria and Elder Goldwire.
Furthermore, the judging has lacked tangible content to me. I’d love to hear more advice for improvement that is applicable for the folks who go home as well as the folks who stay. Everyone is in a position to improve. We all love gospel music and we want singers to be balanced – trained and anointed so the anointing doesn’t have to do ALL the work.
It’s very exciting to see this season drawing to a close. So, between LeAndria and Elder McLendon, who’s it gonna be?
I KNOW you guys have a lot to say. And we want to hear you!
Dunno how many of you know Kayla Parker by name or face, but I’m sure that you know of her music. She passed in April of 2007, but the mark she left on the gospel industry is undeniable and more than noteworthy.
With musical influences ranging from Stevie Wonder to The Clark Sisters to Take 6, this singer/songwriter/producer/arranger from Detroit penned hit songs like “He’s Concerned” by CeCe Winans, “Now Are We” by Marvin Winans & the Perfected Praise Choir, and countless others. Her vocal arrangements were beautifully complex (most recently, you can hear them on Vickie Winans’ Woman To Woman album).
There aren’t too many videos available of Kayla on YouTube, but this one blesses me… so I’m posting it to bless you.
I could go on about her, but you’ll learn more if you take a minute to visit her official website: http://www.kaylaparker.com.
I don’t think the gospel community acknowledges and appreciates Táta Vega like it could. Not because the industry is being rude… just cuz everyone doesn’t know about the musical treasure that she is.
The entire WORLD knows her voice– she’s the singing voice of Shug Avery in the classic film The Color Purple (remember her singing ”Speak Lord” and “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)”?!).
But before she did THAT, she was a well-known lead vocalist with Andraé Crouch. She’s got a whimsical performance style and a voice like none other… the only similar contemporary vocalist that comes to mind is Ledisi, in that they both use their entire EXISTENCE to interpret a song, a line, a note… and give you what’s there.
She’s released several solo projects and has provided background vocals for everyone from Michael Jackson and Chaka Khan to Madonna and Stevie Wonder. You MIGHT have also heard her lead vocals recently on Kirk Whalum’sGospel According To Jazz Chapter II (“El Todopoderoso”) or Andraé Crouch’sMighty Wind album (“I Was Glad”).
I couldn’t decide between two videos I wanted to post, so you’re gettin’ both of ‘em.
The first is Táta Vega singing with Andraé Crouch on the classic song “Right Now”:
The second video features Táta singing “Until Jesus Comes”:
My wife and I were fortunate enough to receive an invitation to a private gathering to celebrate the release of the full album from Gotee Records recording artist B. Reith, entitled Now Is Not Forever.
We’ve been jammin’ to B’s seven-track EP for months now, so we were excited to be in the swank little Franklin, TN spot to hear the full project. Folks who weren’t able to attend were able to watch the party as it streamed live on his website, BReith.com.
It’s kinda hard to sum up B. Reith’s style– he’s a singer and a rapper, and does both VERY well on his tracks. But he’s also an incredibly gifted songwriter– some of his melodies are reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s memorable tunes and his musical ideas are refreshing and innovative. More than anything, he’s in love with Jesus Christ and he uses his gift to demonstrate what THAT relationship looks like as he lives his life.
At the event, B chatted with the crowd, played some recorded tracks, performed a few cuts live, and even showcased some hot new apparel bearing the title of his new album, Now Is Not Forever. And to make sure we all knew how important this release is, tobyMac was in the house to show support for B and to encourage us all to buy this project (and, if you follow me on Twitter, you saw me gush about how hot his pair of Pumas was). All in all, it was an exciting time.
So, here’s the deal… I need you guys to check him out and check out this album. Visit his MySpace page to hear full-length tracks and learn more about him. I believe you guys are gonna really enjoy it… I’m a HUGE supporter. Special shout-out to Calvin Nowell, B’s manager, for the invite!
For your listening pleasure, I’m embedding one of my fave tracks from the album, called “Rain Down”:
Ladies and gents, meet Algernon. He’s an awesome vocalist with a heart for worship and I want you to check him out.
If you recall from one of my GMWA recaps, Algernon performed at one of the nightly musicals during GMWA’s convention. The Lord used him to change the entire atmosphere from “showcase” to “worship setting.” I’ve posted a video of that performance (thank God for YouTube) below, for your enjoyment.
Algernon has worked with a variety of artists, including Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell and Stevie Wonder. The Atlanta-based artist has also toured internationally, singing his own music in various venues in England. Algernon’s self-titled debut project is due on October 20th.
In addition to the video below, I’ve added his single, “You Belong To Me,” to the PunditPlayer.Click here to take a listen.
I featured Claude Deuce on a recent post in the Check ‘Em Out series, and added his single, “It Ain’t Over,” to the PunditPlayer so you all could listen. His album, Claude Deuce: Young Elder, is available on Tuesday, July 14th… I wanted to give you a review so you’d save your pennies NOW.
Lately, I’ve felt like many artists (especially new or independent ones) try to conform to whatever is popular in music. And that’s cool, but it means that the audience never gets a sense of who he/she really is, because once the music changes, so does everything about that artist.
Claude Deuce is different. I don’t see him being bound by the musical tastes du jour… he just makes good, timeless music, and everyone else follows suit.
His songwriting and vocals exude a certain confidence– you can tell that he knows who he is, how he writes, how he sings… he’s not figuring this out as he goes, at our expense. And there’s something comforting about an artist who is comfortable in his lane.
He’s written and produced for everyone from Deitrick Haddon to Canton Jones, Izzy to Tonex, and more. The sound of this album is as varied as his musical experience, yet crafted well enough to be a cohesive unit.
Standout tracks for me are numerous. ”4 Who U R” is a melodious song of gratitude, reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s classic cuts. Still, Claude owns it as his own. “Dont 4 Get,” is an eclectic and acrobatic groove urging us to remain excited about what God has done for us. “What More” has an old skool kinda vibe to it, and it’s hot. “Never Know,” is an acoustic-driven spoken word track, with an infectious hook. And of course, as I posted before, I love his single, “It Ain’t Over”… I could go on, but I need you to trust me and purchase this project.
I am thoroughly impressed with Claude Deuce’s gift and presentation. I think this album is a must-have.
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…
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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 athttp://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???
This week, I wanted to give you a Sunday Best double-recap of sorts… I have a little somethin’ to say about the show, and will do so later, but first, Troy Lilly is back with another great recap of last night’s episode…
We’ve been jammin’ to B’s seven-track EP for months now, so we were excited to be in the swank little Franklin, TN spot to hear the full project. Folks who weren’t able to attend were able to watch the party as it streamed live on his website, 
Lately, I’ve felt like many artists (especially new or independent ones) try to conform to whatever is popular in music. And that’s cool, but it means that the audience never gets a sense of who he/she really is, because once the music changes, so does everything about that artist.
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.
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.
EJ: *laughs*
