Isaac Carree’s long-awaited solo debut, Uncommon Me, hits stores tomorrow, August 23, 2011.  The 14-track album doesn’t disappoint, blending together several styles– urban, churchy, worshipful– in a way that is all “Ike.”

The project opens with a beautiful piano intro, followed by the somewhat melancholy ballad “Chances.” It’s a departure from the beat-heavy urban track that I expected the album to open with, but by the bridge, it grows into a grand ballad that frames the rest of the songs on the project fairly well.

I love the concept of the next track, an interlude that chronicles Ike’s gospel music history– from his time with John P. Kee, to Men of Standard, to Kirk Franklin. It seamlessly moves into his hit single, “In the Middle,” before landing on an incredibly tasteful arrangement of the Andraé Crouch-classic “We Are Not Ashamed,” which features a nostalgically great guest performance from John P Kee. It was a winner from the first note.

The title track, “Uncommon Me,” follows. Somehow, this urban gospel track has somewhat of an acoustic vibe to it– and it’s awesome. With a nod to a Men of Standard or Dawkins & Dawkins type of style, it still stands on its own as an all “Isaac” song.

In case you’re looking for the urban, it comes with a vengeance in the next track, “Walk Alone,” produced by Warryn Campbell, and the one after it, “Power,” featuring Eric Dawkins. Isaac is in his element on these.

“Shout It Out,” is a thumping churchy tune mixed with the edgy instrumentation of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.” It’s cleverly produced with a great vocal performance.

Isaac’s rendition of “Simply Redeemed,” which was actually his first single, follows– it’s as beautiful now as it was when it first reached radio and fans last year. Ike gives an award-winning vocal that is tasteful and moving, solidifying a firm place as one of gospel music’s great male vocalists of the coming generation.

A standout favorite is “I Worship You,” an energetic worship ballad with great movement, in large part because of its drums and piano accompaniment. Blink and you might miss how this song got to be so grand by its end– I had to go back and listen again to realize that Ike’s riffs and pleading tone actually contributed to the forward-moving energy of this tune. Very well done.

The melody and chords of “Navigation,” alone, are enough to impress. But the clever concept behind the lyrics are a bonus– it’s the testimony of every believer’s battle between our natural selves and God’s navigating Spirit at work within us.

The album closes with “Putcha One Hand Up,” a sure party song that makes you want to run through the whole album again to relive it all.

Isaac Carree has been a part of the progression of gospel music in a way that many don’t take time to recognize– from framing the sound of contemporary choir leads to continuing the excellent tradition of male groups like Commissioned and The Winans with his group, Men of Standard.

The tell-tale sign of a good album– I didn’t want to skip through any of the tracks. I never felt like “okay, I get it”; rather, I was anxious to hear how each tune would start, continue and end. I think we’d call it “captivating.”

If this album falls short, it would be merely as a sequencing issue– I wanted to feel certain things at different places– but feel them, I did. And with a style and ability as versatile as Isaac’s, it’s hard to perfectly merge everything into one ideal order.

You can order here it from Amazon.com, or listen to snippets and buy it through the iTunes widget here–

Mia Paylor weighs in on the Wanna Be Winans mixtape from Claude Deuce…

I really do love music. And, like many of you, several different songs and artists appear on the soundtrack of my life…reminding me of times past and affirming the lessons I’ve learned along my (almost) 30 year journey. Growing up, I attended church with strict Seventh-Day Adventist relatives who allowed very little worldly gospel music to play in their house. But, praise Jesus, The Winans were allowed! That Winans’ tape carried us through many a Sabbaths. So, I was tickled when I stumbled upon a free mixtape called, Wanna Be Winans, by Claude Deuce. It immediately brought EJ’s editorial, “I’m An Alternate Background Vocalist For Kirk Franklin”, to mind. Clearly, the GospelPundit family is not the only group of wanna be’s out there.

Unbeknownst to me, I was already familiar with Claude Deuce’s work. Born Claude Harris, Jr., this Augusta, GA native has written and produced songs for Deitrick Haddon, the artist formerly known as Tonex, Canton Jones, and other well-known artists. Claude is also a part of the PJ Morton Band and played for PJ Morton’s Walk Alone Tour (*cough* and I actually attended one of the concerts *cough*). He apparently released a slept-on debut project back in 2009, The Young Elder, which features another slept-on singer, Josiah “JoJo” Martin [to check out the album review of The Young Elder, click here]. And, to top that all off, Claude has the BEST birthday in the world, June 15th! We are exactly one year apart!

Wanna Be Winans is a collection of all The Winans’ best hits revived and refreshed for 2011. This fun journey begins as you simply look at the album cover. It’s strangely reminiscent of The Winans’ Long Time Comin’ cover, lol. Claude wisely decided against tampering with the integrity of the music or the lyrics. The feel and spirit that you’d expect to hear and tap into as you listen to each song is present and intact. In addition to that, Claude’s tenor vocals are very complimentary to the Winans’ sound.

As you listen and sing along to “Restoration”, “Uphold Me”, “Question Is”, “Wherever I Go”, “Everything You Touch (Interlude)”, “Trust In God”, “Song of Consecration”, “Millions”, “Ain’t No Need to Worry” feat. Danielle Harris (lemme go ‘head and give his sister the nickname, Anita Baker, Jr.), and “Just Don’t Wanna Know/Over It Now”, you are reminded of the impact The Winans’ ministry has had on gospel music lovers and how timeless, as well as scripturally accurate, their music is…which reminds me of another EJ editorial, “Is It Just Me: Great Theology In Winans Music”.

Based on the passion and conviction that exudes from this project, it’s safe to assume that The Winans’ music is on the soundtrack of Claude’s life. It’s on the soundtrack of my life as well. And, I’m sure we’re not alone. So, go on…grab that mouse, click the link below, and take a spirit-filled trip down memory lane with Claude Deuce and the Wanna Be Winans mixtape. Then, thank me for encouraging you to do so in the comments section below.

Check out the Wanna Be Winans mixtape from Claude Deuce right here– http://claudedeuce.bandcamp.com/album/wanna-be-winans.  And download it for FREE!

This morning in my quiet time, I thought of how awesome God is for having made a plan, since before time began, to paint this beautiful picture of His love– sending Jesus Christ to save a dying world.

It wasn’t like He was surprised by Adam & Eve’s sin, then hurried to His planning room to figure out what to do, wondering “oh man, how am I going to save them?”  He knew it was coming.  He knew how we’d act even before He made us, and He devised this entire thing JUST to save us, JUST to love us, JUST to receive the glory that He deserves.

I tweeted this– “Sending Christ to save us from sin was not God’s backup plan for some accidentally fallen humanity. It is THE plan.”

And then, I couldn’t get this song out of my head–

Do you hear those lyrics?! “It was not a haphazard event, nor a secondary scheme, but it was THE PLAN of the Lord to redeem… Calvary didn’t just HAPPEN to be… it was there before the world began.  He decided to die for you and I, even before Adam sinned.”

Be encouraged and know that the God who made this master plan has not failed to include the intricacies and details of your life within it. This plan, THE GOSPEL, has accounted for all we’ll need. God is just as meticulous about the details of “you” as He is about saving “you,” because it goes hand-in-hand. He is relentlessly in love with you.

This was supposed to just be a Goodies post, but maybe somebody needed that. So, there ya go!

Is it just me or is (was?) Men of Standard a gospel group in a separate league from other male gospel groups of the past decade?

Their style and artistry is reminiscent of the excellence we got from The Winans and Commissioned, coupling great songs with great vocals.

With Ike and Lowell’s attention rightfully on their respective solo projects right now, I’m sure they’re not releasing a group project in the very near future, but let this post serve as my public plea–

WE WANT MORE OF WHAT Y’ALL DO… THERE IS NOT ANOTHER GROUP LIKE YOU IN GOSPEL TODAY… YOU ARE WHAT WE WANT.  PLEASE, AND THANK YOU.

Peep the video below to enjoy “Yet Will I Trust In Him,” probably my favorite tune from them (warning, in advance– the very last line is cut off… arggh!).

Is it just me???

Is it just me, or is there some really great theology in the music recorded by The Winans?

My wife actually brought this to my attention a week or so ago, but then this weekend, I was listening to some of their music (again) and I thought “as usual, she’s so RIGHT!”

Take, for example, the song “Goodness, Mercy and Grace.”  It’s almost like an academic dissertation on why God’s goodness, mercy and grace is even something to sing about.  The first verse talks about how we couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without God’s goodness, mercy and grace.  Then, the second verse talks about how it even extends to UNBELIEVERS–

Your mercy covers sinners, too, as they go on their daily tasks.
They don’t know that it’s really You, and they don’t even bother to ask.
But Your grace goes right on covering them ’til You bring them into the knowledge of the Truth.
By your side, You can open their eyes so that they’ll realize that it’s really You.

Seriously?! No knock against current songwriters, but how many are writing about God’s character these days from the standpoint that it is His grace that, ultimately, brings unbelievers to salvation?  In fact, who is even taking time to address such topics in their songs?

Or take a look at “Redeemed” (emphasis my own):

Chorus: It was not a haphazard event, nor a secondary scheme, but it was the PLAN of the Lord to redeem.

Verse: Calvary didn’t just HAPPEN to be. It was there before the world began. He decided to die for you and I, even before Adam sinned.

WHAT?! That’s the GOSPEL set to MUSIC. Those are the types of lyrics that don’t just declare– they educate.

Again, no knock against songwriters and artists who don’t have songs like that– I believe God has called some to edify and encourage believers by reminding us of our identity and authority in Christ through song, or to simply give God-focused music that inspires and uplifts.  Everyone’s got a lane and I’m not knockin’ any artists who don’t go there with their songs.

But I do wonder where the new generation of MUSICAL EDUCATORS are… those who have theologically RICH content interwoven with incredible musicality. I see a couple, but I definitely don’t see enough.

Is it just me???

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THIS Winans clip.

The audio is super low (so, turn it up to hear it, but make sure you turn it back down afterwards, or you’ll blow your ears out later)… but I’ve always loved this song and this performance from 1983 is just… VINTAGE.

Check it out–

Whatd’ya think?!

Will this song EVER get old?  No, no no no no no…

This particular performance of The Winans’ “The Question Is” is from an annual Christmas event that takes place in Chicago called Christmas Glory.  The late, but great Ron Winans isn’t with them at this point, but the performance is still awesome.

Whatd’ya think???

Aside from the actual taping of the Stellar Awards, folks eagerly anticipate the BMI Trailblazers Awards each year.   In fact, people often say that the BMI event features greater and more memorable performances than the Stellar Awards taping, though, this year… that MIGHT not be the case… I’m gonna call it a TIE!

In any case, BMI annually honors folks in gospel who’ve made significant contributions to the genre.  This year, Donnie McClurkin and Andraé Crouch were honored.  The celebration consists of a great lunch and some incredible tribute performances.  It went a lil’ something like this…

Before the honoring went down, Dorinda Clark-Cole came to the stage to perform her hit single “Take It Back,” which received a BMI Song Of The Year award (songwriter, Derrick Starks).  You already know that Dorinda brings it like none other and I was on my feet before I could even finish my salad.

Following that, we got a surprise performance from Jessica Reedy, who sang “God Has Smiled On Me” like a seasoned professional.  She really holds her own in this game and it’s great to see how welcoming the industry is of her.

The vocal production for the afternoon came from the incomparable Donald Lawrence and DeWayne Woods.  In the background– Tobi Darks, Dawn Jordan, San Franklin, Latrice Pace, Blanche McAllister and Anita Wilson.  YES!  The band– Joe Wilson on keys, Stanley Brown on organ, Kevin Stancil on bass, Jonathan DuBose on guitar, Marvin McQuitty on drums and Lloyd Barry on horns.  GOOD LORD!

The formal program began with the tribute performances to Donnie McClurkin, hosted by Byron Cage.  The background vocalists did a snippet of “That’s What I Believe” before Latice Crawford came to deliver her rendition of “I Call You Faithful.”  After that, Micah Stampley sang his heart out on “Speak To My Heart.”  McClurkin’s best friend and pastor, Marvin Winans, set the room ablaze with his performance of “Stand” (for which he also brought up BeBe Winans) before Yolanda Adams came to the stage to perform “We Fall Down.”

The McClurkin tribute performances were great, but I wish they had done some more songs for him– they could’ve dug a little deeper into the New York Restoration Choir days, pulled some more tracks from the Live In London album, or even focused a little more on songs that he’s written for other artists (like, “This Is The Gospel Of Jesus Christ” for Hezekiah Walker or “It Is To You” by Byron Cage).  Still, awesome job and I’m glad he was honored for his great contributions to the game.

After McClurkin accepted his award, it was on to the Andraé Crouch tribute, which was hosted by Yolanda Adams.  First, Donald Lawrence led the singers in a mindblowing medley of classic Crouch tunes including “Right Now” (led by Blanche McAllister), “Quiet Time,” “Soon And Very Soon”… it was just incredible.

Up next was the one and only Táta Vega, a longtime friend of, and singer with, Andraé Crouch.  She did an intro of “Speak Lord,” (which she recorded for The Color Purple decades ago) before transitioning into a soul-stirring performance of “Oh It Is Jesus.”  It was at THAT moment that the atmosphere of the entire room shifted from tribute to worship, and the event wasn’t the same again.

After that, Yolanda Adams couldn’t even regain her composure to introduce the next performance– BeBe & CeCe Winans singing “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power.”  They just came on stage and took us to new heights, followed by Mary Mary’s staggering performance of “We Are Not Ashamed.”

Finally, Marvin Winans returned to the stage and shared some great stories about how instrumental Crouch was to the career of The Winans, even down to changing their stage name from “The Testimonial Singers” to simply, “The Winans” (thank God!).  He wrapped his segment with a performance of “Jesus Is Lord,” for which he simply had to call the legendary Karen Clark Sheard to the stage!

Andraé Crouch accepted his award and shared how he had been recently diagnosed with diabetes.  His doctors wanted to amputate his toe after discovering a large hole in it, but he shared that he had been miraculously healed!  He asks for continued prayer from the industry… great speech.

Finally, Marvin Winans led an impromptu segment of EVERYONE singing some classic Crouch songs that weren’t even on the program.  He called up Shirley Caesar, J Moss, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin… there are no words!

That’s that, essentially.  Dunno how much of it will make the edited televised program, but look for it on February 21st on Gospel Music Channel.  I’ll remind you as the time comes closer!

Soooo… whatd’ya think?!

Most folks know that one of my favorite male vocalists is Marvin Winans.  If I take a moment to think about it, though, Michael McDonald follows not too far behind.

Imagine my sheer delight as I watched this live performance of The Winans’ “Love Has No Color,” featuring Michael McDonald.  I’ve always loved the studio track, but to watch ‘em live… there are NO words.  And, an aside: Carvin is doing his good singin’ on here, too.

What’s your favorite song from The Winans?

Only one friend of mine has ever been able to demonstrate that they know as much about this album as I do.  And it kinda shocks me cuz it had all the right ingredients for a hit record.

Released in 1994 on GospoCentric, Personal Inspirations is the debut gospel album from Stephanie Mills.  No novice to performance (she was the original “Dorothy” in The Wiz on Broadway and had a wildly successful R&B career), she recorded this project LIVE.  On production?  None other than Donald Lawrence, her long-time musical director.  On background vocals?  The Tri-City Singers.

I won’t say that I adore every track– some are simply nostalgic at this point.  But there’s no denying that she’s got some real gems on this project.  From the album’s opener, “I Had A Talk With God,” to her cover of The Caravans’ ”Sweepin’ Through The City,” Stephanie Mills demonstrates that she’s no outsider to the gospel genre.

My favorite track on the project is “He Cares,” written by John P. Kee (and, on which, he makes a guest appearance).  It’s classic.  As if it weren’t enough on its own, she does a reprise of it and grabs Arnetta Murrill-Crooms (remember her lead vocal on Tri-City’s “I Am God”?) from among the background vocalists… beautiful.

Other stand-outs for me is her remake of the Winans’ classic “Everything You Touch,” “Everybody Ought To Know,” “I’m Gonna Make You Proud,” and the gospel version of her own R&B hit, “Power Of Love,” re-titled “Power Of God.”

I’m not saying that it should’ve been #1 on Billboard for a year.  But I am saying that it was good initial effort, with great production, nice songs and arrangements…

I couldn’t find many clips online from the project, so bear with me on the YouTube video below (audio only). And also, click here to hear that reprise of “He Cares” (the person disabled embedding, so I couldn’t post that video).

Whatd’ya think???