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???

Yesterday, I introduced two great new writers who have joined the GospelPundit.com team.  One of ‘em, EaZy, is a choir head through and through, so his review of the latest album from James Hall’s church choir, Voices of Citadel, can be trusted to the utmost.

Without delay, here’s EaZy to tell you what he thought of James Hall Presents Voices Of Citadel– Won’t It Be Wonderful.

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Some may argue that good choir music is a thing of the past.  However, those same Gospel music lovers who’ve been looking for churchy material will be excited about the release of James Hall presents the Voices of Citadel Won’t It Be Wonderful.  VOC is the church choir of Brooklyn’s Citadel of Praise & Worship, where Dr. Kevin Bond is Pastor.  This is their second release on James Hall’s Musicblend Records.

Although the album is “presented” by James Hall, it’s churchier than anything that Worship and Praise has done.  It still has the signature mysterious, gothic sound most of us have learned to expect and love from Hall without being dark or depressing.  What is most noteworthy about this project is that the sound is TREMENDOUSLY better than the last Voices of Citadel CD…as well as Worship and Praise’s Live at Foxwoods.

The album opens up with the upbeat first single, Butch Heyward’s “Hallelujah to the Lamb” and “Count On Me,” then goes into the more traditional sounding “I’ve Learned To Trust” with Deborah Pritchard Stevenson on lead vocals, reminiscent of “God Wants A Yes.”

Dr. Bond and his vocabulary (does anyone else break into a wide-mouthed grin whenever he speaks?) introduce “Release Your Power” which is more of a praise and worship/reflective song that clocks in at an exhausting 8:33.  The album then goes into what I feel are the two highlights of the entire project– “Saved” a bouncy, throwback to the mid-late nineties era with a beat that may be more Friday Night musical than Sunday morning service (that’s a good thing).

“Living to Live Again” is probably my favorite song on the album.  It starts out somewhat laid-back but turns into something wonderful once the alto lead takes over.  Next, Professor Hall gives us an “avant garde” intro to “How Great Thou Art” the way that only he can.  You either love it or you hate it.

The title track “Won’t It Be Wonderful” is a fast-paced, hand-clapping number that starts off sounding a bit “showtune-ish” but ends with a repetitive, classic church vamp.  Once again, James Hall provides an interesting lead… energetic, but feels like a bit much by the end.  If you’ve been anywhere near YouTube recently, then you’ve already seen the equally energetic performances.

The album ends with what is unfortunately the low point – a remake of the Tommies’ “Jesus, I Won’t Forget.”  It’s labeled as a bonus track but feels more like an afterthought.  It’s over-synthesized, over-produced and just out of place.  I could have done without it.

As a Chicago native, I love warbling vibrato as much as anyone else.  While VOC’s (at times) excessive vibrato sounds good, it is often very difficult to understand the lyrics.  I also asked myself, does this album seem pretty long with an overwhelming fourteen tracks, or is it that we’ve become accustomed to having only nine to ten tracks on an album?

Simple lyrics and modulation should make these songs easily accessible for brave Sunday morning church choirs.  Won’t It Be Wonderful definitely has its strengths, along with a few weaknesses.  Considering the lack of available choir music recently, I believe it to be a good investment.

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If THAT ain’t a thorough evaluation, I don’t know what is!

Folks, PLEASE thank EaZy for that write-up.

And, lemme know what you think of it– if you have the album, do you agree?  If you don’t have the album, are you thinking of picking it up now?

Talk to me!

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???

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: