Who rocks the recaps?  Troy Lilly rocks the recaps.

And he’s back with more this week.  Without delay… here’s our buddy, Troy Lilly, with his take on last night’s episode of BET’s Sunday Best…

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After weeks of watching the judges voice their opinions and make – at times – controversial cuts from the lineup, it’s time for YOU to decide who will become Sunday Best this year.  No more blaming the judges, people.

So, the show last night began by reminding us what the winner walks away with besides a whole bunch of votes: a national recording contract – and a 2010 Ford Taurus SHO! Exciting, right?

The episode also introduced music directors, Stanley Brown and PJ Morton, and featured an instrumental by trumpeter Shemar Allen as a tribute to New Orleans, Louisiana, the host city for this season’s show.

Ledisi, another phenomenal R&B singer, opened the show with “Higher Than This,” a song from her latest album. I was sure the “high” she refers to was, well you know, that of a man. Ledisi (almost) convinced me the song was written about God. There are only two words for her singing style last night: church bred. I’ve been following her on Twitter, too, and she’s got a little word in her.

And then later in the show, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, who is nothing less than a gospel music legend, sang “Good News,” a song EJ premiered on GospelPundit.com last year before anyone else.  But on to the contestants…

Elder Goldwire McLendon – “I Know It Was the Blood” and “Jesus Be a Fence Around Me”

I wanna be like Elder McLendon when I grow up. He’s got Holy Ghost swagger! And he strutted it all over the stage yet again. Although I feel he was shortchanged a bit by the communion song (he could’ve really handled something far more challenging), he still managed to make “I Know It Was The Blood” his own.  I would have loved another song like “Jesus Be a Fence,” which Elder sang next.

On this song he showed more of the energy and vitality we saw last week during his performance of “He’s All Over Me.” Particularly during the vamp, he added some nice adlibs and, of course, hop scotched like a pro. Last night Elder said something that stood out to me: “I am not singing to people, I sing to God.” It’s clear that knowing who you’re singing to makes a world of difference.

LeAndria Johnson – “Running Back to You” and “Set Me Free”

Judge Donnie McClurkin asked last night if there’s anything LeAndria can’t sing.  I’d have to ask the same question because, if there is, I haven’t heard it yet. LeAndria tackled a classic Commissioned song first with stunning results. It may have been difficult for another singer to deliver a signature song without sticking to the original artist’s style. Not LeAndria. One of her greatest attributes as a singer, in my opinion, is her ability to interpret songs in a unique way. As I said a few weeks ago, song interpretation is what makes a singer an artist.

She was clearly up for the challenge on her second song as well. Not only did she interpret Myron Butler & Levi’s “Set Me Free,” she shared a personal testimony at the same time.  “I may have lost my house,” she sang, “but God’s got a mansion for me.” I believe he has so much more.

The Faceoff

The true faceoff of the evening, however, came in the form of a duet between Elder McLendon and LeAndria. They teamed up and sing “I’ll Take You There” to close the show. Hand in hand for the majority of the song, the pair played off of the large age gap between them and marched around the stage cheerfully in a performance that was rather harmonious for them to be going against ach other for the Sunday Best title. It was definitely a highlight of the show.

Their fate is now in your hands. You’ve been watching every week. You’ve seen the good and the not so good. You’ve seen each of them leap across the stage and bring the judges to tears.  Now you must decide who is Sunday Best.

Remember, you can vote until Saturday June 19, 2010 at noon EST. To vote online at the Sunday Best page on BET.com, click here.

What’s the verdict?

This is Part Two of your weekly Sunday Best recap. If you haven’t seen Troy Lilly’s editorial on last night’s program, click here… great perspective! If you’re all set, let’s go…

This week’s episode brought us one step closer to knowing who would be crowned Sunday Best as the judges made a tough decision, dismissing who many thought could win this year– Durward Davis. I had planned to recap it all again, but Troy did such a great job– no need to reinvent the wheel.

What I would like to chat about it, instead, is the root of our “shock” over the results portion of the show.

Full disclosure– I was shocked last night. I thought LeAndria and Durward were going to the finals. I thought that Elder Goldwire McLendon had done above and beyond what most expected, but that the end of the road was nigh. And I was going to be fine with that. When Kirk announced that Durward Davis would be going home, I was surprised. And the social networks immediately went to buzzin’, too.

But I’ve given it a little thought since last night, and I guess I have gotten to the point where I’m NOT so shocked anymore. Hear me out…

Many have said that Elder Goldwire McLendon, while a true treasure and an incredible contestant on this show, may not experience widespread commercial success in the gospel music industry and, as such, should not/will not win.  I, for one, think I would be more inclined to see him live than to purchase a full album of his.

But does that mean he shouldn’t win this year? Not necessarily…

The reality is that we, the viewing audience, don’t really know WHY Sunday Best exists. We love it, for sure, but it’s not easy to pinpoint the program’s end goal, at least not by way of their actions. And because we can’t pinpoint the end goal, it’s hard to have a reasonable expectation of the criteria it will use to get there.

With American Idol, for example, we know that the end goal is to create a superstar that will do well commercially. Everything points to it and they make no qualms about it. Everything that they decide speaks to it. Sunday Best, however, has never said that the commercial success of its winners is its paramount concern. And while skeptics and cynics will say “of COURSE that’s their chief concern… it’s a BUSINESS,” you have to admit that we’ve got a unique situation on our hands.

We’ve got a television program that will take 30 seconds of otherwise valuable air time to show people shouting and dancing, and where the judging criteria is based on an otherwise nebulous, but oh-so-common-for-us, term called the “anointing.” And time after time, this season and in season’s prior, the judges have sent several packing who have looked the part and had the vocal chops in exchange for something… different.

Even beyond that, we’re in an industry where most of the biggest names and highest-selling artists are closer to 40 years of age than 20 years of age, in complete contrast to the mainstream music industry.  We’ve got an industry where– and I’m just being honest– you don’t have to be a certain look or size in order to participate.  In fact, if you’ve got a lil’ meat on your bones, you’ll probably get a better response… again, diametrically opposed to mainstream music.  So is it far-fetched to believe that, even in a talent competition that mimics a mainstream music contest in some respects, there would be some aspects of it that are diametrically opposed to the mainstream music biz?

The reality is that Elder McLendon, whether he floats your musical boat or not, is making a big impact on folks.  The judges have been excited about his vocal delivery, but also about how God has preserved him and how he takes you back to old time holiness.  He’s a throwback of sorts, the sheer intrigue of which we can’t quite pinpoint, but can all feel a little bit.  Dunno if that’s what you’re looking for in your Sunday Best winner, but I’m curious to know what’s not ‘gospel’ about what he brings to the table?

Full disclosure #2– I’m not saying this to say that he should win.  I’m still rootin’ for Tiffany Carlin-Laird, and she ain’t even ON the show anymore.  I’ll have to pick a fave by the finale.

I dunno.  I just think it’s kinda hard to say that a contestant shouldn’t progress just because people might not really buy the album. People won’t really buy the albums of some of the biggest names in gospel music anymore.  Perhaps the criteria, or ultimate question is, will this person be a vital addition to the gospel music industry?

In that light, it becomes incredibly difficult to say. Who, among our finalists, would be the greatest asset to the industry? How do we even measure that? Is that even the goal of Sunday Best? If not, then what is?

No answers are right or wrong… these are just my random thoughts.

Anyone?

I enjoyed Troy Lilly’s Sunday Best recap so much last week, I figured… let’s give it another go!

So, without any delay, here’s our new BFF Troy…

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And then there were five.  Last night on Sunday Best, two more contestants went home, leaving behind season three’s Top 5.  But it had to be the toughest elimination call for the judges thus far.  There was not a single “bad” performance, so their decisions really came down to finite observances of the seven performers.

Regular Judge Tina Campbell of duo Mary Mary returned this week, while Kim Burrell continued to provide pre-performance mentoring behind the scenes.  R&B vocalist Chrisette Michele was the show’s opener, to the surprise of virtually everyone.  Singing Donnie McClurkin’s “Stand,” she put a unique supper club-like spin on the hit.

The focus for the evening was particularly on vocals.  Kirk Franklin announced that night’s theme was “One Mic,” meaning musical accompaniments would be scaled back to emphasize each contestant’s voice.  Here’s the rundown:

Dathan Thigpen – “Friend of God”
During the mentor moment with Kim Burrell, we saw her encourage Dathan to embrace his “performer” side in addition to his “worship” side.  He seemed to explore the stage more than before, but not at the sacrifice of his signature vocals.  He sounded great as usual.  The judges, however, were split.  I’m not sure the upbeat number was the best fit for an evening of more intimate – unplugged if you will – performances.

Tiffany Carlin-Laird – “Goin’ Up Yonder”
Although she sang second, Tiffany really set the tone for the night with her slow simmering delivery of another song made famous by Tramaine Hawkins.  She showed great skill by harnessing her powerhouse voice with precision.  There were opportunities for her to revert to screaming, but she maintained a beautiful tone that showed her versatility.  I absolutely loved it.  The judges did, too.

Durward Davis – “Lean on Me”
Durward pretty much pulled a Tiffany on us.  He guided the audience through the poignant lyrics of Kirk Franklin’s song with a conviction that we saw on his face and heard in his voice.  He also demonstrated precise vocal ability, giving just enough without launching into growl mode.  He’s clearly a seasoned singer knows how minister.  Tina was very concise in her critique and used the word “perfection” to describe his performance.  Kirk said Durward made him want to rewrite the song.

Martha Buries – “Holy, Holy, Holy”

A week after returning to Sunday Best as the wildcard contestant, Martha showed she’s here to stay.  The chopped-and-screwed arrangement of the traditional hymn was risky, but Martha didn’t hold back.  I love that she showed the velvety side of her voice without abandoning her style as a singer.  She was yet another contestant who got the most of her voice by caressing the notes instead of attacking them.  One other observation: it is just me, or does she have a look of sheer terror in her eyes at times?  Homegirl is doing a great job.  Just hope she knows it.

Brian Smith – “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”
I must say that Brian has one of the best voices this season.  And his styling is so unique… kind of contemporary and soulful at the same time.  However, he really needed to knock the judges socks off tonight.  He didn’t really do that until the very end of his song.  Man, Brian is probably the most likeable contestant on the show.  He’s so humble and receptive to all the advice he’s gotten.  At this point, though, I feel the other singers could be performing professionally tomorrow and have eclipsed him.  He still has a bit of artistic growth to do.

LeAndria Johnson – “Endow Me”
The folks at Sunday Best read my mind. I was longing for a Clark Sisters song, and who better to channel all four sisters than LeAndria?  She didn’t tone down her voice at all, but gave me a little Karen, Dorinda and Twinkie in less than two minutes.  She nailed the Karen-like runs, Dorinda’s smoky scat, and belted out Twinkie’s growl in one breath.  This girl can sing an-y-thing.  She received and deserved a standing ovation.  The applause also gave her time to collect herself because she looked like she was about to dance.  Whew.

Elder Goldwire McLendon – “How Great Thou Art”
At age 79, Elder McLendon is as smooth as they come.  He again showed that he’s just a great singer.  I’m impressed by the sound of his voice alone, which made “How Great Thou Art” sound almost operatic.  Then he sealed his fate for sure by ending the song with a sustained note that was simply amazing.  His competition is praying they sound this good in thirty or forty years.  The judges couldn’t help but admire his craft.  Tina said his vocal ability was bananas.

The judges had to make some very difficult eliminations tonight. I personally didn’t want to see anyone go, but I was pretty confident I knew who was going.

So here’s the Top 5:

Tiffany Carlin-Laird
Durward Davis
Martha Buries
LeAndria Johnson
Elder Goldwire McLendon

As for Dathan and Brian, both guys have a future in gospel music.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing from them soon.  But, I also understand why they were eliminated at this stage in the show.

What are you thoughts, people?  Wasn’t this an amazing show?

I’ve been traveling this weekend, so I enlisted the help of one of GospelPundit.com’s newest guest contributors for this week’s recap– Troy Lilly.  You remember Troy’s great work from his recap of Jason Nelson’s live recording a few weeks ago.  Well, he’s back with his perspective on last night’s episode of Sunday Best on BET.  I think it’s both thoughtful and thorough– I feel like I watched it already!  Check it out…

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This week ‘s episode of Sunday Best was extra special for two reasons – a wildcard contestant who was sent home last week got a second chance to shine. And the incomparable Kim Burrell dropped in as a guest judge alongside Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams!

So, I was expecting a pretty memorable show.

But when J Moss hit the stage to open the show singing “We Must Praise,” the first single from his 2004 debut album, it seemed Sunday Best had pulled another “throwback” performance out of the hat. Fret not, though, because he quickly snapped back to 2010 with a powerful performance of his latest hit, “Rebuild.” The lyrics in the song are already powerful, but he really sang them – dare I say he was squalling at the end.

The bar was clearly raised for the 10 remaining contestants and there was added pressure since each singer got to choose their song, too. By the end of the night the true artists would stand apart from the rest of the pack.

Brian Smith – “I Won’t Complain”
Dubbed by the Sunday Best judges as Mr. Bowtie, Brian kicked things off with a mid-tempo rendition of the song. The arrangement was refreshing and allowed him to find his sweet spot vocally and command the stage a bit more. Judges agreed and enjoyed his performance and his nice “spirit.”

Orlando Wright – “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus”
There were signs of trouble with Orlando’s voice in the rehearsal footage. In my opinion, not much changed in his actual performance. He struggled to plant his voice in the melody and sufficed to improvise with plenty of questionable phrasing choices. The judges’ critiques were mostly succinct and vague. ? Hmm…

AND NOW FOR THE WILDCARD contestant…

Martha Buries – “Change”
Martha deserves to be back and she proved it by giving Tramaine Hawkins a run for her money on this traditional rendition of “Change.” In fact, her jazzy chops reminded me a lot of contestant Jessica Reedy from last season. I want to see her move ahead and Yolanda noted, “I knew God wasn’t through with you!” Definitely not.

Franklin Davis IV – “Savior More Than Life to Me”
No one was more disappointed in Franklin’s performance than he was. For all the flair he brings to the stage he wasn’t very sure this time around. Maybe he got nervous singing Kirk’s song in front of him, but then again, he picked it. He’s got the range but didn’t believe what he was singing. Before the judges said a word he was hanging his head.

Dathan Thigpen – “Speak to My Heart”
For Dathan, his song choice – a Donnie McClurkin classic – was a perfect choice. He literally tore it up, especially when he jumped from the bridge to the vamp. That big jump was make or break and Donnie applauded him for pulling it off. Yolanda called him “phenomenal” and Kim said he “exceptionally sang.”

Tawanna Tarvin – “Now Behold The Lamb”
Was Kirk song #2 the charm? Well let’s say it started very strong…maybe a little too strong. Tawanna has quite a range, and she started the song in the rafters and never came down. Her upper register was hurting a bit by the end. But there’s still no doubt she can rip a song apart, she just has to take her time doing it.

Durward Davis – “That’s When You Blessed Me”
Durward took on a big L.A. Mass Choir song, and with amazing background vocalists, he pulled that thing off up in Sunday Best time – and he was so sincere. Tears were welled in his eyes the entire time. Kudos to him for “doing just what he said,” as Kim put it.

LeAndria Johnson – “He Was There All the Time”
Singing a “testimony” song, LeAndria was true to form, which is to say flawless. From beginning to end she delivered. At this point, she’s the one contestant I would say is ready to launch. Stage presence, vocal control and dynamism and anointing. She’s the full package.

David Wilford – “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
David is a very cool dude. And that’s exactly what came across in his performance. To be honest, he kind of had a duet with the saxophone and the arrangement was very mellow, almost soothing. David crooned without missing a note. Somehow I feel he failed to grab the attention of the audience or the judges. It was certainly a safe performance. Sadly, it may have been a forgettable one as well.

Tiffany Carlin-Laird – “I Need Thee”
The judges told her she needed to own the stage and Tiffany ran with their advice. She tackled the traditional hymn with fervor, showing she could be soft and still pack a nice growl, too. I hope she continues to mature and grow comfortable with her gift.

Elder Goldwire McLendon – “Yes, Jesus Loves Me”
When I watch Elder McLendon all I can think is “oil”. There is oil all over him. Even before he opened his mouth to sing, he ushered in the Presence of God. We already know he can sing in the purest sense of the word, so what’s more intriguing is the way his singing changes the atmosphere. The audience (and judges) couldn’t contain the power that followed Elder McLendon’s performance. He literally shouted off the stage.

But in the end, only 7 contestants remained.
The Top 7:
Brian Smith
LeAndria Johnson
Elder Goldwire McLendon
Martha Buries (Wildcard)
Tiffany Carlin-Laird
Dathan Thigpen
Durward Davis

For once I agree totally with the cuts from the lineup. The remaining contestants have a certain degree of artistry. They are no longer just singing songs, but they have a unique style and approach to singing that is distinguishable. A few can still benefit from the professional mentoring. For the most part, though, they’ve got “it.”

By the way, this episode got me thinking: I would love for Kim Burrell to open the show at least once before the season is over.

Now what did you really think?

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Well, shooooooooot… I guess I’ll start by saying I think that’s a dope recap!

Then, I’ll add that I am quite pleased with the top 7– these would probably have been my choices, too, even from the week before.  I would have loved to see David Wilford progress through the competition a bit more, but I’ll have to see the performance footage from last night.

So, like Troy asked, what did you really think?

I told you earlier that you’d be hearing from Troy Lilly soon.  His first contribution to GospelPundit.com is invaluable– he attended and recapped Pastor Jason Nelson’s live recording this past Friday and did a great job.  Without any delay, here’s Troy (with some GREAT photos at the end)–

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You haven’t been to a recording until you’ve had the Pastor Jason Nelson experience!  He’s a multi-talented triple threat: a singer, songwriter and guitarist – plus he can preach.

I first witnessed his amazing gift and unyielding anointing five years ago at the live recording for his I Shall Live project. Needless to say, it wasn’t simply a recording.

The same was true on April 23rd as Nelson recorded his latest project, Shifting the Atmosphere, at his home church, Greater Bethlehem Temple in Baltimore. After being introduced by his twin brother, super-producer and writer Jonathan Nelson, Pastor Nelson quickly set an expectation for corporate praise and worship saying, “I can’t do recordings. This thing is participatory!”

And with that, the experience began. Upbeat opening numbers “Year of Jubilee” and “Favor” got the entire house on our feet and kept us there, incorporating Jason’s signature progressive sound with lyrics pulled straight from scripture.

But the trademark of Jason’s ministry is unadulterated worship. For the aptly-titled duet “No Words,” he welcomed fellow guitarist and vocalist Leon Timbo, who Jason said he admires for his ability to “come in and change the atmosphere.” Together, they did just that. Jason and Leon’s voices blended as harmoniously as their instruments, moving us through the first of many “shifts” that night.

During this segment, Jason guided us through several more moments of intimate worship with songs like “Don’t Count Me Out,” “I’m Nothing Without You” and “Shifting the Atmosphere.” This is when the pastor gift in Jason came forth. He delayed moving on to the next songs to minister.

“Whenever we encounter the presence of God we realize how insignificant we are without him,” he said, refusing to rush the flow of the Spirit.

With the final set of songs, the atmosphere naturaly shifted to flat-out praise. “There Is Power in His Name,” brought out the old-fashioned foot-stomping, because like Jason said, “you can’t have a recording without church!”

By the end of “There Is Power…” another shift had taken place and before we knew it Pastor Nelson’s father, Bishop James Nelson, was handed the microphone. Bishop Nelson exhorted us until the fire came down!

For just a few moments, I had to excuse my assignment as writer and photographer for GP so I could join in.

From that point we moved to a place of declaration. “You No Longer Have Dominion over Me” spoke directly to the strongholds we face in life, while the final song, “I Survived,” proclaimed victory over life itself.

I spotted and spoke with a number of special guests including Antoine Spence, Pastor L. Spenser Smith, Amos Saint Jean, Lil’ Mo and Jessica Greene, each of whom have a high regard for  Jason.

Pastor Jason Nelson is one of the most humble and selfless ministers in gospel music. It doesn’t hurt that he can sing pretty much anyone under a pew, and preach. With his latest forthcoming release, Shifting the Atmosphere, he is sure to do a little of both.

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Okay, first of all– I think Troy did an excellent job recapping that recording, so PLEASE let him know what you thought of that write-up.  And if you’re on Twitter, follow him at http://www.twitter.com/UrbanSophistic.

Second of all, I’m DEEPLY annoyed that I missed it cuz it sounds like it was incredible.  It’s no secret that Jason Nelson is one of my favorite vocalists… *kickin’ myself with a hard shoe on*

Talk to me, folks– you looking forward to the new album?  Anyone else attend that can echo Troy’s sentiments?

I often get requests from people who ask to write for GospelPundit.com.  Truth be told– I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to writing, punctuation, grammar, subject-verb agreement, dangling prepositions and wit.  So, I tend to operate on more of a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” policy.

Every now and then, though, I stumble across some folks whose writing is so good that I’m willing to shamelessly pursue them.  With that, I’ve got a couple of fellas I want you guys to meet–

TROY LILLY

“Troy is a writer, photographer, journalist and aspiring author.  He’s also the founder of The Urban Intellectual DC and creative eye behind UrbanSophistic Photography.  Troy is a gospel music lover and car enthusiast rewarded most by helping others live fulfilling lives.”

 I stumbled upon Troy’s website and was so impressed with his writing ability that I simply HAD to ask him to contribute to GospelPundit.com.  The bonus was that he’s a great photographer, too.  I think you’ll find a professionalism in his style and delivery that cannot be matched by many.  You’ll see what I mean VERY soon…

EZEKIEL ”EaZy” HARRIS

Folks, please say hello to Troy and EaZY.  And get ready.