“Take It to the Lord in Prayer” Patrick Lundy & the Ministers of Music (2014) From the CD Majesty: A Recording of Anthems, Hymns, and Spirituals www.plundymom.com Incorporating the semi-classical flourishes of Richard Smallwood and Donald Lawrence, Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music give Rev. Nolan Williams’ “Take It to the Lord In Prayer” a lush, restorative reading.  The voices rise and fall with the effortlessness of breathing. Though the melody is different, the lyrics pull verses from Joseph Scriven’s nineteenth-century hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Lundy and the MOM proclaim, “Some things we have not ...

Bob Marovich of the Journal of Gospel Music interviews Casey J, whose “Fill Me Up” is currently in the Top 20 of Billboard‘s Top Gospel Airplay Chart.

“All We Need Is Love” Totally 4 Him feat. Doug Williams & Stan Jones T4HBless@gmail.com Totally 4 Him, a young male quartet from the Full Gospel Church of God in Lumber City, Georgia, calls its style “quartemporary:” quartet music with a contemporary twist. The group’s national debut single, “All We Need Is Love,” illustrates the singers’ commitment to genre-bending by combining quartet harmonies with an island beat and smooth pop production. The Caribbean flavor gives the song’s inspirational we’ve-got-to-love-everybody theme a Bob Marley feel. The single also benefits from able assists by gospel quartet veterans Doug Williams and Stan Jones, who drop ...

NEW YORK, October 16, 2014 – Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®), a global leader in music rights management, is set to salute gospel leaders Israel Houghton, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters at its 16th annual Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards in Atlanta. The event, which was previously held in Nashville, is slated for Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Rialto Center for the Arts (80 Forsyth Street NW, Atlanta, Ga.). Gospel music’s premier songwriters, brightest stars and leading industry executives will attend the invitation-only event, which is part industry celebration and part awe-inspiring worship service. BMI will also announce ...

From a Press Release: The newly established independent label, A&P Records (Aquila & Priscilla), home to Louisiana based family group, The Showers, has signed an exclusive national distribution partnership with Habakkuk Music/INgrooves Fontana. Marketing and publicity efforts are powered by The J. Hardy Agency, LLC. “A & P Records are excited about this new ordained union with Habukkuk Music. We’re looking forward to this partnership sharing great music with God’s people!” says family member Regina Showers. The Showers first gained national visibility aboard the regional success of their 2009 independent debut album, Hear My Prayer, which sold several thousand copies. Going ...

“Here I Am” Team David From the Muscle Shoals Sound Gospel album Here I Am (August 2014) www.malaco.com Employing Boys II Men harmonies and balladry, the modern gospel group Team David delivers the finger-popping “Here I Am,” a cleverly penned song about turning one’s life over to Jesus. Rather than use the phrases typically used to describe the conversion process, Team David instead employs the metaphor of turning oneself in for a crime committed. After acknowledging that “I am guilty, filthy of sin” and “I did the crime, now I must do the time,” the group asks God to “Sentence me to ...

“It’s Our Time” Dr. Vera Goodman & Anointed Praise First Lady Productions (2014) Anointedpraise2011@yahoo.com The ensemble from Jacksonville, Florida, that gave us the flowing, dramatic “I Believe” offers “It’s Our Time,” a tough-talking staccato declaration of war on the devil. “He don’t fight fair, but we ain’t scared,” the group sings, like prayer warriors clad in armor suits preparing for battle. “We’re taking over, ‘cause it’s our time.”  The single is one more example of how Dr. Vera Goodman & Anointed Praise deserves a closer look by major labels and gospel radio PDs. Incidentally, “I Believe” is now available as ...

Marilynn Dunn God Will Dunn’s Ministries (2014) www.Marilynndunnministries.com By Bob Marovich Singing in choirs since age eight, Marilynn Dunn of St. Louis released her third CD, God Will. It is a collection of personally-penned and personally-arranged compositions as well as covers of familiar gospel and CCM tunes. Dunn’s forte is traditional singing and specifically church selections that are to gospel singers what coloratura arias are to opera sopranos. To wit, Dunn includes two signature favorites among gospel soloists: Dottie Rambo’s “We Shall Behold Him” and Rev. Paul Jones’ “I Won’t Complain.” “I Press” is a bluesy neo-traditional song about one’s ...

David Daughtry Self-Titled Karew Records/eOne Entertainment www.karewrecords.com By Bob Marovich It is fascinating how gospel music, a genre where the signature sound is brisk and exuberant, can be most beautiful when sung slowly and melodically. David Daughtry includes both the rapid and the measured on his impressive self-titled debut project. Although Daughtry delivers several fine uptempo selections on the album, the worshipful ballads “You Are” and the hypnotic “I Call Your Name” demonstrate his dexterous, earnest tenor. He launches falsetto notes well into the upper register and gets as high as Philippe Wynne (Spinners) on a cover of the Winans’ question-and-answer ...

“My Inspiration” Angela “Missy” Billups E’Mazin Entertainment/Missy B. Music (2014) Best known for her churchy traditional songs, Angela “Missy” Billups, accompanied by a background vocal group, delivers a contemporary worship song to express gratitude to God for graces bestowed. She drops a couple of lines of verse from “Total Praise” in the vamp, then concludes, “When I thought was going to lose my mind / God, you stepped in the nick of time.” The song is good and shows that Missy is exploring new territory for her singles, but I much prefer Missy’s traditional side.