2019 Christmas Special Playlist: The soul of Christmas – Brent Jones and JDI Christmas Celebrate Christmas – Cindy Williams & Dream He’s not a baby anymore – Angelo and Veronica Emmanuel – Bailey Family Tis the season – Tony Dickerson & the Essential Band It must be Christmas time – Courtney Franklin & Sierra Ward-Pope He was – Nah-tarsha Cherry Show love – Fred Perry & 2nd Generation Song of Sharon – Jesse Cann O come, o come Emmanuel – Jonathan Butler Jesus what a wonderful child – Richard Davis Go tell it – Larry D. Reid Silent Night – ...

Jonathan Butler Christmas Together Artistry Music / Mack Avenue Music Group (release date: October 4, 2019) www.mackavenue.com By Bob Marovich Christmas Together is the second holiday-themed album for singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Butler, one that he recorded and mixed in his home studio in Southern California. Whenever the album isn’t offering up dreamy instrumental arrangements of classic Christmas carols by some of smooth jazz’s best-known musicians, it is evoking the soulfulness of Stevie Wonder. You hear Wonder’s frictionless resonance in Butler’s lead vocals on “Winter Wonderland” (no pun intended) and “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.” “Mary Did You Know,” ...

          Click on the image above to begin the program. Playlist: Satisfied – Fantastic Violinaires He’ll answer prayer – Hi-Lite Juniors Make a way – Shanta Gray I’ll press on – Jon Plair So good – Conrad Miller Overflow – Brian Andrew Wilson feat. Roderick Giles & Grace Sweet comfort – Sandra McCracken Nhaku Limurr – Gurruml Be encouraged – Jonathan Butler Highway to Heaven – New Friendship Baptist Church (Gary, IN) Trust and depend – Lady Voncile Belcher Use what I have – Dynamic Abraham Brothers

Jonathan Butler Free Mack Avenue Records (2015) www.jonathanbutler.com By Bob Marovich Growing up financially poor in Cape Town, South Africa, under the repressive rules of apartheid, Jonathan Butler would certainly be excused if his music expressed unforgiving hate. But what the award-winning musical polymath feels instead, according to his latest inspirational album, Free, is another four-letter word: love. To love is to be free, so whether voicing his love for God or God’s love for every person, as on the zesty “Never Find a Better Love,” where God invites his people to “just let me in,” Butler keeps agape front ...

Click on the image above to hear the latest episode of the Music Hour, where you can hear the music you read about on the Journal of Gospel Music. Since Music Hour host Bob Marovich is still struggling with lingering laryngitis, this episode is all music, no talk. Consider it JGM’s first mixtape! Track Listing (in order of appearance): He steps in – Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Mass Choir Take your burdens – Juan Santiago & Uninhibited Praise Pure religion – Liz Vice Jesus is real – Volunteer State Mass Choir Trust me – New Christianaires The Lord is on ...

Various Artists Divine Voices: Pastors of Praise Rendezvous Music (release date: January 27, 2015) www.mackavenue.com By Bob Marovich There are preachers who sing and singers who preach.  Divine Voices: Pastors of Praise includes some of both. This new various artists compilation comes from Mack Avenue Records, a label which features gospel jazz on its Rendezvous imprint and last year released two similar compilation discs: Gospel Praise Duets and Christmas Goes Gospel. Divine Voices reprises a dozen recent selections, mostly from individuals who began as singers and added ministry to their resumes later. Many of the contemporary biggies are present; the ...