Sherree BrownFirst Fruit
NSB Music Group/The House of Zion (2009)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
“Perfect Peace,” one of seventeen selections on Sherree Brown’s debut album, First Fruit, deftly expresses the CD’s musical and lyrical sentiment. Brown’s unshackled voice and limitless style restore the soul like a refreshing sea breeze as she seeks the wisdom and understanding needed for inner tranquility.
First Fruit set the stage for Brown’s more recent gospel café outing, Soul Thirsty (2012). First Fruit contains mostly introspective pieces, like prayers whispered at sunrise, with free flowing melodies, soft chords, and an atmospheric feel. At points you expect to hear birds singing.
An alumna of Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago who led “The Race” on the choir’s We Are One (CGI, 1992), Sherree Brown (formerly Sherree Ford-Payne) is a professional vocalist who can sing anything because she has sung everything. The list of artists she has worked with in her career includes star talent from just about every style of music, including gospel. Interestingly, Michael Jackson seems to have left the most explicit impression on Brown; her light vibrato in the high register bears an uncanny resemblance to Jacko the balladeer.
“The Water” is First Fruit’s most radio-friendly track. It is an acoustic guitar-led selection with a brisk tempo that crackles with freshness as Brown seeks to be cleansed and born again. On the other hand, “Lord Most High” is the loveliest selection on the album and arguably the most representative of the set. Brown’s breathy vocals, a lithe piano and guitar backdrop, and delicately sweet harmonies evoke the ethereal soundscapes of Loreena McKennitt and Sarah MacLachlan. Brown lowers the blood pressure as she vamps praises over the musical ostinato.
Brown’s philosophy is as uncomplicated as her style. “Music is a gift in the form of nourishment for the soul and spirit,” she has said, “one that fuels the physical body to enjoy and fulfill the journey of life through song.”
Four of Five Stars
Picks: “The Water,” “Lord Most High.”
Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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