Le’Andria Johnson – Christmas Best

Le’Andria Johnson
Christmas Best
Music World Gospel (2011)
www.musicworldgospel.com

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Capitalizing on the wave of interest in BET Sunday Best champ Le’Andria Johnson and the success of her debut EP, Music World Gospel has released her Christmas EP, Christmas Best.

While her debut, The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson, is jaw-dropping extraordinary, Christmas Best only has its moments. Most of the six traditional holiday songs feel one iteration shy of a final take. Johnson seems still at the experimental stage, determining where to place the blue notes and where to inject flights of improvisation. Likely the pressure to have something ready for the holidays preempted the capable production team from tying down the loose ends.

For example, “Silent Night” sounds pitched two steps too high, pushing Johnson and her duet partner, Season 4 Sunday Best winner Amber Bullock, into the stratosphere to reach for the high notes. Ditto for “O Holy Night,” where some of the high notes are out of reach altogether, though overall Johnson does an admirable job on this carol. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” shifts jarringly from a relaxed to a bouncy tempo when sticking with one speed would have been better.

The best put-together track is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” produced and arranged by Sounds of Blackness’ Jamecia Bennett. Johnson is at ease and so are the musicians as they tail off into a superb jazz jam session.

Despite its shortcomings, Christmas Best is further proof that with the right training and position, Le’Andria Johnson stands to become gospel’s next superstar.

Three of Five Stars

Picks: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.”