JGM Pick of the Week: February 13, 2023

“I Wanna Say Thank You”
James Grear & Company feat. Maurette Brown Clark
Blacksmoke Music Worldwide (release date: October 7, 2022)

By Robert M. Marovich

First off, any song by James Grear & Company and Princess of Praise Maurette Brown Clark is very likely going to be excellent. When the two artists combine, however, the result is very likely going to be a JGM Pick of the Week.

As is “I Wanna Say Thank You,” a woefully underappreciated composition by Pharis Evans Jr.

Besides a beguiling lead vocal from Maurette, the lyrics to this tenderly rhythmic selection are what sell it. The measured and humble gratitude of the sentiment sounds culled from a prayer book. I can almost hear the Rev. James Cleveland singing the song and incorporating his contemplative caesura, letting the listener hear and reflect on each line before moving on to the next.