TBGB Pick of the Week: May 16, 2011

“Ignited”
Jessica Ruiz
From the forthcoming CD Ignited (release date: Fall 2011)
http://www.jessicaruiz.com/

Strong and persuasive from the moment the laser hits the disc, “Ignited” lives up to its title.

Jessica Ruiz (“Condition of the Heart”), worship leader for West 58th Street Church of God in Cleveland, Ohio, sings with energy and muscle, as if she is literally as well as spiritually ablaze. Her gutsy style lies somewhere between CCM and gospel, and my sense is she can sing comfortably in both. No surprise she is being compared to Jaci Velasquez and Natalie Grant. Meanwhile, the urban R&B beats and techno bits swirl around her as the drummer pounds with sweat-drenched force.

While the album won’t be available until the fall, the single dropped May 3 and is available on iTunes.