TBGB Pick of the Week: April 25, 2011

“Rejoice in the Lord”

From the JSound Records CD Breakthrough (2011)
http://www.keesharainey.com/

Nashville’s Keesha Rainey is called the “Billie Holiday of gospel” for her voice, not for fateful self-destructive behavior.

In fact, on her rhythmic single, “Rejoice in the Lord,” Rainey sings that God saved her “from destruction and gave me peace within.” The songstress goes on to declare how good God has been to her, while the background vocalists chime their assent.

While I’m not hearing Holiday’s dusky clarinet-like voice on this single, Rainey does give the R&B-flavored track a fine reading. And kudos to the drummer, who keeps the backbeat as if backing a quartet.

“Rejoice in the Lord” made history on CJB Radio, an internet-based radio station, for being the only song to remain at number one on its charts for six consecutive weeks. It made number three on the CJB Radio Top 50 songs for 2010.