Bishop Jerry L. Maynard Presents The Cathedral of Praise Choir

Jelama Records (2013)

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog

The self-titled album by the Cathedral of Praise Choir was recorded live in September, 2011, at its home church, Cathedral of Praise COGIC, in Nashville, Tennessee, where Bishop Jerry L. Maynard is pastor.

On inspirational and empowering tracks, such as the opener, “Positioned for Destiny,” and “Orchestrate,” the cheery-voiced and professionally-sounding choir is blissfully in the throes of deliverance.  “Orchestrate” also features a fine solo contribution by Darward Davis.  The CCM-influenced praiser “Mighty God” finds the choir building in vocal intensity to a sonorous apex as the track evolves into an out-and-out jam session.

The album comes alive on the gutsier, grittier songs, such as the frenetic hand-clapper “Just Believe,” the album’s current single led by Michelle Prather; and “I’d Rather,” a neo-traditional piece led by Emily Harris and Marva “Penny” Starks.  This may well be one of the last recorded tracks that the late Sister Harris, formerly of Bobby Jones and New Life, led before her death a little more than three months later.

The Maynard- and Phil Hughley-penned “God’s Gonna Give It Back To You,” with its simple antiphonal structure, struck me as an ideal song to teach a youth or children’s choir.

What really sells the CD is “Bishop’s Medley,” a string of traditional congregational songs that evoke the late Bishop G.E. Patterson’s multi-disc package, Singing the Old Time Way.  From “I Was Praying at the Altar” to “Jesus Said It,” the medley, with Maynard on lead, conjures up the time-honored COGIC singing tradition unaffected by modern contrivances.

Pick: “Just Believe,” “Bishop’s Medley.”