Jay White – Larger Than Life

Jay White

The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, as the saying goes. In the case of singer-songwriter-musician-producer Jay White, that tree grows in Brooklyn and has deep roots in gospel music.

White’s father is Bishop Jeffrey L. White, Senior Pastor of Brooklyn’s Greater Temple of Faith (“House of Judah”).  He played bass for artists such as Elder Timothy Wright, Reverend James Cleveland, Bishop Albert Jamison & TriBoro Mass Choir, and Bishop J.C. White and the J.C. White Singers. The J.C. White Singers in particular were musical innovators, having been a part of the contemporary gospel movement and cast members of the original The Gospel at Colonnus.

Bishop White makes a brief appearance delivering the Word on his son’s debut solo album, Larger Than Life, a CD anchored by crisp, jazzy musicianship that evokes the Winans’ early work. Complex Take Six-like harmonies underpin White’s omnipresent vocals that make frequent leaps into falsetto. The selections are love songs to the Lord, delivered with a conviction suggesting a love forged in the crucible of trial. To that point, the poignant “Cry 4 Help” is about a worship leader who battles inner demons and emerges victorious through tear-stained prayer.

Larger Than Life is one of the rare albums where I agree with all of the single selections. The rhythmic and exuberant title song, the swaggering warning to haters called “I Don’t Need You,” and the ballad “Only One I Need” are compelling tracks. In addition, “Love Lifted Me” is a melodic praise song with excellent jazz accompaniment, and “I Know a Man,” with its declaration of joy, has a relaxed soul vibe with a touch of traditional in the faint warbling of an organ.

Those who enjoy gospel and inspirational music with an urban contemporary touch will enjoy Jay White’s Larger Than Life.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “I Don’t Need You,” “Larger Than Life,” “Only One I Need.”