Seon Thompson – I’m Out – Live

Seon Thompson
I’m Out – Live
Just Wait Records 2009
www.justwaitrecords.com

Singing preachers have thrilled congregations for many generations. Not surprising: gospel songs and preaching are natural comrades. By mixing the fiery rhetoric of the sermon with which they are so skilled with the emotionality of music, preachers don’t just sing, they minister.

The latest example of a singing preacher to make it onto CD is Seon (pron. SEE-on) Thompson, Pastor of the Refuge Temple Church of Flint, Michigan. The vocally assertive pastor’s debut album, I’m Out – Live, was recorded in front of an enthusiastic audience at the Whiting Auditorium in Flint. With industry go-to guys Tyrone Dickerson and Carnell Murrell, Thompson produces a no-holds-barred project complete with Murrell-penned gems, classic hymns, and contemporary gospels.

Thompson really shines on the traditional pieces, specifically the hymn “God Will” (aka “God Will Take Care of You”) and Rev. Brewster’s “Surely God is Able.” The arrangements are bluesier than the originals and move with a shoulder-strutting rhythm, but the vocal vigor with which Thompson rips into these classics is strictly old school. Although a new composition, Murrell’s “I’ve Been Delivered” is given a traditional reading, complete with walking rhythm and delightful work from the background vocalists.

A superb addition to this collection is “You’re the One” by Excelsior’s F. Darnell Davis. It’s a lovely though overlooked song, but Thompson gives it renewed life with his cover version.

The high point of the album is the ten-minute title track. When Pastor Thompson performed this song before the Gospel Announcers Guild at the GMWA last month, he wrecked the room. From the sounds of the audience at the live recording, he did the same thing in Flint. “I’m Out” is an amazing performance, demonstrating the power and the glory of gospel singing, especially live, which is gospel’s ideal setting.

Expect to hear more from Pastor Seon Thompson in the future!

Four of Five Stars