“Stand Still” – Al Mac Will

“Stand Still”
Al Mac Will
From the Thank You Entertainment album Stand Still (2009)
www.urbancountrygospel.com

Well, whaddya know: gospel meets country!

In an era when musical genres and sub-genres, and collaborations between disparate styles, are more numerous than ever, it was bound to happen.

Al Mac Will’s “Urban Country Gospel” song “Stand Still” was unveiled at the closing ceremonies of the Gospel Announcers Guild – Gospel Music Workshop of America national meeting in Cincinnati this past summer. Cowboy hats were donned by gospel VIPs as the song was previewed over the speakers.

For those feeling squeamish about this uncanny combination, let me reassure you: the song is dominated by an urban contemporary beat and structure, with the country components relegated to pedal steel (country music’s answer to the Hammond B3) and Al Mac Will’s vocals, which are more down home Dolly Parton than country-pop Carrie Underwood. Al even does some shouting, something you rarely hear in country (unless of course, the music is performed in a bar, and then the shouters are usually unruly patrons).

Al Mac Will (aka Alice McAfee Williams), who has been singing gospel for some time, credits musical genius Stevie Wonder with helping her coin the term “urban country gospel.”

Alice is in good company. Gospel quartets have two-stepped into modern country music before. One instance that comes to mind is a 1970s recording by the Close Harmoneers, who opened and closed their “I Believe” (Cash Records) with a righteously twangy countrified flourish of petal steel. If you didn’t know better, you would have sworn they were singing from the Grand Ole Opry stage.

In any event, Al Mac Will’s single and the publicity surrounding it are great fun. “Stand Still” is an enjoyable song that encourages the forlorn to keep the faith, because “I’m right here on the throne and I’ll never leave you alone.”

More to come…TBGB will review Al Mac Will’s full-length album later this week.