The Brown Sisters – Live in Chicago

The Brown Sisters
Live in Chicago
Kingdom Records 2009
http://www.kingdomrecordsinc.com/

The Brown Sisters – Andrea, Lavette, Vanessa, Phyllis and Adrienne – have been Chicago’s gospel-singing sweethearts for many years, and have won over many a European crowd, as well. Yet, until this month, their catalog of recordings consisted of one limited-press CD for use during their European concert tour.

On June 30, however, the group’s first major commercial release, Live in Chicago, will be available. Finally. Hallelujah! But it was worth the wait. Not only is it on the influential, Stellar Award-winning Kingdom Records imprint (whose hitmakers include Shekinah Glory Ministry and its worship leader Phil Tarver), but the project — recorded at Freedom Church in the Chicago suburb of Hillside — is quite simply a quality piece of work.

The Clark Sisters’ influence (and possibly a little bit of the Pointer Sisters, too) can be heard in the Brown Sisters’ tight, rhythmic harmonies, especially on the CD’s attention-grabbing, high-energy opener, “Ain’t Nothing Like This.” Only siblings that have sung together since being knee-high to a duck can blend like the Browns do.

The group’s praise and worship side is evident on the current single, “Awesome God,” and on the equally lush and orchestral “King of Glory.” Such dramatic praise and worship songs are the sweet spot of the P&W-dedicated Kingdom Records.

Being from Chicago, the Brown Sisters had to do at least one churchy song on their album, and Andrea’s composition, “Hold On,” is that number. It’s a real aisle-dancer, one of the CD’s finest moments. No matter what the style, however, an A-list troupe of gospel musicians and Rueben Alvarez’ Latin-tinged percussion paint a multihued backdrop for the sisters’ vocals. All the ladies save Phyllis take turns at the lead microphone, with Vanessa and Andrea appearing to be the group’s main leads.

An exceptional moment on Live in Chicago – a song that could escape the casual listener but really shouldn’t – is the Precious Holmes composition “Perfect Will.” This lovely, slightly bluesy, slowly simmering, spiritually sensual praise song is an ideal example of the Brown Sisters’ way with an arrangement.

What more can one say? Look out Clark Sisters – the Brown Sisters are here!

Five of Five Stars