Brent Jones – Live Your Best Life!

Brent Jones
Live Your Best Life!
JDI Entertainment (release date: April 11, 2024)

By Robert M. Marovich

Aside from Jekalyn Carr, no other gospel artist today has contributed more religious aphorisms to the genre’s lexicon than Brent Jones. “Open Your Mouth and Say Something,” “Instead of Complaining, Praise Him,” and “Fear and Faith Can’t Live Together” are the most memorable.

The affirmations are definitely working for him. Arriving on the scene in 1999 with Brent Jones & the TP Mobb, the singer-songwriter is quite literally living his best life. So it’s no surprise that his latest declaration-turned-gospel-single for Professor James Roberson’s JDI Entertainment is called “Live Your Best Life!” Shuffling to the same shoulder-shaking groove that fueled Donald Lawrence’s 2009 hit “Back II Eden,” it’s also the title track of Jones’s energetic live album.

Jones is backed on the album by a pounding rhythm section and ample support from the full-throated Best Life Choir, which is so accomplished it should have shared cover billing with Jones. While delivering mostly contemporary arrangements, the singers put on their shouting shoes during a reprise of “War / I’m a Soldier” and for the entirety of “Faithful You Are (aka You Never Gave Up on Me).” The latter’s unhurried rocking chair rhythm, blurts of organ, and cascading choral sections are reminiscent of the days of yea and nay. The only thing missing is the solo soprano note at the end, though perhaps it doesn’t matter, as the piece threatens to take the live audience into praise break anyhow.

Jones does his best crooning on “Remedy / God Is,” a song about God’s constancy, while the propulsive “Over and Over,” which gushes with gratitude about the Lord’s love, is the selection most likely to be picked up by other church choirs. The atmospheric “Will You Forgive” asks the important question: “How can you love the Lord and hate your brother?” Jones exhorts listeners to not just ask God for forgiveness but forgive their neighbor. At a time when “I’m right” is heard far more often than “I’m sorry,” the song serves as an important reminder for all of us.

The album ends with a ‘90s-esque remix of Jones’ recent single, “Nothing Else Matters,” featuring auto-tune and thumping bass rhythms evocative of Bishop Hez and John P. Kee.

While Jones’s 2022 Nothing Else Matters (Instead of Complaining, Praise Him) is the stronger album of the two, Live Your Best Life! nevertheless demonstrates that Brent Jones and his singers have the power to captivate congregations with positive, timely messages set to unpretentious arrangements.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “Live Your Best Life!” “Faithful You Are”