Light Records Gospel Legacy: Commissioned (tbgb review)

Commissioned
Gospel Legacy Series
Light Records 2008
www.lightrecords.com

Remember these guys?

For those who came of age during the 1990s, or first embraced gospel music during this time, it may be difficult to understand just how influential Commissioned was during the 1980s. At that time, Commissioned and the Winans Family spun gospel music around and pushed it forward into the modern RnB age. Today, nearly every artist in urban contemporary gospel owes a debt of gratitude to these music pioneers.

Think about some of the members of Commissioned. Fred Hammond, who came out of the Winans aggregation to organize the group. Commissioned’s co-founder Michael Brooks. Marvin Sapp. With such talents aboard, no wonder the group hit it big.

True, Commissioned’s hit records haven’t aged as well as those of the Winans or the Hawkins Family, largely because the group embraced the synth-soaked funk arrangements and jerky polyrhythms that defined the 80’s now-campy RnB and pop scenes, but it is hard to detract from the opus of these true innovators. Light Records, which produced the group’s debut LP in 1985, has mined its vaults to assemble a Commissioned retrospective as part of its Gospel Legacy Series.

Present on the retrospective is the lovely bongo-driven hit ballad, “Ordinary Just Won’t Do,” which showcases Commissioned’s tight, complex harmonies. Prince/Minneapolis Sound influence is evident in the polyrhythmic “You Keep On Blessing Me.” “Running Back to You” is a passionate worship ballad that showcases the songwriting skills of Fred Hammond. Today, Hammond is spoken about with the same kind of reverence that James Cleveland and Mattie Moss Clark enjoyed in their heyday.

As Bil Carpenter’s liner notes explain, Clark took a chance in booking the group when nobody else would, and thus helped launch their careers. We owe thanks to Clark and the Detroit COGIC community for pushing the African American sacred music envelope, and ensuring its continued relevance to emerging generations, by endorsing Commissioned and the Winans.

Two and a Half of Four Stars

James Fortune & FIYA - The Transformation (tbgb review)

James Fortune & FIYA
The Transformation
World Wide Music, Inc. 2008
www.gospeltruthmagazine.com

For those unfamiliar with James Fortune and FIYA (Free In Yahweh’s Abundance) – which means you probably haven’t listened to gospel radio very much in the past two or three years – it is a predominantly female vocal group (someone on Amazon described it more aptly as a “praise team”) led by Fortune. In performance, Fortune plays the preacher role, talking, shouting and sermonizing, directing the group like a vocal traffic officer in a way popularized in part by John P. Kee, though truth be told, Jethro Bledsoe served in much the same role with the Spirit of Memphis, and James Cleveland with the Caravans more than a half century ago.

FIYA traverses praise & worship, urban contemporary and traditional styles with ease, though the consistent threads throughout are Fortune’s dramatic declarations, which weave in and out of FIYA’s very powerful singing like a jazz instrument. The Transformation is the group's latest project on Kerry Douglas’ World Wide Music label, media kin to his Gospel Truth Magazine.

Every now and then on The Transformation, a male soloist steps up to lead the singing and change the mood for a moment, such as on “The Blood.” “The Blood” stands out on this project like firework blooms at midnight. Prefaced by Fortune who notes how we can never lose sight of the songs that brought us thus far, Zacardi Cortez immerses his entire body in Andrae Crouch’s earliest composition, “The Blood Will Never Lose its Power.” Cortez sings so hard and passionately that one can envision the musical notes just flying off the lead sheet. “The Blood” is an absolute church-wrecker and the clear highpoint of the project. I daresay that it rivals Crouch's own versions of the song.

A second top-flight song, “I Trust You,” also has its genesis in traditional song style. Written by Fortune and FIYA keyboardist Terence Vaughn, the song has an autobiographical feel, a prayer of despair set to music. “Anybody had to cry in the midnight hour?” he asks, while the performance builds deftly in intensity as Fortune lists things that go wrong in life (lost job, more bills than money). Eventually his emotions run full circle from anguish to ecstatic hope as the prayer ends, faith is renewed, and the intensity subsides, giving the saints a chance to shout with joy. “I Trust You” is the album's current hit and, I suspect, it is because of its ability, steeped in traditional gospel song craftsmanship, to move listeners to the boiling point – from agony to anticipation – and then to ease up so they can fully appreciate what they just experienced.

“I’m Good” is an urban contemporary track that follows “I Trust You,” which either intentionally or coincidentally continues to riff on the importance of faith, that reliance and trust in God will make things better. Its playful synth ostinato gives grateful liberation, however, from the emotional intensity of the prior track.

On “There Ain’t Nothing,” I was heartened to hear HIV added to the litany of the human ills brought to Jesus for fixing, which includes cancer and diabetes, though I did wince when sexual orientation was listed as something from which one can gain freedom on the otherwise lovely gos-pop song “F.I.Y.A.”

James Fortune and FIYA’s The Transformation is a rollercoaster of musical emotions, and while it will appeal most to praise & worship and urban contemporary enthusiasts, “The Blood” and "I Trust You" will appeal to everyone.

Three of Four Stars

Gospel Singles to Watch: Endurance

“Thank You Lord For Mama”/”I’ve Got a Home”
Endurance
From the CD I’ve Got a Home
SCCME Records 2008
www.myspace.com/endurance20072007

Hailing from Houston, the Stellar-nominated gospel quartet Endurance may be relatively new on the national scene, but they are strictly old school, that tangy-sweet traditional sound indigenous to the American South. Carl Stewart, Claude Cummings, Michael Robertson and Earl Sampson make up the group, and their record company is an amalgam of their initials (Sounds of Carl, Claude, Michael and Earl) though only three members appear on the CD cover.

“Thank You Lord For Mama” features the gutsy, rough-hewn, quintessentially quartet voice of CD producer Prathan “Spanky” Williams. Lyrically, “Mama” reprises the eternal quartet theme of a praying mother, though this mother also has a sixth sense.

Endurance picks up the tempo on “I’ve Got a Home,” a rousing “drive” number in which the group sings about their home over Jordan. There, they sing, they will walk the streets of gold to meet their friends and Jesus, but they also name check James Cleveland and June Cheeks as others they look forward to greeting along the way.

“I’ve Got a Home” is the better of the two tracks, but both are sure to delight quartet enthusiasts, as they spring forth from the very soul of black southern quartet singing.

VOW - Somebody Somewhere (tbgb review)

VOW
Somebody Somewhere
JDI Records 2008
http://www.jdirecords.com/

VOW is a traditional choir with a 21st Century name and 21st Century panache.

The choir’s first project for Professor James Roberson’s JDI Records of Los Angeles (label home of DeNetria Champ and Beverly Crawford) is a real gem. First of all, VOW sounds every bit like a mass choir in spirit, drive and volume. Secondly, two of its female lead vocalists, LaToya Williams and Cynthia Holly, could easily do solo projects, if they haven't already. Williams leads the timeless title track, and it’s the tear in her voice that makes the composition breathtaking from the opening seconds through the extended ending. Holly’s bluesy moaning on “Thank You Lord” and her frenetic vocals on the up-tempo hand-clapper “Trouble Don't Last Always,” penned by Rev. James Moore, also deserve praise. Incidentally, “Trouble Don't Last Always” is another track with radio potential.

Two other fascinating cuts are a funky reworking of the classic congregational song “Power in the Blood,” and Rev. Quincy Fielding’s moving “God Is So Good to Me,” the latter given an expert reading by lead vocalist Rev. William David Lowe.

Popular gospel saxophonist Donald Hayes closes the curtain on Somebody Somewhere with a lovely instrumental version of “Amazing Grace,” after which Hayes and the choir riff on a combination of the old John Newton classic with Luther Vandross’ hit “So Amazing.” It works, believe it or not, which leaves the listener wondering whether the late velvet teddy bear had the hymn in mind when writing the song that defined his own musical legacy.

Despite the regal conclusion, Somebody Somewhere is not a very long album and could have benefited from a few more songs by the choir. I hope that VOW’s follow-up project – and I certainly look forward to one – will include more songs in the spirit of the title track and "Trouble Don't Last Always," as well as photos of the group and more information about them in the liner notes. Regardless, Somebody Somewhere is an auspicious JDI Records debut by a group that will please traditional and contemporary enthusiasts.

Three of Four Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week: August 26, 2008

“Stomp”
Shekinah Glory Ministry
From the 2008 Kingdom Records CD Jesus
www.kingdomrecordsinc.com

Warrior worshippers stomping metaphorically on the Devil’s head and feet.

That’s what Shekinah Glory Ministry’s “Stomp” is about, at least at first blush. An incessant thumping rhythm prodded by a bouncy, wordless call to battle offers an aural image of legions marching forward in lockstep, taking turns tenderizing the red hued, horned and pitchfork wielding guy's extremities right out of circulation.

Or so it seems. By the end of the seven-minute “Stomp,” however, you realize that the song is not just a metaphor but a real call for direct social action. It means stomping on the lower-case devils who drag communities down. Drug dealers, gangbangers, substance abusers, the government. Thus, when the leader sings “Take It Back,” he is commanding the metronomic marching warrior worshippers to reclaim the soul of their neighborhoods, schools, communities and homes.

Gospel singer Malope wins big

From The Sowetan:

25 August 2008
Khanyi Nkosi

Rebecca Malope once again proved to be queen of gospel when she was honoured with a life time achievers award at the SABC Gospel Music Awards held in Durban yesterday.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Malope who also won the Best Gospel Artist Award said the late Vuyo Mokoena, her mother and her producer Sizwe Zako were supporting her through her music career.

Malope who has released 27 albums and won more than 30 awards said it was through the grace of God hat she has come to where is today.

She said her dream was to see all gospel artists coming together and supporting each other.

“Gospel artists need to come together and be one in Christ,” she said to thunderous applause.

Zanele Mbokazi, the founder of the Crown Gospel Music Awards and president of the World Gospel Power House said the aim of the awards was to bring back the gospel in the gospel music and to bring gospel artists under one roof.

Hosted in conjunction with Cell C and supported by the office of the Premier, Sowetan and Sunday World the awards are a first of its kind.

Other winners were: Best Gospel Song - Hlengiwe Mhlaba for her album uJesu uyalalela, Classic of all times again went to Mhlaba for her song Rock of ages.

The Best Gospel Group Award went to Joyous Celebration. Best Contemporary Traditional went to Jabu Hlongwane. Best Gospel Song Award went to Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors. The Best Male Gospel Artist Award went to Vuyo Mokoena and Benjamin Dube scooped the Best Praise and Worship Award.

TBGB Note: If you have never heard Rebecca Malope or Sizwe Zako and Pure Magic, you really owe it to yourself to have a listen. They render moving and memorable South African gospel harmonies and simple melodies. Even if you cannot understand the Zulu language in which Rebecca and Pure Magic sing (Rebecca does sing some songs in English), you will understand the passion in the vocal delivery.

TBGB Chat with Canton Jones

Earlier this month, gospel hip hop phenom Canton Jones spent some time with The Black Gospel Blog to talk about his latest project, Kingdom Business.

TBGB: Where did you develop your love for singing?

CJ: I grew up in the Church of God in Christ, Thomas Temple COGIC in Pompano Beach, Florida. I had a Pentecostal background and went to church every Sunday. We participated in the church conferences. Later, my dad was the pastor of Showers of Blessings COGIC and my mom was the choir director.

I always wanted to sing gospel. I was in the choir; mom kept us in the choir, which was like fifteen altos, nine sopranos and two tenors. Mom allowed us to do gospel rap and hip hop in the third or fourth grade.

I listened to the Winans, the Canton Spirituals, Commissioned. It wasn’t until I went to high school that I started listening to mainstream music, as well as gospel. My musical appetite was kind of different, like gumbo: a mixture of a lot of stuff. Plus, my dad had a quartet called the Nobleaires.

TBGB: Your dad sang quartet? Tell us about the Nobleaires.

The Nobleaires. They were like the Jackson Southernaires. At that time, every quartet had to have “aires” in their name. But imagine an eight, nine year old kid – the members would push me out in the front to sing. I learned to relate to old and young through my experience with the Nobleaires

TBGB: When did you begin pursuing music professionally?

I began writing songs for others. One, “I Trust God,” was featured on some projects. I am more into writing and production now. I produce much of my own music. Really, I’m just trying to push a new sound and a new variety to give younger generations more positive options and a greater variety of music.

TBGB: Tell us about Kingdom Business.

When Jesus came on the scene, he wasn’t working within the four walls of a church. He was in the streets, talking about a new way of thinking, because the Kingdom of God was at hand. We don’t have to operate how the world operates, we can operate based on the kingdom, God’s way of doing things.

"Kingdom business" means just doing it. You must be a do-er of the word, not just a hear-er of the word. We’re taking the message outside the four walls of the church. We’re taking the message of Jesus Christ to the neighborhoods, the streets, the schools, clubs, the malls.

The album has songs of encouragement, such as “I Won’t Stop.” “My Day” is a song that will help get you from Sunday to Sunday, through the work week. People need encouragement every day, not just Sunday.

TBGB: Your song “Hater Day” is generating quite a lot of enthusiasm.

"Hater Day" is basically a follow-up to a previous song of mine, “Stay Saved.” That song said you have got to stay saved, despite people’s foibles. “Hater Day” is the next phase of that. You must not only stay saved, but you must also do something good for those who don’t like you.

Matthew 5:44 says pray for the people, love your enemies. “Hater Day” means take your hater out to lunch, give him a hug, go out of your way to do something good for the people who don’t have good intentions for you. Attempt to show Jesus Christ’s love to someone who doesn’t deserve it. The message of Jesus Christ is, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Sometimes people are just using you to vent, because they have gone through so much, and when they get to work or school, they have an attitude. But you never know what is going on with that person at home. When you love that person, that person might break down in your arms, and you can help heal.

TBGB: What is Canton Jones working on currently?

CAJO International is a production company that my wife Ramona and I run. We have a project coming out October 7 featuring the CAJO family of artists. It will be pure, uplifting music, real entertainment. We plan to put out a new CD release every month. It’s time to fight fire with fire. The world is putting out some negative music and we’re going to counter it with positive music. It’s an all-out war on music.

"Wicked" Star Sings the Good News

Shoshana Bean is best known for her role as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) in the Tony Award winning Broadway show, Wicked. She was praised by Brian McKnight as "one of the greatest voices I've ver heard."

She recently took off her black witch hat and green makeup, revealing a beautiful young woman (we knew that) and recorded Jeremy Schonfeld's "House of Love" with able backing by the multicultural Broadway Dreams Gospel Choir.

Bean does an admirable job leading "House of Love," an inspirational song of belief in the redeeming power of love. I had heard of the Broadway Dreams Gospel Choir, but had not heard their sound until "House of Love." I'm quite impressed by the group's ability to display harmonic and dynamic discipline without sounding plastic or contrived.

"House of Love" is available on Schonfeld's brand new release, 37 Notebooks, a collection of songs by the talented singer-songwriter. Definitely worth a listen.

Incidentally, Shoshana Bean's debut project, Superhero, is scheduled for a December 2 release.

Do You Think You Can Sing? Vicki Mack Lataillade Wants to Know

At the Gospel Music Workshop of America in Nashville last week, Vicki Mack Lataillade, founder of GospoCentric Records (later sold to Zomba) and known as the most powerful woman in gospel music, announced that she is officially launching the “Lilly Mack Sing-A-Long Series” in October 2008.

An interactive multi-media music production, the Lilly Mack Sing-A-Long Series is, in Lataillade’s own words, “ministry where you are no longer a spectator.” The series boasts relationships with more than 100 professional gospel composers – top-shelf writers such as Kurt Carr and Myron Butler – who are penning songs that churches can learn easily. The songs will be available on Sing-A-Long Series CDs, complete with the music, lyrics and soundtrack so soloists, groups, choirs and congregations can sing along.

"Sunday Afternoon” DVDs, produced by Lataillade and Brother Steve Harris of Los Angeles, will take the participatory concept one step further by providing videos of gospel artists performing the songs, bouncing ball lyrics appearing on the screen so viewers can sing along.

Among the first seven contributions to the project are Detroiter Carnell Murrell’s worship ballad “You Are God” and Carr’s “In the Sanctuary.” Lataillade welcomes choir directors to provide feedback and work with the series to ensure that the programs and songs continue to meet the needs of music ministers and congregations.

In addition to the CDs and DVDs, Lataillade is partnering with the Word Network to produce a television program featuring the Sing-A-Long Series performed by an ensemble called the Lilly Mack Singers. The Word Network is in 60 million U.S. households and 200 countries. Lataillade’s program, said Word Network executive Steve Antoniotti, is part of the network’s commitment to “increase the amount and quality of its gospel music programming.”

Viewers can audition to become one of the Lilly Mack Singers on the Word Network program or join a local Lilly Mack Singers group that will provide affordable gospel programs for smaller churches and organizations. Lataillade explained that this is based on the franchise concept. Indeed, popular dance band recording groups such as Jean Goldkette’s Orchestra in the 1920s deputized smaller groups of the same name to represent the main band in several key markets at once.

In establishing the Sing-A-Long Series, Lataillade is bringing new technology to bear on gospel music’s basic principle, one going back to Profs. Dorsey and Frye’s first gospel chorus: to give the average person a chance to sing and participate in music ministry. That it was presented at GMWA whose tagline is “Where Everybody is Somebody” is no coincidence.

Lataillade announced that she is also working on a television comedy series called “So Laughable,” based on her own family experiences.

And the series name? It's a tribute to Lataillade's late grandmother, Lilly Mack.

You will soon be able to learn more about the Lilly Mack Sing-A-Long Series, and even audition online to become a Lilly Mack Singer, at http://www.lillymacksingalongseries.com/. The site is slated to go live shortly.

Darwin Hobbs - Free (a tbgb review)

Darwin Hobbs
Free
Tyscot Records (release date: August 26, 2008)
http://www.tyscot.com/

Darwin Hobbs is referred to as the Luther Vandross of gospel, but to my ears, his husky, muscular voice is more akin to the blue-eyed soulster Michael McDonald, with whom the forty year-old singer once worked.

Regardless, the Darwin Hobbs sound is what one might label “power praise music”: a marriage of CCM melodies, praise and worship lyrics, black gospel vocal technique and speaker-blowing, gutsy soul accompaniment. On Free, Hobbs pushes the sacred subgenre a notch higher, delivering a high-octane, almost symphonic listening experience in its complexity, his wall of sound blistering with thundering bass, rolling drums, and dramatically intense vocals. Even if you can’t quite make out some of the lyrics in the musical swirl, you get the point: Hobbs and his singers are Alpha Praisers. They don’t just drive the devil away, they get up in his face with courageous vocal fist shaking.

But the raw power behind Hobbs' fifth CD, Free, is not surprising if you know the album’s backstory. For Hobbs, the devil on earth was the sexual abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his mother’s now deceased husband. Now that he has gone public with his story, Hobbs has fashioned Free as a work of personal catharsis, his escape from the darkness, a bat out of the private hell of silence that suffocated his spirit for many years.

While the opening track, “Heal the Land,” is the critical highpoint of the album because of its psychedelic late ‘60s flavor, “Free” is the radio favorite for its austere, memorable melody and potent expression of Hobbs’ liberation from the abuse. The metaphors in “Crosswalk” are rife, but the song is also a good example of Hobbs’ serious, “no turning back” lyricism. You’re a player on God’s team or you’re out. Period.

A bonus track, “He’s Able,” is a super-sized production number, effective as the album’s concluding moments, the choir singing with a gravitas rarely heard this side of Orff’s Carmina Burana. "He's Able" is a redemptive resolution, the album's grand denouement, signifying Hobbs’ release from the grip of his haunting past.

The production quality of Free, thanks to producers Hobbs and Aaron Pearce, is clear and precise; the multi-tracked layered sound never devolves into muddiness. Sacred music to be played at maximum volume for maximum impact.

Three of Four Stars

Gospel Music According to Chicago Choir Closes GMWA

The Gospel Music According to Chicago (GMAC) Choir put the finishing touches on the 41st Gospel Music Workshop of America, which closed Friday, August 15. The week-long event was held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

During the concluding musical Friday evening, on which they were the final act, the GMAC Choir performed several traditional gospel songs, such as "Come On Children Let's Sing," "God is Still on the Throne," "Perfect Praise," and "I've Got a Testimony." They sang and clapped to the warble of a Hammond Organ and even incorporated a washboard into the rhythmic mix.

GMAC specializes in traditional songs written by Chicago composers such as Thomas A. Dorsey, Kenneth Morris and Roberta Martin. It is comprised of many of the city's living legends, including Rev. Ray Allen Berryhill, Vernon Oliver Price, Fred Nelson III, Delores "Honey" Sykes, Nash Shaffer, and Bobby Wooten. It is the fulfillment of an idea birthed almost concurrently by Dr. Dennis E. Cole, president of the Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild and Mama Ann Yancy.

Music coordinator is LouDella Evans Reid, the leading light behind the music at Fellowship M.B. Church in Chicago where her brother, the influential Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, is pastor.

GMAC's debut CD, recorded live earlier this year at Chicago's historic First Church of Deliverance, is scheduled for release in October 2008. More information is available at http://www.gm2chicago.com/.

TBGB Pick of the Week: August 18, 2008

"Joy"
Niyoki
From the D2G Records CD Rest
Release Date: August 19, 2008
www.niyoki.com

Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and former backup singer for Prince with one hit gospel CD already under her belt, Niyoki is back with her sophomore disc, Rest.

"Joy," the album's advance single, hits the listener like a bracing wind. It dresses its lyrics of praise and gratitude in breezy jazz chords and a beat straight out of the bellbottom disco era, making this the for-sure single of gospel cafes and clubs.

Most importantly, "Joy" showcases Niyoki's confident command of her craft, which befits her African name, which means "serious minded and responsible." At the same time, "Joy," Niyoki's best work to date, is fun and free-spirited in its praise.

Rev. John P. Kee to Help Rev. Timothy Wright with Church Mortgage

From EURweb.com:

The Rev. John P. Kee, Pastor of the New Life Fellowship Center, is known for bringing us the best in Gospel music, but he is also known for helping communities throughout the world with a generous heart.

Two weeks ago, Pastor Kee announced that he will be supporting Rev. Wright and the Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of Brooklyn by paying the mortgage on Rev. Timothy Wright's church until he returns.

This is to relieve some of the financial stress on the family and the church during the healing of their father and pastor, Rev. Timothy Wright.

On July 4th, Rev. Wright was in a devastating car accident and during this time of healing and need, Pastor Kee is with him all the way.

"Rev. Wright is a great friend, preacher and singer who had so much to do with our success. My heart goes out to Timothy, his family, and to his church family. We are thanking God for his immediate healing, strength and total recovery." Pastor Kee said.

He encourages all singers and fans to continue showing their support and assist with all of the medical expenses needed for this great man.

The Gospel Music Trust Fund

Now here's a great idea, in the tradition of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, HART (Handy Artists Relief Trust) for blues musicians, and others...

The Gospel Music Trust Fund (GMTF) was established "to supply to those who have made lasting contributions to gospel music, emergency assistance in times of financial need."

With headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, the GMTF "was founded by the late Herman Harper, former member of the Oak Ridge Boys and President of The Harper Agency, a major booking agency for gospel artists."

How are the funds distributed? "A need is identified, usually by someone who is aware of a crisis. A request is made in writing to the GMTF for financial assistance. An immediate investigation of the need is made by the trustees and, if it meets the criteria set forth by the GMTF, a check is issued and usually sent directly to the hospital, physician, funeral home, etc."

Gospel artist CeCe Winans and Max Siegel, formerly president of Verity Records, are members of the Board of Trustees. In addition to these representatives of the black gospel community, TBGB strongly encourages the GMTF to appoint to its Board of Trustees a gospel artist or executive from the Golden Era (1945 - 1965) who is in close touch with the legends and pioneers and can bring their needs to the attention of the Board as needed.

For more information on the GMTF, or to make a contribution, as it is a 501(c)(3) organization, visit its website: www.gospelmusictrustfund.org.

TBGB Chat with Pastor Debra B. Morton

Dr. Debra B. Morton, Pastor of The Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans, and Co-Pastor of the church's Atlanta location with her husband, Bishop Paul S. Morton, took time from her many responsibilities to talk with The Black Gospel Blog about her church upbringing and latest music project, My Better Half, reviewed by TBGB.

TBGB: How long have you been a member of Greater St. Stephen?

DM: All of my life! Actually, I have been at Greater St. Stephen since I was six years old. My grandmother, head of the usher board, was one of the church's founders. I lived with my grandmother, so I just went to church all the time. My friends were there. I went to Sunday School and later taught Sunday School. I was in the choir. One of the lead singers would pull me and make me sing, even though I was very shy. But I also sang in other community choirs in New Orleans.

TBGB: How did you meet your husband, Bishop Paul Morton?

DM: Bishop Morton came from Canada to Greater St. Stephen when I was eighteen. We married before I graduated from college. So even during college, I had a commitment to Greater St. Stephen.

TBGB: When did you begin to develop your ministry?

DM: When I was a child, our pastor would take us to places all around the state. This drew me more to ministry. But my first call, the Women of Excellence ministry, was to draw women to holiness and teach them how to pray. I have been doing this now for fifteen years.

TBGB: Is this the conference at which your new CD My Better Half was recorded?

DM: Yes, the music was recorded at a conference from several years ago. Every year we'd have the conference and have such a powerful worship experience, but we wanted something to give to the women to take back home with them.

TBGB: What songs from the project are doing the best on radio?

DM: "Where There's a Will There's a Way" and "We Worship You" are doing very well.

TBGB: How did you secure soloists such as Pastor Nancy Wilson and Beverly Crawford to appear?

DM: Pastor Wilson brings a busload of women to every conference. And Beverly had sung at the conference a couple of years before, so we asked her to return.

TBGB: Tell us about the Power Woman Retreat and Summit.

The Power Woman Retreat and Summit is a different type of conference and another calling that God has given to me. We are bringing women from the church, and from Corporate America, and nurturing female leadership. To be effective, it's going to be smaller in numbers. It will be held August 28 to 30 outside of Atlanta at Chateau Elan. It is for "women in authority yet under authority."

TBGB: How is Greater St. Stephen doing after the recent fire?

DM: We are awaiting final judgement on the insurance so we can move forward. All is well, though, because we were invited to worship at a Jewish synagogue that is one of the most beautiful structures in New Orleans, so we're very grateful to have such a wonderful worship environment. We will move at the end of this month to a high school auditorium -- my alma mater. We will rebuild, provide new add-ons. We will build "greater," as our name says.

TBGB: How is New Orleans doing post-Katrina?

DM: New Orleans is getting better. People are becoming more hopeful because things are rebuilding. There was a lot of disillusionment for a long time. Sadness. One disappointment after another. But the churches have played a great part in bringing the spirit back. Even though there's still lots of craziness going on, I think New Orleans is a great city and we're just continuing to pray. There are a lot more people coming together for one cause.

TBGB: With all you do and all that's happened, don't you need a vacation?

DM: Actually, the fire happened during the week of our vacation. We still went away, but we were on the phone 24/7. God is faithful and if he allows any of us to be up to something, we just need to keep moving. I have a goal and purpose in life and I can't let circumstances stop me.

*****************

For more information about Pastor Debra Morton's Power Woman Retreat, go to www.mypowerwoman.com. For the CD My Better Half, go to www.lightrecords.com.

Tracy Worth: Gospel Singer on Sunday, Librarian on Monday

Stellar-nominated gospel singer Tracy Worth of South Suburban Chicago has an alter ego. On Sundays (and other days) you can catch her singing the glory down, and on Monday, she can help you find the information you need at the public library.

Read more about Tracy's dual careers, and a hint of what she is working on currently as a gospel artist, in the "On the Job" column from the SouthtownStar:

http://www.southtownstar.com/business/1063170,072008onthejob.article

Bishop Billy Bowers - from a TBGB Reader

Sent by a TBGB reader to all of you:

We are praying for a speedy recovery from heart leaky valve surgery for Bishop Billy Bowers, to whom Lyndon Jones of the Dixie Hummingbirds spoke with on Tuesday.

The surgery took place at 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning. We pray that the surgery and recovery are without complications.

If you want to send flowers or cards, send them to:

Jackson Hospital
1725 Pine Street
Montgomery, AL 36106

The phone number to the hospital is 334-293-8000.

Albert Jamison Presents The New York State Mass Choir - Show Yourself Mighty (tbgb review)

Albert Jamison Presents The New York State Choir
Show Yourself Mighty
Light Records 2007
www.lightrecords.com

It seems appropriate that during midweek of the 41st Gospel Music Workshop of America we review the latest project by GMWA's Chairman, Bishop Albert L. Jamison, Sr. Many of you will remember Bishop Jamison's earlier work with the Triboro Mass Choir on Savoy Records. In addition to the mountainous responsibilities he encounters as GMWA Chairman and also pastoring his own church, Pleasant Grove Tabernacle, Bishop Jamison still has time to keep the choir tradition alive and well.

On Show Yourself Mighty, Jamison and the New York State Mass Choir shuffle back and forth between contemporary and traditional arrangements. While the choir is energetic and polished on contemporary numbers such as "Just Your Name Alone," "I Owe You All the Praise," and the radio single "Show Yourself Mighty," it really dazzles on the traditional-flavored songs such as "Nothing Shall Separate Me" (featuring an old-school solo by Mother Rubenstein McClure) and "My Witness," on which Bishop Jamison and Ronald Banks channel the O'Neal Twins with their muscular harmonies. Evangelist Doreen Figueroa's solo on the choir workout "Lily of the Valley" is among the album's highlights, as is Jamison's touching story of personal tragedy preceding "Not My Will."

"I got everybody I could to help me out tonight," exhorts Jamison at the outset of "Like a Shepherd," and he is not kidding. The list of guest artists reads like an industry who's who: Bishop Paul S. Morton, Pastor Hezekiah Walker, Pastor John P. Kee, Pastor Jeff White, Elder Timothy Wright, and Lucinda Moore, to name some of them. The finale, Rev. Milton Biggham's "He Won't Fail," brings together Jamison, Wright, White and Figueroa with Kervy Brown on a song with a simple yet fitting closing message.

Albums such as Show Yourself Mighty indicate that while the winds of gospel music popularity have shifted from choirs to small groups, there will always be a demand for good old choir singing. That's where it began, after all.

Pastor Gregg Patrick & the Bridge Project - CrossOver (tbgb review)

Pastor Gregg Patrick & the Bridge Project
CrossOver
Tyscot Records 2008
www.tyscot.com

CrossOver may be Pastor Gregg Patrick and the Bridge Project's debut CD, but make no mistake: Patrick has been in the choir biz for some time. Fact is, he was among the early members of the Gospel Music Workshop of America and cites the late Thurston Frazier, choir director legend, as his mentor.

CrossOver is, like many current choral projects, an admixture of contemporary and traditional presentations. The strength of the album, however, belongs to the Bridge Project's strong bullpen of female lead vocalists who soak each track on which they sing with soulful energy and emotion. Many will be familiar with Rhonda McLemore's impassioned lead on "I Am a Witness," the current single and apex of the album. Other outstanding female contributors include Nikita Clegg, Nikki Ross, Zacardi Cortez, Alvaneeda Nelson (the great Bettye Ransom Nelson's daughter who clearly inherited her mother's gift), and the late Rosalyn Brunswick McDuffie.

McDuffie's recent passing, by the way, is particularly tragic because she was young and in the prime of her career. Like Bernie Mac, we can only wonder what wonderful body of material she would have produced in the future, had she lived.

In addition to the spirited performances, CrossOver benefits from the creativity of several of gospel's top songwriters, including Darius Brooks, Ted Winn, V. Michael McKay, Myron Butler, and Joel Britton. And no less than Ambassador Bobby Jones provides the CD's introduction.

Fans of the traditional sound will enjoy "Just Like That" and "Dance," on which the Bridge Project gets in touch with its inner power choir, delivering double-time tempos and backbeats plucked right out of the Chicago Mass Choir's charts.

Besides his musicianship, Patrick shepherds the 8,000+ member Southwest Community Christian Center (The Bridge) in Houston, Texas. No surprise, then, that CrossOver is essentially a praise service packed into a jewel case.

Three of Four Stars

Spensha Baker - Outloud! (tbgb review)

Outloud!
Spensha Baker
Geffen Records 2008
www.spenshaonline.com

Spensha Baker is fifteen years old, but her voice is twenty-one.

I don't mean twenty-one in a Broadway-musical-belter sort of way, I mean an extraordinarily gifted singer who in her vocal curlicues and breath support demonstrates that she has training as well as talent. One can tell from the first few moments of Spensha's debut CD Outloud! that she could still dazzle even if the power went off in the studio and all the instruments went silent. Having heard her sing live at the Gospel Music Workshop of America on Monday, where she was given a spot in the Gospel Announcers Guild's coveted Chairman's Choice showcase, I can testify to that.

Geffen Records and Executive Producers Ron Fair and Marcy Baker have pulled out all the stops on Outloud!, using vocal arrangements from the dynamic duo Mary Mary and securing a stack of outstanding songs from expert tunesters for the petite San Antonio, Texas native to deliver. And deliver Spensha does, with a lively and fresh approach that moves from energetic to worshipful to power ballad to quiet inspiration. Her voice reminds me of Bridgette Campbell (who gets props in the liner notes) and pop country star Shania Twain when she's balladeering.

The songs' lyrics are about inspiration, encouragement, uplift and the constant conversation between Christian and Christ to overcome life's challenges. The Whitney Houston cover "Hold On," for example, stresses love and support as required tools for life's journey. Such a sentiment will undoubtedly strike a chord with listeners, whether fifteen, fifty-five, or eighty years old.

The opening track and first single, "Hallelujah," is in Spensha's own words a "Clark Sisters Remix" that was written originally in 1984 by Leonard Cohen and has been covered more than 120 times since.

"Purpose," co-written by the singer, is a lovely, delicate gospel ballad that leaves the listener satisfied that here is a young woman with a promising future. Should she continue to pursue her craft and not oversing, Spensha Baker will be delighting us with her talent for years to come.

Four of Four Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week: August 11, 2008

“Hater Day”
Canton Jones
From Kingdom Business
Arrow Records 2008
www.myspace.com/therealcantonjones

Canton Jones earns the Pick of the Week again.

On "Hater Day," young gospel hip hop phenom Jones of Deerfield Beach, Florida reminds us of the Golden Rule and applies the “turn the other cheek” philosophy to the 21st Century. He urges us to spend a day (officially 08.08.08 but any day will work) treating our haters to lunch, giving them hugs, and performing a variety of generous gestures to make their life better.

Jones explained "Hater Day" to TBGB as a follow up to another of his songs, "Stay Saved," which acknowledged the difficulties of being good and giving in the midst of rampant unkindness. "Sometimes, people are just using you to vent because they have gone through so much," Jones said, "and when they get to work or school they have an attitude. But you never know what is going on with them at home. When you show love to that person, he or she might break down in your arms, and you can begin the healing process."

Just as with "Stay Saved," Jones uses "Hater Day" to acknowledge human weakness and prays he can keep his commitment to doing good and being kind. In a world that has seemingly lost all sense of civility and graciousness, doesn't everyone feel this way sometimes? All this to a smooth, swaying beat that comes as close to being a rap while not being one. Another strong single in a string of gospel hits for Canton Jones.

Image of a Man - Marvin Winans, Jr. (tbgb review)

Image of a Man
Marvin Winans, Jr.
M2 Entertainment 2008 (release date: September 30, 2008)
www.m2entertainment.com

Marvin Winans Jr. is going places.

The son of gospel stars Marvin Winans Sr. and Vickie Winans (how can you not have talent when you have these two as parents?), Winans was a member of the young Winans Phase 2 group whose debut album, We Got Next, debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Gospel Album chart in 1999. Also an accomplished songwriter and producer, Winans is now releasing Image of a Man on his own M2 Entertainment label September 30.

Image of a Man is what Top 40 RnB and hip hop would sound like if it had more imagination, creativity and relevance, and less mimicry. The 14 tracks on the CD possess memorable melodies, body-swaying beats, deft production and learned musicality. The lyrics illustrate a young person's struggles with the vicissitudes of maturing from a teen to adulthood, but at the same time adults will emphathize with the daily challenges that turn one to prayer and greater self-understanding.

Winans says that the album "is really just an in-depth look at what a man is and what a man is supposed to be." Indeed, songs such as "Steps 2 a Man" and "You Know Love" are intensely personal reflections on how individuals are fundamentally flawed and vulnerable, and how the ingredients for a stronger and more vibrant life are love and forgiveness...given and received.

The first single, "You Never Let Me Down" is a vocoder-drenched "feel good anthem" with definite crossover potential, and a TBGB favorite. "A Single Rose" and "Mistakes" demonstrate Winans' skills at the keyboards. These latter two tracks are delicate and intricate without devolving into the ambience of smooth jazz.

Image of a Man might not sound like your grandmother's gospel record collection, but that's precisely the point: it's music and messages for today's generation, and yet those of us who enjoy traditional gospel can appreciate talent like Marvin Winans, Jr.

Four of Four Stars

Dorsey Convention Diamond Anniversary Closes in Chicago

The National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses closed out its 75th Anniversary Friday night, August 8, with rousing choral numbers by the Thomas A. Dorsey Mass Choir, special guest appearances by Chicago artists and congregational singing of Dorsey classics.

A special treat was the introduction of Dr. Lena Johnson McLin, niece of the late Thomas A. Dorsey. McLin, a retired music educator and nationally-renowned composer, spoke of her pleasure at seeing the congress bring such joy and inspiration to the city. McLin came to Chicago as a young girl to comfort the Father of Gospel Music not long after his wife and day-old baby died in the summer of 1932.

Dorsey, along with Theodore Frye and Magnolia Lewis Butts, founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses in 1933. One audience member, a 97 year-old woman, was singled out for having been at every National Convention since its formation.

Two Chicago artists participated in the mass choir program. Min. Theodore Gilmore and Friends Music Ministry sent up some traditional songs from their repertory, including the quartet-flavored "Tell the Lord Thank You." Soprano dynamo Angela Spivey rendered two selections that brought the audience and choir to their feet. The remainder of the program featured choral numbers that the mass choir learned during the week-long convention.

Strains of Dorsey compositions "Highway to Heaven" and "Jesus is the Light of the World" flowed from the mass choir and audience as the offering line processed forward. Alto Maribeth Gentry delivered a breathtaking version of "When I've Done the Best I Can," complete with Dorsey-esque vocal articulation.

The closing event was moved unceremoniously from the Chicago Hilton and Tower's magnificent Grand Ballroom to an exhibitor room in the lower level, a slight that clearly miffed the convention's organizers. But the mass choir and audience adapted and celebrated its founders' wishes that "songs of Zion" be shared and taken by delegates to churches throughout the country.

The Singing Bishops (tbgb review)

Various Artists
The Singing Bishops
Light Records 2008
www.lightrecords.com

No, you are not going to hear Bishop Paul Morton standing next to Bishop Albert Jamison as together they sing Italian arias and try to top one another’s high Cs on “Nessun Dorma.” In fact, the Bishops are not even singing together. The Singing Bishops is a clever repackaging effort from the good folks at Light Records and Tehillah Music Group. It features recent “best ofs” by Bishops signed or licensed to the label.

You’ll hear preaching, singing, choirs, powerhouse female soloists, the latter stealing the show on many an occasion, although the congregational “When I Think of the Goodness of Jesus” from the late Bishop G.E. Patterson’s Singing the Old Time Way is hard for any artist to follow. But Bishop Paul Morton comes as close as possible with his emotional “Walk On By Faith,” as does the legendary Bishop Walter Hawkins on an equally stirring “I Love You Lord.” Hawkins’ performance reminds me that he keeps getting better, and more traditional-sounding, with every passing year.

The hard-quartet sound of Bishop Kenneth Robinson’s “Gospel Medley” features songs such as “Jesus is on the Mainline” and “This Little Light of Mine” that reside in the repertory – indeed, the collective unconscious – of church deacons everywhere. Bishop Jamison’s “My Witness” is another traditional track tucked in among the jazz-classical ambience of worship music provided by the likes of Bishop Larry Brandon and Bishop Joseph W. Walker. A special treat is Bishop Simon Gordon’s lively “Oh Magnify the Lord with Me,” his Triedstone Full Gospel Baptist Church Choir singing with eager and thunderous antiphony.

The Singing Bishops needs more annotation in the liner notes regarding the albums from whence the songs come, and the years in which each was recorded, for those who might listen to the CD to hear a favorite Bishop and come away wanting to add the music of another to their collection. A quick paragraph on each Bishop would be an added bonus. But beyond that, the CD is a pleasant compilation of recent hits by the African American church’s highest ordained and one that reflects the sound of today’s gospel music mainstream.

Three of Four Stars

Updated: Information About and Support For Reverend Wright

Published on the Belle Report:

If you would like to contribute to Rev. Wright's medical expenses, checks in the amount of $500 or more should be made out to The Kessler Institute. In the memo line please write: FOR TIMOTHY WRIGHT. Checks under $500 should be made out to Timothy Wright.

ALL checks should be mailed to this address:

Timothy Wright Trust
c/o Timothy Wright
3399 Lawson Blvd.
Oceanside, NY 11572

If you have any questions about donating, about the medical expenses, or about the reverend's condition, please visit the Reverend's official MySpace page (www.myspace.com/reverendtimothywright ) for updated and official information and to learn how you can help.

Singers pay tribute at gospel music's birthplace

From the Associated Press - August 4, 2008

CHICAGO (AP) — A landmark church known as the birthplace of gospel music has opened its doors for the first time since a fire two years ago ravaged the structure on the city's South Side.

The historic Pilgrim Baptist Church played host Sunday to members of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs in Chicago for their annual convention. The group toured the salvaged space of the church.

The building was designed in the late 1800s by the famous architectural firm headed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler.

Mahalia Jackson, Sallie Martin, James Cleveland, and the Staples Singers are among those who have sung at the church.

**************************

TBGB:

The National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary. It was organized in Chicago in 1933 and held its first convention at Pilgrim Baptist Church August 30 - September 1.

The first-ever event included a pre-convention musicale and a dedicatory sermon delivered by Pilgrim's Rev. J.C. Austin. Chicago's most prominent African American choral conductor, Professor J. Wesley Jones, was on hand to commend the singers and offer pointers. Featured soloists included Lawrence Evans, Dr. Ida Mae Myller, and of course plenty of gospel choral singing by ensembles directed by Prof. Thomas A. Dorsey, Magnolia N. Lewis-Butts, and delegates from other midwestern cities.

The photo above is from that first gathering at Pilgrim Baptist Church in 1933. Courtesy: NCGCC Diamond Anniversary Program.

****************************************************
Back to the Diamond Anniversary Program: On Tuesday, August 5, the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses (NCGCC) honored several gospel legends, a number of them from Chicago. Honorees included Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, the Barrett Sisters, Shirley Caesar, Dr. Charles Hayes (Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir), Dr. Teresa Hairston, the late Charles Fold, Dr. Bobby Jones, Eugene Smith (Roberta Martin Singers), Kenneth Woods, Jr. (Sallie Martin Singers, Knowles & Jackson Sextet), Donald Lawrence, Pamela Morris, Dorothy Norwood, Nash Shaffer, Albertina Walker, and Maceo Woods.

Congratulations to all of the honorees!

Damita - No Looking Back (tbgb review)

No Looking Back
Damita
Tyscot Records 2008
www.tyscot.com

There’s something about Detroit in that it has parented more genre-bending gospel groups than any other city. The Winans. The Rance Allen Group. The Moss Family.

Now add the Haddons.

The award-winning Damita Haddon drives her Detroit family further into gospel legend territory with her second solo album, No Looking Back.

No looking back, indeed. Debuting at the ninth position on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums Chart, No Looking Back is undeniably and unapologetically modern. “I’m not afraid to take the gospel to the streets,” Damita sings on “Say Yeah,” with passion in her voice and street-smarts in her swagger. She brings Clara Ward’s philosophy of taking gospel to the “highways and byways” into the 21st Century.

Even the album cover – the statuesque Damita, dressed in fashionable red and black, standing with defiant confidence and dangerously close to a speeding subway train – shouts young, urban and modern. But make no mistake: God and Jesus haven’t been scrubbed from the lyrics for crossover capability. They remain front and center.

All the same, Damita’s album is ripe with songs and sounds relevant to a young generation seeking its own voice, just as the first generation of gospel artists sought theirs seventy-five years ago. Damita explains, “I went a little more youthful on this release because I think that our young people really need this right now. We really need to get their attention. They are faced with so much temptation and if we don’t do something that makes them feel special, that moves and motivates them, somebody else will.”

Damita, wife of gospel artist Deitrick Haddon and kin to Gerald and Tammi Haddon, weds millenial lyrics with her own brand of musical eclecticity in presenting a cornucopia of aural flavors: hypnotic dance tracks (“Plain & Simple,” “No Looking Back”), a reggae-flavored song (“Best Thing”) and even a Latin-style acoustic guitar (on the solo standard “I Won’t Complain”). Haddon family members, including Damita herself, contributed most of the album’s songs.

Lyrically, the title cut (and current radio single) will hit home with many who are doing the same kind of soul searching Damita sings about. On the other hand, the best lyrics on the album are in Gerald, Damita and Tammi Haddon’s composition “Pray.” The song offers a relevant commentary on the world’s condition and an exhortation for Christians to create the change they wish to see.

In a nutshell? Damita’s No Looking Back is this year’s answer to J Moss’ 2007 V2.

Three and a Half of Four Stars

TBGB Pick of the Week: August 4, 2008

“Somebody Somewhere”
V.O.W.
JDI Records 2008

“Somebody Somewhere” has all the makings of a gospel hit with long legs.

The song has a beautiful and timeless melody, simple lyrics and message reminiscent of gospel songs written during the Golden Age, and opening lines aimed squarely at the heart. The incomparable Latoya Williams sings, “Somebody somewhere was praying for me,” with a quiet vunerability that draws the listener in immediately. She gives the song a sweetly articulate and emotionally delicate reading which stirs the live audience from the get-go.

Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard, author of When the Church Becomes Your Party, informed TBGB that the song was originally released by the Los Angeles Voices of Watts, and as early as 1996, according to Amazon.com.

Minister Randall Ogans of Alpha7 Ministries in California posits another sample, from 2002, a national release by Brenda Lowe, "Somebody Somewhere Was Praying for Me." Minister Ogans notes that his company owns the copyright and publishing. Go to YouTube to hear it:

Brenda Lowe: "Somebody Somewhere Was Praying For Me"

In any event, this is grand songwriting, a lovely presentation and effective emotional impact make “Somebody Somewhere” one of the finest singles I've heard this year. V.O.W.’s full project is expected to be out Tuesday, September 2.

But, I'm Still Around - The Roberson Brothers Reunion (tbgb review)

But, I’m Still Around
The Roberson Brothers Reunion, featuring Pastor Van D. Roberson
(private press) 2008
For information, call: 714-504-7393

Despite the fact that it is a privately-produced recording, But, I’m Still Here, a reunion of the Roberson Brothers, is visually and aurally pleasing.

Adorned with vintage photos, including a 1961 promotional photo of the brothers when they were the Israelite Voices of Peace, the recording opens with Pastor Van D. Roberson and Ray C. Roberson, Sr. offering a brief history of the group. Early lo-fi recordings play in the distance as if on the family stereo.

The Southern California-based Robersons cite the Pilgrim Jubilees as one of their influences. Listening to the CD, one will indeed recognize a marked musical resemblance to the Jubes, no doubt because long-time Jube Major Roberson is kin. Sermonettes or story songs on But, I’m Still Here, such as “Lord Have Mercy” (featuring a canny “little old lady”) and “Brother to Brother” are vintage Pilgrim Jubilee fare, as are the shouting vocals and fancy guitar work.

The brothers’ “Amazing Grace” is the first example I’ve ever heard of the timeless hymn erupting into an extemporaneous COGIC-style running and shouting instrumental, but it works nicely. Other notable tracks are the old school church title track and the pumping “Jesus, He Means So Much to Me.” A lineup of guest stars, including Pastor Calvin Bernard Rhone, appears on the final track, singing the fitting “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.”

The project would have been even better had the quartet reprised some of its 70s hits, such as “City to City.” Nevertheless, quartet fans will enjoy this project, and any CD prefaced with historic provenance warms my heart.

Three of Four Stars

Update on Rev. Timothy Wright

This comes to TBGB from D.C. Sparrow:

R.I.P. - Co-Pastor Betty Wright and
Gentle Giant D.J. (Daniel) Wright Jr.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2008

The Wright Family has confirmed and granted approval to have this released.

Hello, my name is Laurie Schneider, and I would like to inform everyone of the unfortunate condition of Rev. Timothy Wright.

Rev. Timothy Wright has a c4 Spinal Cord Injury. For anyone who does not understand this condition, I will explain it as best I can and then send you to a web site to read further.

Right now Rev. Timothy Wright is able to breathe with the assistance of a respirator. Although on good days he is able to speak and breathe on his own for short periods of time, he is also able to move his neck and shrug his shoulders. He does have feeling in his hands as well, according to his son Derrick Wright, as he has woken him up a few times by holding his hand.

I truly believe with the proper rehabilitation, Rev Timothy Wright will be able to Preach, Breathe on his own, sing, and continue to change the world as he did until July 4th, 2008.

Unfortunately he does not have the proper health benefits for the best health care. The (3) best Rehabilitation Centers in the World, and (2) best in the Country happen to be in New Jersey called the Kessler Institute in West Orange New Jersey. Christopher Reeve was a patient when he entered.

WE NEED REV. TIMOTHY WRIGHT TO BREATHE ON HIS OWN. WE NEED HIM TO HAVE THE BEST HEALTH CARE. All he is eligible for is a VA Hospital. After I spoke with all 3 VA Hospitals in NY, I was convinced he would not receive the same care. Both Directors, and nurses responded to me by saying many people die here and never walk or use their arms again. When I spoke to Kessler, and did a site inspection, I saw Billions of dollars of equipment and machinery. I met and spoke with the best Doctors in the Country. They gave me hope. I believe his only chance to ever stand, sing, and speak in his Church again, is if we send him to Kessler.

The cost of Kessler is exactly $4,033.00 per day. The cost of the ambulance and Respiratory therapist to drive with him there is $3,725.00. They are predicting the Rev. will be able to breathe on his own, and operate an electric wheel chair which will cost $20,000.00 at the end of his treatment at Kessler. I am told the best scenario will be (4) months. At the rate of $4,033.00 per day, we will need to raise, $120,990.00 per month/(30 days).

We are praying to raise $70,000.00 during the concert at the end of August. I have a credit card with a high limit that I am going to use so that he can be admitted tomorrow. My credit card will get him through the first week, and the ambulance which I am giving $31,956.00. I have paid for the hotel rooms for his sons to stay with him, and food for his grandchildren. I took care of the limos and food during and after the funeral. I am willing to put all of his sons to work, so they can continue to pay there bills. I am willing to buy back his escalade I sold to them and send that money to Kessler as well. I can only afford to keep him at Kessler for ONE WEEK. I am only one person. I am going to host a fundraiser within the next 4-6 weeks, and pray to raise another $100,000.00. I need help from everyone who can and is willing.

I cant stress to you how important it is to his sons that he has the best medical care possible. I just met Derrick three years ago, and soon after all of his brothers. I was blessed in the past two months to meet, speak with, spend time with both Pastors Timothy & Betty Wright. In the short time I knew them, they very inspirational to me.

I am giving 25% of my life savings so that Rev. Timothy Wright can be both transferred and admitted to the best medical facility Tomorrow.

He will be arriving by 12 noon tomorrow. I have (7) days to raise the balance of the thirty days or he will be transferred to a VA Hospital.

I am asking from the bottom of my heart, along with Danny, Donny, David, Derrick and null, their wives and children to please help us keep Rev Timothy Wright at The Kessler Institute, and most important to continue to keep him in your prayers every day.

My name is Laurie Schneider
My business address is 3399 Lawson Blvd Oceanside, NY 11572
My office # is 516-594-4015

I can send you direct wire information of the Hospital Account, or whom to make the checks payable and mailed to. We appreciate anything you can do.

We have started a charity called Brothers Against Driving Drunk. After we finish this mission of helping Rev. Timothy Wright, we will continue to help other families in need and tragedy as well.

Please call me with any questions or concerns you may have.

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