I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Color Of Music. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

The nice thing about a CD like this is with this level of talent even if Gospel isn’t your favorite style you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.
Overall Color Of Music is a solid release. Quite possibly John P Kee’s best to date. Really sensational from beginning to end. If you’re even mildly into Gospel music you’ll enjoy this CD.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 11, One Step. Outstanding!

Color Of Music Release Notes:

John P Kee originally released Color Of Music on Aug 10, 2004 on the Verity label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Praise Power
2. In Your Name
3. Dancin’
4. Sakiya’s Song
5. I Fly
6. Music
7. I Can’t Live WIthout You
8. U-Turn
9. Harvest
10. I-C-U
11. One Step
12. Encouraged
13. Right There
14. Never
15. Momma’s Choice
16. Partatropolis - (mix)
17. Power Rock

Personnel include: John P. Kee (piano, keyboards); Al Willis (guitar); Miche’ (organ); Tony Russell (bass instrument); Chris "CJ" Kee (drums). Recording information: Studio H2O, Charlotte, North Carolina; New Life Sound Stage, Charlotte, North Carolina; The Phat Haus, Charlotte, North Carolina; The Loft Studios, Charlotte, North Carolina; Rodney Jerkins Studios, Los Angeles, California.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

These days it’s a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.
Overall Gospel Duets With Treasured Friends is an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up and is most definitely a worthy addition to any Contemporary Christian Music collection. Truly an outstanding Contemporary Christian Music CD. One of those that is completely void of any wasted time, as each track is simply superb.

While the entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 2 - Have A Little Talk With Jesus, track 5 - Jesus Loves Me, and track 10 - Where Could I Go But To The Lord.
My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 8 - This Little Light Of Mine. Great track!

Gospel Duets With Treasured Friends Release Notes:
Brenda Lee originally released Gospel Duets With Treasured Friends on Apr 10, 2007 on the Provident Music label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. This Old House - (with Dolly Parton)
2. Have A Little Talk With Jesus - (with George Jones)
3. In The Garden - (with Alison Krauss)
4. I Saw The Light - (with Vince Gill)
5. Jesus Loves Me - (with Emmylou Harris)
6. Precious Memories - (with Pam Tillis)
7. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - (with Kix Brooks)
8. This Little Light Of Mine - (with Charlie Daniels)
9. Unclouded Day - (with Martina McBride)
10. Where Could I Go But To The Lord - (with Ronnie Dunn)
11. Oh! Happy Day - (with Huey Lewis)

Release Notes Personnel: Brenda Lee (vocals).

Additional personnel: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Huey Lewis, Kix Brooks, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Charlie Daniels (vocals).

Audio Remasterer: Ken Love.

"Livin’ In The Rain" is the follow up single from the "Life is Great and Getting’ Better" album. Coming on the heels of Jeff and Sheri Easters number one Southern Gospel song, "Over and Over" it captures the spirit of this wonderful couple. "Livin In The Rain describes how Jeff and Sheri Easter like to record music as far as the feeling of it."

Comments Sheri. "I’m blessed and honest to goodness life is great and getting better! We feel like we are so blessed. We are just soaking up the blessings of the Lord".

"Livin In The Rain features Sheri Easter backed by the Florida Boys and Vince Gill. "Originally when it started we had Allison Krauss in mind to sing with Sheri as a duet." Jeff explains. "But she was busy producing Alan Jackson at the time and it didn’t work out. Our producer said what about Vince Gill? I said that would be awesome but I don’t think he knows us. So he called Vince and a couple of weeks later called back."

One song that really stands out on "Life Is Great and Getting Better", is entitled "Joshua’s Song". This song was written by Sheri Easter and was inspired by one of her young fan’s (Joshua Lee Young) battle with cancer. This song will bring a tear to the eye of every Southern Gospel music fan that listens to it.

Jeff and Sheri Easter’s album," Life Is Great and Getting Better", contains twelve songs that are sure to please a variety of listeners. Songs such as "I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could", "Daddy Hung The Moon" and "Old Chuck of Coal" are some of my favorites. It is a wonderful album.

Of all the genres of music popular today, one of the most authentically original is black gospel and souther gospel music. The gospel music song lyrics are one of the most searched for items on the internet, and for one good reason. They uplift. They pick you up.

Let’s look at two of the most popular gospel songs and see why.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is perhaps one of the most famous and popular American songs, well beyond the gospel category. Here are the opening lyrics:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me…. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see.
Aside music itself, which sends shivers down your spine from the opening notes, the lyrics speak to a universal condition. All of us, at various times, feel lost and unworthy, blind and hopeless. So this song’s lyrics bring a powerful message of the bliss of when we find our way, our purpose, whatever that might be.

Beulah Land

This song is one of my favorites. It is so short, but it speaks to the longing for a home that we all feel: a place where our separations and sorrows of this world will no longer intrude:
I’m kind of homesick for a country To which I’ve never been before. No sad goodbyes will there be spoken for time won’t matter anymore.

This song is a great example of how universal the southern gospel themes are, breaking out of the bounds of bible-thumbing Jesus-saved me politics, and speaking to the human condition in a timeless way. Beulah Land closes out with these amazing lyrics:
I’m looking now across the river where my faith will end in sight. There’s just a few more days to labor. Then I will take my heavenly flight.

Cure Those Blues Now

How ironic that another great southern music tradition is the blues, and this phrase has entered our language to denote ‘being down.’ If you think about it, perhaps it’s only logical that the 19th century slavery experience would lead 20th century African American culture — still segregated and oppressed for much of that century too — to develop two great music traditions that denote the depressed condition (the Blues), and provide the antidote (Gospel Music).

So pump yourself up with some gospel music - you can either listen to it online or, one of my favorites, is to print out the lyrics to my favorite songs. Once you’re up again, feeling good, and all jazzed up, then it’s time to listen to the third great black southern music tradition, Jazz. But that’s another whole story.

The very first gospel music was created using their white master’s worship tunes as the background for their words. If you’re going to read deeply into the early gospel music lyrics composed, you’ll realize that it mostly contain the slaves’ woes and eternal faith in God. These songs were sung while the slaves were working long hours on their master’s plantations. Historians say the slaves created such gospel music and gospel music lyrics to instill faith among each other that their sufferings would end one day and that they would be delivered from their miseries.

Careful analysis of gospel music lyrics will teach you of the sentiments and jubilance of the slaves as well as expose you to their emotions and their experiences during that time. Also, aside from instilling faith among the people who gathered to listen to it, gospel music and its lyrics served as a calling for people and church-goers to abide by God’s ways and pursue his righteous path. Gospel music lyrics mostly appealed to everybody’s heart to have strong faith in God and follow his path even though they’re on the verge of misery.

Generally, gospel music lyrics aim to instill people enthusiasm and spiritual motivation in spite of the hard times and distress. It tells people to always have strong faith in God and his will. Nowadays, gospel music lyrics are being used at most evangelist churches all over the country and even the world.

If you want to learn more about gospel music lyrics, there are sites that offer such information. Books and other printed materials are also available. There are also sites that offer different gospel music lyrics and tablature; in case you may want to try some gospel music pieces.

It is believed that gospel music refers to the religious music created by the African-American churches during the 1930s. Similarly, it also refers to both this black gospel music as well as pious music composed and sung by white southern Christian artists. Neither of these two styles has been clearly defined; hence, sometimes an artist from one branch of gospel music sings the songs of the other branch.

The separation between black and white American churches has always kept the two branches of gospel music apart. And though the divisions have narrowed in the past 50 years, black gospel and southern or white gospel still have their own distinctions.

During the development of gospel music in the 1930s, Thomas Dorsey created songs combining shouts of praise and emotional fervor with his own contemporary style; hence, he was named the Father of Contemporary Gospel, and the 30s were called the Dorsey Era. During that time, Dorsey?s songs were mostly unwelcome in some U.S. churches.

To date, there are composers and performers of gospel music all over the world.

Gospel music is ever-changing and has evolved over several years. Gospel ensembles and quartets came to life in the 40s while piano or organs were added during the 50s. Gospel music also abounds with noted artists and performers like Mahalia Jackson, The Golden Gate Quartet, Clara Ward, Jordanaires, Al Green, Solomon Burke, The Staple Singers of Chicago, Albertina Walker, Yolanda Adams, and others.

If you are fond of gospel music, there are many record stores and distributors that offer CDs and tapes of gospel music. DVDs of gospel music concerts or performances are also available. If you?re longing for gospel music mp3s, the web has much to offer. There are sites that offer these mp3s as free downloads and streaming while some offer packages for a sum. In case you?re new to gospel music and want to further your learning, many magazines, journals, and online sites are offering information on artists and performers and on the history of gospel music.

If you do not have easy access to a music center or teacher in your area, but are interesting in learning how to play music on the piano, choosing to pursue lessons online can be just as rewarding. An online course that teaches you how to play piano music and focuses on a particular genre, like jazz or gospel, is ideal. Online courses are great for beginners who want to learn at their own pace without the pressure of weekly lessons to prepare for. Many at-home students find that taking a piano course on the internet is the best way to master the chords and scales most associated with gospel and other popular types of music.

Learning to play online initially may not seem like a good choice because you don’t actually have a piano instructor in front of you telling you what to learn next. However, with some motivation and dedication, you can soon be well on your way to playing the gospel music you love. All you need is the right course outline that includes chord charts and other tools that will make learning a breeze.

Gospel music is a genre of music that appeals to so many people because it reminds them of the songs they heard as children. After only a few lessons, you will be able play all your favorites for your family and friends. Lessons that concentrate specifically on gospel music focus on those chords and notes that are played most often in gospel songs and hymns. This way, you can be prepared to play any gospel song with just a little practice.

Hear and Play is the perfect online source for learning to play the piano with proficiency and skill. Our course outlines are designed specifically for students who want to learn independently and have the desire to excel at playing any type of music on the piano. Learn gospel music, pop music, and how to play music by ear using our unique and specialized techniques. Contact Hear and Play at http://www.hearandplay.com/ to learn more.

About the Author:

Visit www.HearandPlay.com for more information about how to learn gospel music and the various other music programs we feature.
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Article published on July 27, 2006 at iSnare.com