::ALBUM REVIEW::

Being in the background, most industry vets believe, have its advantages. We are pretty sure the Anderson Sanctuary Choir will agree with that statement. They are living proof that being a faithful servant surely opens doors of opportunity later down the road. After housing hours of rehearsal time for the Mississippi Mass Choir and featuring plenty of live recordings for artists such as Dorothy Norwood, Lillian Lily and Mosie Burks, Malaco Records believed it was time for their light to shine - and on their own. With seasoned songwriter and producer Rudolph Stanfield being responsible for the musical direction of their debut project, "Joyful Praise", much attention will be granted towards hearing what's offered.

The choir opens things up with "It's Time To Bless His Name" - a song co-written by Greta Campbell and Stanfield, built on bump and lead guitar and features a drive reminiscent of James Moore's "A Higher Call To Worship". It has a children's choir ring to it, conventionally cheesy, but possess a thick coat of jubilation to it and Rudy's contemporary charm. Lillian Lilly guest stars on the upbeat "He Worked It Out", penned by Marquis Egerton. It has enough punch to convince listeners that the choir is far from being amateurs, especially when the song shifts into a series of incredible modulations towards the vamp. Lillian Lilly covers most of the bases on this one and pulls out her amazing churchy vocals mostly remembered on her hits with the Mississippi Mass Choir. Another infectious track featured here is Roland Pollard's "He Included Me"; which contains a good dose of urban funk and infectious contemporary spunk. Stephanie Harris also does a fine job on lead vocals - conviction is deeply embedded in her presentation. Of all of the touching tracks offered here, Rudolph Stanfield pens "There Must Be Praise"; a ballad containing an innocent melody, heartfelt vocals and a winning combination of tight lyrics and various compelling moods. It's intimate worship in a gospel formation and definitely proves the excellency of Stanfield's songwriting craft. The song immediately jumps into "Grace"; a worship segment containing Stanfield playing a touching keyboard solo of "There's Something About That Name" and "Amazing Grace". "It's All About You" flows almost in that same pattern, except for a few changes - shorter, simpler and more focused on worship. The engaging spice of piano and keyboard strings, along with Rudy's worship leading which hasn't been heard since his recordings with his group New Revelation, also makes this a serious highlight. Rudy also blesses us with a neat hymn arrangement of "There Is A Fountain" on "Lose All Their Guilt"; showcasing soulful pipes from Sharon Daniels (a MMC member) and a surprise segment towards the end that's purely mesmerizing from a church choir.

There are a few disappointments contained here and are pretty hard to ignore. Besides the short time factor of the album, clocking in at a depressing fifty minutes, "We Will Sing" is one of the weaker uptempo arrangements of "When We All Get To Heaven" and penned by Timothy Britten. It almost sounds like a generic version heard in a box-office motion picture like Sister Act. And even though Britten pulls out some amazing organ pumps on this one, it's hard to forgive the unoriginal changes for the verse and chorus. "You're Worthy" is also a generic musical affair. It begins innocently, but the familiar lyrics are rooted on a familiar melody. Rudy's "Lord I Thank You" is also unforgivable. You can easily hear "Glory To The Newborn King" in this one - which is pretty shocking at first. But it has that ringing sensation of The Whitfield Company's "I Made It", along with bits of pieces of Rudy's keyboard zeal; which ultimately overshadows most of the song's downfall. Not a bad track, but not a definite standout either.

It is with clear understanding that with a reasonable budget this project would have definitely been promising. But it is obvious that with the lack of original songs, shortened playing time and and the unforgivable mistakes especially the lack of maturity within Anderson Sanctuary Choir's voices, this project surely didn't get the best treatment it deserved. Faulting the producer is probably evident, but it is actually the producer's input and his own songs that make this musical journey a pretty good listen. We are talking about a guy that has worked with legendary artists such as the late Thomas Whitfield, Keith Pringle, Tarralyn Ramsey, Joe Pace & the Colorado Mass Choir, Ricky Dillard, Vanessa Bell Armstrong and the late Rev. James Moore. Surely, blame shouldn't be shifted towards him. Overall, this project has its rewards: hearing quality material and a new production from Rudy and a choir that deserves their moment in the spotlight.