::ALBUM REVIEW::

The powerhouse muscle of the Gospel Music Workshop convention continues to flex in the face of gospel music lovers in the new century. And with their leaders, Rodena Preston and Bishop Albert Jamison, desiring to draw new blood and attention to their popular convention, critics are skeptical if they can pull off the successful “assembly line” projects from the Women of Worship, Mass Choir, Men’s Chorus and Youth Mass Choir that invaded most of the 1990s.

With their Dallas project now available to the public - a project bearing their best selections during the live recorded sessions during the 2006 Dallas convention - the assembled choirs try their best to generate catchy songs that are teachable, church-friendly and follow the traditions of the historic convention. Some of the songs gathered are well arranged and stick out amongst the rest with a seal of enjoyment. Roland Perry’s “I Am Confident” is a six-minute, traditional choir nugget that bears the same intensity of most Margaret Douroux (“Oh Magnify”, “One More Day”) tunes. The song feels at home with the unknown lead vocalist (something the label failed to mention) bringing that Southern charm to the forefront. When the vamp finally kicks in - though the upcoming changes seem to be very much predictable - the song leaves a favorable impression on traditional gospel lovers. The sentimental story-telling on “Over There” speaks on the joyous occasion of beholding our arrival at Heaven’s gates and is beautifully told and appropriately sung by the workshop singers. The song then predictably fastens to the chorus of “When We All Get To Heaven” and is sung until the song fades out. A easy move to spot, but worth experiencing anyhow. “Selah”, penned by New York’s David Bratton, is a moving display of reflective praise and honor to God and is only enhanced with the right vamp to launch things to higher dimensions. Even though the lead vocalist towards the end may be a bit irritating with his pitchy, in-you-ear screeches, the likeable factor of the song still remains. Hearing F. Darnell Davis’ “Show Your Glory”, sung by the Youth Mass Choir, may have a very bad presentation of out-of-focus harmonies and inescapable weaknesses with blending but the song proves to be a moving moment of worship and reveals a fresh, modern ballad brewing from the workshop’s coattails. “Thy Name Be Praised”, penned by Melvin Crispell and legendary organist/producer Steven Ford, is resurrected from the DFW Mass Choir I’d Rather Have Jesus project and is met with an elastic delivery and a bigger rhythm arrangement than before.

And then some songs just start off right but sway into nothingness. “Let The Redeemed” opens up in Sunday morning mode and possesses a feel-good choir rock sensation. With its toasty uptempo drive and familiar groove that is best reminiscent of James Bignon’s stuff, the song unfolds into a vamp that bears no real energy in the lyric department (Don’t be silent/Say so) and swirls into a few uneffective, repetitious modulations for a couple of minutes. Churchy sounds ring from “I’ve Got To Make It Home”, but it’s hard to appreciate it with the irritating vocals, sloppy musicianship and inadequate lack of overdubs. The uptempo, contemporary-flared “He Is The Great I Am” is completely unorganized lyrically and in structure. “I’m Going On”, featuring Angela Spivey on lead, feels thrown together and doesn’t display anything different from what the workshop has done before. Towards the end of the disc, songs like “I Come To Worship”, "Until Whenever" and “Everything You Are” bear a considerable amount of irritations that it’s hard to tolerate listening hearing them to their completion. While the lack of overdubs and post-production seem to be the biggest downfall on the recent releases from the Gospel Music Workshop, Live In Dallas is plagued with many other upsetting points including the inconsistent deposit of strong material and the absence of well-known, seasoned and groomed gospel soloists. At least with a few big names leading the tracks, the songs may have blossomed into better songs. We only wish for the Workshop to put their money to good use by returning back to safer territory: find Rev. Milton Biggham or any of the producers of the Benson-released material. In this case, God might make an exception on them remembering the things which are behind. The past recordings still pack a heavier punch.