::ALBUM REVIEW::

Seems like lately gospel artists have been coming in pairs. We had BeBe & CeCe, we have Vanessa Bell and Margaret Bell-Dyers, we also have Martha Munizzi and Mary Alessi, now you can add Jonathan and Jason Nelson to the growing list. Fairly new to the recording scene, Jason Nelson has followed in the footsteps of his brother - recording intimate, heartfelt worship tunes with a taste of jazzy explorations and debuting independently; but in a very strong way. In past involvements, Jason Nelson has worked with his brother, Jonathan, on the highly-celebrated "Live In Baltimore: Everything You Are" album and has also guest appeared on Tye Tribbett's "Life" project. Now one can experience him comfortably on "I Shall Live"; a seventeen track collection mostly taken from a live recording session at CRL Ministries in Baltimore (the same place his brother recorded at) that displays a contemporary jazz and neo-soul touch on praise-and-worship numbers. The vibe is quite eccentric from many of Nelson's contemporaries and counterparts, but is nicely rendered and flows like a calm wind on a cool Spring afternoon.

Things open, not with the glitzy big-bang openers most go for, but with a mellow, reverent grace as a quick "Peace Of God" conjunctly uses Isaiah 26:3 for its lyrical base. A wise way to conjure a thoughtful expression for pure worship. Then comes "Don't Take Your Spirit", penned by Nelson and music director Kenneth Shelton, which vibes like a blooming R&B cut and displays Nelson's rich vocals which easily resembles the likes of Marvin Sapp. "Know It's Alright" features Nelson's cool bass on top of an encouraging lyric, calm background support from the GBT Praise Team and lovely instrumentation. On here, the organ is pumped with zesty glides across the melody while Nelson leads with his relaxed tenor. The title cut is just as colorful, with encouraging uplifts, a lovely bass introduction and a highly emotional vamp. "Place of Worship" presents Nelson singing alongside Tyron Cooper's therapeutic acoustic guitar and a few string arrangements. And the short interlude, T. Adam Johnson's "Who You Are", is one that should not be overlooked. Most of the album is slowly patterned, which is pretty much a tough cookie to chew. There's only a couple of uptempo cuts available and while this may have been the intentions, a full-length project even in the praise-and-worship genre should be balanced with uptempo grooves and slow, mellow ballads.

Of the upbeat tunes, "Let Everything" shines the greatest. It is a bright jazzy, calypso track that can easily hear Judith Christie-McAllister leading. But Nelson portrays a personal characteristic that evokes the song to a higher level of beauty. A deserved reprise immediately follows. "Jericho" flows with a gospel quartet groove, while delivering glorious churchy piano, killer organ chords and drum spice. Even though we could have lived without the reprise, especially with the last special guest hurting many sensitive ears, the song helps the album with the lacking, uptempo presence. The only studio track, "Don't Need A Reason", also deserves a worthy nod due to its boasts of smoky vocodor action, synth glazes and its funky, memorable rhythm. While it may be at the tail end of the album, it's definitely not a tail end song.

Most of the album is easy-listening and dipped into intimate moments of passionate worship. A segment of soft worship is injected into the mix which includes Jonathan Nelson's "Mighty Wind", "I Will Worship" and "Thirsty" (which amazes with its impromptu ad-lib of "I Need Thee" from Nelson). The last two cuts mentioned showcases Jason Nelson's excellent songwriting gift and can be easily compared to his brother. But you can sense the heart for worship music being greater in Jason, while Jonathan leans more on gospel music's shoulders. We are highly confident that Jason Nelson will be around a lot longer. The talent is there - which includes his songwriting craft, his excellent bass deliveries and, of course, his Marvin Sapp-influenced vocal chops. Because of this great package of wealthy talent, Nelson's career looks very promising. As for "I Shall Live", it is a passionate project that will either draw or turn away listeners. Too many slow songs and the interlude teases may be the harsh of upsets. But there's a good number of music that will revive a number of repertoires for church worship teams and will encourage one's relationship with God. Plus, there's a good chunk of musical creativity to nibble on.