::ALBUM REVIEW::

Without counting his church choir albums, Marvin Winans has not released a solo project throughout his twenty-three year old recording career. Not because there’s no demand for that kind of event happening, because the mature lead vocalist of the legendary R&B gospel group The Winans has always had the “it” factor to make it on his own. That’s probably why his debut project, featuring all new material from the talented songwriter/instrumentalist/singer, bears such a mysterious, double-meaning title. Alone But Not Alone debuts on CeCe Winans’ PureSprings Gospel imprint and reveals a vibrant Marvin Winans delivering a wide range of adult-formatted contemporary music and well postured mergers of music styles that are compatible to Winans’ reputation. Tommy Sims (Darwin Hobbs) is called upon to handle production work alongside Winans.

It has been fourteen years to date since the last album release from The Winans, so high expectations are documented for Marvin even though he stands by himself on this presentation of music. Starting the disc off is a familiar sample of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)” on “Alone But Not Alone” and then the song blooms into a symphonic R&B and contemporary jazz groove that is brightened with tender Luther Vandross-ish background vocals from Darwin Hobbs. “My Story”, co-authored and featuring fraternal twin brother Carvin, further examines Winans’ clever neo-soul roots - something he’s known for doing even before Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo knew the sub-genre had a name. The cool melody, soothing horn section and live drum work are obviously the strong advantages to the cut and is bound to become a head-bobbing favorite in car stereos while cruising down the boulevard. “I Still Believe” throbs with a zesty horn arrangement, encouraging lyrics and a grooving “gospel-meets-jazz” rhythm. The message of the song speaks of hope and determination regardless of life’s obstacles and is sung with the passion and conviction that most preachers fail to generate in their Sunday devotions.

Alone But Not Alone also finds Winans putting more emphasis on soul in neo-soul templates. On “Peace & Love”, you can find that magical bliss and popularly known characteristics found in Philly soul (made famous by master architects Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff) with its sweet, enchanting string arrangements and locked-down rhythms. Those usages, along with the modern production, make quality listening. On “Joy”, there’s a big dose of Detroit soul and rich traits of gospel - with the big choir-like background vocals, a moving chorus and familiar church-friendly lyrics - while being buried into a R&B/pop soul foundation. What is so moving is that the late Ron Winans makes a surprising guest appearance and even tells his story of healing and restoration from his heart failure. “Come Out In The Rain” is identified by its Stevie Wonder style of cool and bubbles with intense and digestible mood changes.

But it is the strong heart-felt ballads, containing Winans’ timeless and matured vocals, that best sums up the disc and describes the adult-contemporary sound that Winans drills into hearts of listeners. “Just Don’t Wanna Know” is styled in a relaxed, Quiet Storm-textured rhythm and is met with the same cool quality of style of mature R&B crooners Brian McKnight and Babyface. “I’m Over It Now” features a calm, relaxed opener with acoustic guitar and a sensational string segment and feels familiar in production to the work done on the 1981 hit “The Question Is.” When the vamp finally comes in, Winans’ soothing voice and background duties on the inspiring lyrics work up enough passion to lift any down-trodden heart. Surprisingly, “Try”, featuring an enjoyable and delightful duet with Kim Burrell, shifts into traditional jazz ballad mode - a definite first for Winans but something most would expect from his type of voice.

Not one track offered here shows a sign of weakness. The production value is clear and done using Simms’ professional articulation. The quality of the music sums up the Winans’ rich legacy and what defines the Detroit gospel sound. And even though the album’s style is intentionally designed to be easy-listening for mature audiences - even though there are hints of contemporary and progressive direction for Winans’ music. Those in favor of modern R&B sounds like Brian McKnight and Kem or like 80's-90's soul legends like Anita Baker and Luther Vandross will get a startling kick out of this disc. And fans of The Winans will greatly appreciate this next chapter of music in their successful and highly-respected repertoire’. It may be hard to get this sound on today’s gospel radio with the takeover of gimmick-oriented gospel, but that’s alright. No sweat. Marvin Winans might feel alone with his mature sound, but we are here to prove that he’s not alone. Great albums don’t always come with big sales, but they will still be remembered.