::ALBUM REVIEW::

Being a pastor of a super-mega church should make things easy when it’s time to record a musical project. And Bishop Noel Jones, pastor of the 17,000 member City of Refuge Church in Gardena, CA, shouldn’t be immune to taking a risk into the enticing world of the music industry. For years, the church choir (formerly known as the Greater Bethany Voices of Judah) under the musical direction of Jonathan T. Grier, has lent their talents to a number of musical collections that featured gospel sensations such as Norman Hutchins and Edwin Hawkins, but have never stepped out on their own as their own independent creative force. But their voices are being lifted up in an energetic exuberance as they debuted, for the first time in their recording career, at number one on Billboard’s gospel charts with the acclaimed album release of “Welcome To The City.” The live-recorded album, released on the Dr. Leonard Scott’s thriving Tyscot music label, flows in the same vein as the majority of traditional gospel choir music while containing a smorgasbord of various musical styles such as praise-and-worship, deep funk, traditional Sunday morning gospel and heavy, accented contemporary gospel.

It’s almost easy to dislike the project - if you’re a frequent listener to the number of album projects loaded with simple worship-tinged songs containing a chunk load of big name gospel singers trying to make praise-and-worship the coolest fad for Christian music. But most of the songs captured here, mostly written or co-written by musical director Gerald Haddon (of the Soul Seekers), contain a flexible, interesting buoyancy that sits comfortably on a church choir this size. And while the group sound like different groups going from one track to the next, the album is interesting and entertaining enough to grab hold to the listener’s attention span. A great deal of this success can be placed upon the signature list of musicians on board, which include Michael Bereal (organ), Eddie Brown (piano), Chris Johnson (drums), Nisan Stewart (drum programming) and extra lay work from producer/songwriter Gerald Haddon (piano). Add a glistening horn section to the mix and you have an open door of mesmeric possibilities to enter.

Surrounding the higher quality material are a few fill-ins that tries to get in the way of the album’s enjoyment, like the galactic “Intro” - sounding like a haunting prelude that would have morphed out of a early-80's Dracula bio-pic. Surprisingly, the album doesn’t follow the over-popular trend of incorporating useless interludes into the incubator, so each song flows right into another - helping to give the album favorable character while proclaiming that an album doesn't need to use modern gimmicks to entertain.

There seem to be a number of strong cuts on “Welcome To The City” that contain enough vigor to satisfy listeners looking for infectious fresh gospel. The Pentecostal-driven “Holdin’ On” reaches for raw Southern soul as it grabs ahold to some dazzling organ effects and Agape Jerry’s eccentric guitar work. The closing minutes of the song shift towards a charismatic musician playoff that uplifts the track to a respected plateau. “Harvest Time,” a moving ballad flowing in both R&B and contemporary gospel ballad streams, gives off a few friendly pointers of Haddon’s rich Detroit roots. “He Is Worthy,” a spunky praise number featuring a rousing horn arrangement and a dazzling melody, should make a few rounds in church choir repertoires. Not only is it simply in form, but it’s party-like vibes make room for lots of expressive worship. On “Not About Us,” Jason McGee uses his worship skills set to a monotone that resembles Kirk Franklin to lead the choir into an urban hip-hop atmosphere. While the drawing card of the song focuses around the catchy Brothers Johnson “I’ll Be Good To You” sample, the song still remains a highlight. “Jesus,” another important point of interest, finds Teddy Campbell (Soul Seekers) and Patrick Bolton (Gospel Wonders) forging their voices together in duet form on the verses, yet dueling it out with infectious ad-libs on the churchy vamp. “More Of Thee,” a blissful worship ballad, is well designed with lighthearted strings and Tammi Haddon’s wise choice of intimate lyrics.

Verity recording artist Donnie McClurkin appears on the CCM-flavored “Everybody Praise” - a song that rings with the same repetitious flavor of Hosanna’s “Victory Chant”. There’s even the familiar case of modulations attached to the song’s developing character. While McClurkin’s voice creates a warm and fuzzy energy for the cut, the song feels like a few of Integrity’s leftovers. Renowned gospel producer/songwriter Deitrick Haddon, Gerald’s brother, sings on the pop-influenced “Hallelujah” - a song that most definitely may have come off stronger in its original live setting, but comes off a bit thrown together with its forgetful musical shifts.

Unfortunately, some songs lack the proper seasoning to afford listeners the confidence they need for such a diverse record as this. Such as on “Alright,” a song that bears an obvious Jamaican tinge, gets an introduction from Bishop Jones and opens the door for listeners to expect an experienced reggae soloist to come forth. Those aspirations are hammered immediately with the first listen of the lead singer - singing with a clear, clean English accent. Jones reappears to offer up a wordy exhortation midway through the song - which pretty much explains why this song closes the disc. “Glory To The Highest” can be very hard to appreciate since it literally xeroxes the vamp of Richard Smallwood’s “Anthem of Praise” and is just too repetitious for the sensitive ear. “City Song (The Welcome)” feels self-indulgent. It may work well within the four walls as the church’s theme song, but it comes across as being a shameless plug for increased membership. Another hard piece to swallow: the voices of most of the worship leaders (“Glory To The Highest”, “I Will Sing Praises”) are not as ear-friendly as the other vocally-trained singers. Even though listeners will find gratification from the bump and groove, it’s hard to easily filter through these cuts without being alarmed by the cluster of pitchy spots.

While there are many difficult nuggets of criticism to swallow off of “Welcome To The City,” there’s still a significant amount of enjoyable moments to pick through and smile about. The production is near-excellent condition. The choir’s voices can be rated from borderline normal to tenaciously convincing. And the enjoyable cuts are nicely assembled and can be easily transported in any modern church service regardless of region or class. It’s a fine musical introduction from one of the largest churches in America, even if we may have felt more at home without all of the rough, uneven edges.