::ALBUM REVIEW::

By the time 1983 rolled around, Thomas Whitfield had already polished up his production style and developed a reputation for experimenting with newer sounds, the latest boards and industry techniques. He had already earned national acclaim for his solo project, Hold Me, and the Billboard best-selling Hallelujah Anyhow LP. The demand for his production began to flourish during this time, but none of his clients and prospects could match the level of success he would find in the young songbird Vanessa Bell Armstrong - a powerful and admirable diva in the making. With the release of her solo entry Peace Be Still, the Detroit-bred Vanessa Bell Armstrong proved to be a force to reckon with. Her vocal styling was made up of colorful jazz-influenced twists and a heavy influence from R&B/soul diva Aretha Franklin - enough to be called different and unique from most other gospel artists of the time. With Whitfield beside her and a warm selection of renditions and comparable originals destined to be hits, the introduction of Armstrong was destined for greatness. Add the exceptional assembly of musicians on board including bassist Lanar Brantley, lead guitarist Eric Brice and talented keyboardist Earl Wright to the mix (and extra help from Commissioned members Michael Williams and Fred Hammond) and the foundation is set for Armstrong’s apparent exaltation.

The album opens up with Whitfield’s colossal rearrangement of “Peace Be Still” - fixed with sensitive synthesizers and the right tone from an exceptional group of background singers mostly made up of the Whitfield Company (Beverly Allen, Denise Morton, Gwen Morton, Lydia Wright, Margaret Bell, Dorothy Jenkins). Immediately following the album’s most popular hit is “Labor In Vain”, penned by Armstrong’s father (Jesse G. Bell). It’s a churchy congregational chorus that proves to be affective with Armstrong’s gritty vocal deliveries - something of a revelation for her memorable spot on the theme song for NBC television sitcom Amen. What Isaac Hayes did to Burt Bacharach’s “Walk On By”, Whitfield did for Charles Nicks’ “He’s Real.” With gospel great Walter Hawkins coming on board to produce this musical masterpiece, the song is dripping with syrupy sentiment and accompanying bassline oozes with a kind of funk-jazz that accentuates the moody posture of the song. When the vamp finally enters in, there’s a sign of light emerging to the forefront and quickly speaking life to the lyrics as the background vocalists cry out “Real, real, He’s real, yes I know that He is...” Then there’s the infamous contemporary sounds of “Any Way You Bless Me” - a song covering all corners of 80's funky gospel.

Peace Be Still blossoms with its soulful, well-executed arrangement of Dottie Rambo’s “He Looked Beyond My Faults” and the remake of the Lanny Wolfe-GMWA classic “For God So Loved The World.” Both songs, including the mellow “I Have Surrendered”, pointed to Armstrong’s amazing versatility to transcend into adult contemporary and standard pop styles while revealing her spirit of non-compromise from her sultry jazzy gospel roots. The blend of the two worlds give listeners the evidence needed to support why Vanessa Bell Armstrong transformed into a lifelong icon.

From beginning to end, Peace Be Still is an enjoyable musical treat that finds no variation of fault or imperfection. And even though Onyx, the black music division of Benson Records, has since been a forgotten memory in gospel history, Peace Be Still reigns as one of its most popular sought-out collections.