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Music Review: Gospel + Groove / No Other Name ::
LOREN BECROFT – Perspective’s token young person – takes a look at two new CD’s from the new EMU MUSIC (aka Plainsong Music)
Source: Perspective Vo9 No3 © Perspective 2001
Publisher: Emu Music
Reviewer: Loren Becroft
If I were to experience a “slice of heaven on earth” it would be raining, but only lightly, a slight breeze would be blowing and I’d be relaxing in a hammock eating chocolate and listening to jazz, says music reviewer Loren Becroft
I’m not sure whether it’s the soulful tones of a saxophone or just the overall feel of jazz that makes me relax, whatever it is it works! EMU music has made relaxing, for me, easier with the release of their latest album, The Gospel According to Groove. This CD not only features awesome jazz played by some of Australia’s foremost jazz musicians, including James Morrison, Con Campbell and the Idea of the North, but it is also Gospel-focused. This is the perfect combination – great jazz that reminds you of what Jesus has done on the cross. What more could you want from a CD?
The Gospel According to Groove contains some traditional Gospel favourites with a jazz twist, including “Just a Closer Walk With Thee”, “Amazing Grace”, “When I Survey” and “God Has Spoken By His Prophets” to name a few. Although these traditional hymns have been given a jazz twist they’ve been “twisted” in a way which enhances the message of the song rather than detracts from it. One of my friends has said that The Gospel According to Groove is worth buying just for the secret track – a very groovy, very jazzy, very funky version of … oh, sorry, I can’t say because it’s a secret track! You’ll have to buy the CD to find out!
This CD will be enjoyed by both Christians and non-Christians, and is an excellent evangelistic tool. Not only do the songs point to the cross but a sermon, titled “Freedom in the Groove”, points out the similarities between jazz and the Christian life. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “A sermon … how corny”. Well, rest assured, this is one of the grooviest most unconventional sermons I have ever heard. Con Campbell, sax legend and student at Moore Theological College, sets his sermon to music! It rocks!
The sermon starts off with a bit of jazz, like any of the other songs on the CD, so you start grooving along but then you hear a voice and keep grooving along as you hear the Gospel message. It’s one of the clearest Gospel messages I have heard in a long while! One of the things which struck me about this CD is the passion with which the songs have been performed. The Gospel According to Groove has been recorded by “jazz musicians who love Gospel music because it is about the Gospel of Jesus” (CD cover).
This passion for the Gospel shows through the music and you can tell that they are singing these songs from the heart. I would highly recommend The Gospel According to Groove to anyone who likes good jazz and loves the Gospel.
No Other Name is the latest, and first, CD of congregational music from EMU.
It’s a compilation of contemporary congregational songs by songwriters Nicky Chiswell and Rob Smith. The first thing that struck me after listening to this CD a couple of times was the biblical richness of the songs. I was impressed by the way that Rob and Nicky have written songs on difficult theological subjects, like the Holy Spirit and the trinity, without embedding them in difficult to understand words or concepts. I have to admit, however, that while I was very impressed with the lyrics of the songs on No Other Name, at first listening I was a little disappointed with the music. I wasn’t disappointed in the quality of the recording—the audio tracks on the CD are of the highest quality. No, I was disappointed because I thought, from the high quality of the audio tracks, that reproducing these songs in a church situation, particularly in a church with few music resources, would be impossible. However, since then, I have seen songs from No Other Name used in church situations and I would have no qualms whatsoever about recommending them.
This CD is also extremely economical for churches to buy. No Other Name is an enhanced CD – in other words it contains printable sheet music and OHT masters in PDF format on the CD. With most modern congregational music you need to buy the CD as well as the music book to know how the songs actually go.
But, with EMU, both are provided for the price of an average CD, enabling churches to invest in top quality music for their congregations.
I would definitely recommend this CD to any church or individual seeking an alternative to mainstream contemporary congregational music. It’s great listening, and a practical and inexpensive resource for congregational singing.
For information about both EMU’s new releases, and ordering information click here
At the time of writing, Loren Becroft was a part the Ann Street Presbyterian Church, Brisbane and was the “token” young person on the Perspective team.
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