Description
Quintessential EMIGOSPEL, sub-titled The Ultimate Gospel Collection, is a compilation album featuring twenty songs by the American gospel singer and songwriter Richard Smallwood, released on EMI Gospel in 2007, manufactured by EMI Christian Music Group, distributed by EMI CMG Distribution in the US.
If you sometimes wonder what Richard Smallwood got up to between the years of 1975 and 1993 this CD will give you the answer. Furthermore, if you blended Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Oscar Peterson and Andrae Crouch you may end up with a musical smoothie fairly close to the flavour of Richard’s recorded work. It’s a gospel synthesis not to everyone’s liking, but I for one am quite intrigued by the amalgamation of styles. In the instrumental «The Lord’s Prayer» Richard has a way of making one repeated chord agreeable, if not exciting. Occasionally the classical side of the man overcomes the gospel side and the fluctuation in tempo is what you would expect from a concert pianist, but loses the steady groove needed for gospel singing. The man also gets a little arpeggio happy and can’t seem to stop his fingers running all over the fingerboard like miniature Keystone cops wondering where to run next. Having said that, the Richard Smallwood Singers are worthy of note and the reason they don’t seem spectacular now is because of the age of some of the tracks, and gospel music has been moving along apace since those days. But when their full steam ahead vocals get going as in «Wonderful Counsellor», it’s hard to resist the pull. [Paul Poulton, Cross Rhythms, March 2008]
CD tracklist:
01. In The Shelter
02. Take The Pain Away
03. The Light
04. Wonderful Counselor
05. Great Is Thy Faithfulness
06. I Won’t Be Troubled
07. Come Unto Me
Smallwood Medley:
08. Glorify The Lord
09. You Sure Been Good To Me
10. All I Have Is Yours
11. I Love The Lord
12. Psalm 8 (How Excellent Is Thy Name)
13. Your Love Divine
14. He Won’t Leave You
15. So Glad I’m Here
16. Holy, Holy
17. I’ve Got Something
18. The Resurrection
19. Joy Will Come
20. Holy Spirit
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