Servants of PraiseCLC: Live(released online July 30, 2013)
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
It is often said that the most segregated time of the week in Chicago is Sunday morning. But Jon Jones, Worship and Fine Arts Pastor of Christian Life Center in suburban Tinley Park, Illinois, believes praise ought to be colorblind.
He and the Servants of Praise choral ensemble of Christian Life Center demonstrate their commitment to multiculturalism on CLC: Live. Originally intended to be an album for church member consumption, Jones decided to put the package out there for the world to experience.
The 30-member Servants of Praise choir is as diverse as the church. The songs and arrangements they present on the album individually showcase various sacred styles, from Michael W. Smith and Chris Tomlin-esque CCM to the P&W of William McDowell and Israel Houghton.
The album's single is “Higha’,” with a Caribbean-fueled rhythm, while “I Am Free” and “I Am Forgiven,” the latter co-written by Houghton, are high-energy power praisers. “All He Says I Am” is Christian rock with a layered Coldplay vibe. The most affecting moments, however, are the quietly simmering ones, notably “Higha’ Flow,” which links together well-known songs about the name Jesus; “Medley;” and especially “The Anthem,” which opens with a cappella melodic declarations from Jones and transitions into heart pounding Hallelujahs.
Jones and other lead vocalists are passionate—the female lead on “Love Song” paints an especially lovely portrait—and the melody lines are as expansive and elastic as the worship experience for which it provides the soundtrack. While no song or performance leaps out as groundbreaking, the overall atmosphere the album establishes, which shifts during the hour of music from electric red to peaceful blue, is what sells it.
Four of Five Stars
Picks: “The Anthem”