Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers- Just The Beginning
After releasing a number of successful albums with the Kurt Carr Singers such as No One Else (1997) and Awesome Wonder (2000), Kurt Carr adopted a serious work ethic to help revive the careers of Byron Cage, Paul S. Morton and Tramaine Hawkins. All thanks to the scoring of the popular church anthem “In the Sanctuary” and the mega hit status of “The Presence of the Lord Is Here,” Carr has emerged to become one of the industry’s most watched trailblazers. But a big stumble from the adventurous and highly theatric One Church fell on deaf ears in 2004. Four years later, Kurt Carr returns with his first two-disc collection Just the Beginning; an ambitious project Carr calls “singer-friendly, very congregational” and a “return to my roots.” It’s not hard to imagine Carr writing congregational-friendly material (look at Awesome Wonder and No One Else) nor is it hard to grasp Carr returning to his roots. His enriched gospel training came from the late James Cleveland after a move to the West Coast. After joining Cleveland’s staff, Carr began to spread his wings by exposing his keen compositional style with the King of Gospel during the final years of his career. While he always possessed that theatric spice in his early material, Carr remained on course with merging his own unique style with the traditions of contemporary gospel music. On Just the Beginning, Carr remains invigorated with raising the barometer on his animated, pompous gospel style.
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Hezekiah Walker- Souled Out
For over two decades, Hezekiah Walker has been recording fun exciting displays of contemporary funky gospel music – styled in such a tradition that people have gone to such great lengths to label it the “Hezekiah Walker” sound. And for generations, Hezekiah Walker has become an inspiration to many youth choirs and choir directors for keeping good choir music alive. In the linear notes of Souled Out, the pastor’s thirteen project to date, Walker expresses his labor of love for a style of gospel music that has become so unappreciated and neglected by today’s gospel industry. “Although the industry is trying to do away with choirs, this CD is a testimony that we are here to stay.” It’s kind of hard to believe that it has been over twenty years since Walker and his energetic Love Fellowship Crusade Choir jumped on the recording scene. But evidentially, Souled Out is a fresh new chapter for the songbook of Hezekiah Walker. For the most part, it serves as an inspirational guide for struggling choirs looking for cool material that bears the seal of approval from the renowned Pastor of Hip-Hop.
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Kurt Carr Debuts At The Top of Multi Charts
New York, NY (BlackNews.com) – Internationally renowned and celebrated, Kurt Carr is one of the brightest jewels in the crown of Gospel music. His 7th CD JUST THE BEGINNING was released last Tuesday and has debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart. The CD is also #5 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel sales chart and appears on Billboard’s Top-100 albums chart, which is a rare fete for a Gospel artist. Additionally, the first single “Peace & Favor Rest Upon Us” is a high performer at radio and this week is #1 most added as well as #3 most increased spins.
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