Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Gary has an impressive pedigree, having sung backups for Stevie Wonder, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Ron Kenoly and the Sounds Of Blackness. He is also the worship leader of a 10,000 member church and this debut, with its smooth blend of jazz and R&B rhythms should find a receptive audience. The opening cut "Everlasting" is a Latin groove with ricocheting timbalas and stabbing horns fighting it out with a call and response choir, while "I Will Not Bow Down" is the kind of funky praise Fred Hammond And Radical For Christ have made their own. Like many an album these days it doesn't quite maintain its great start and sometimes the slapped funk bass is insufficient to stop the vocals with choir sounding unadventurously trad. But as the title track ballad indicates, this brother has the kind of voice most pop stars can only dream about. Connoisseurs of REAL soul music will want this cut where a vocal group help this fine singer wring the soul out of every syllable. Breathtaking stuff.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.