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Personal
Perspectives & Reviews
Review: Judith
Christie McAllister
Raise the Praise
Gospel music has evolved into an art form with as many genres as there
are
tastes. Christian musicians play and sing jazz, rock, urban R&B,
and of course, the traditional styles we generally associate with gospel.
One of the most burgeoning style movements in gospel music is praise & worship. Byron Cage and Israel Houghton are among some of today’s artists credited with popularizing praise & worship, while established ministers of music such as Marvin Sapp (of Commissioned fame) and CeCe Winans have redirected their recent recording efforts to offer songs that will usher their listeners into the presence of God.
Front and center in praise & worship is Judith Christie McAllister. Her current release, Raise the Praise, is a worship experience from the first note. Recorded live at West Angeles Cathedral in Los Angeles, the album features a dynamic choir and showcases McAllister’s gift as a worship leader and her vocal strength. Her voice, as well as her praise leadership, is unique, displaying a maturity and weight befitting a seasoned singer and minister.
Raise the Praise kicks off with the high-charged “Hallelujah: You’re Worthy,” and moves into the Latin-inspired “Beautiful Savior,” which is my personal favorite. This number goes into a vamp so creative, it makes me wish I could sing all three parts at once. I also love the brass section that gives it an authentic Latin flavor.
“Holy,” which starts as a worship ballad, explodes into a holy jam session that elicits shouts from the audience. This is the one I play loudest in my car. As do all the songs, it soars on the wings of a superb band and leaves me longing for the ability to play electric guitar.
Another
stand-out, “Lifestyle of Worship,” is a prayer that conveys the
heart and soul of praise & worship music: “May the life that I live
reflect Your glory, May the words that I speak honor Your name, May the thoughts
that I think be pleasing unto You, May my life be a praise unto You, Lord.”
An intimate worship medley and a spirited toe-tapper are among the remaining six songs. McAllister’s sole studio track, “A Beautiful Day,” is worthy of a listen, but doesn’t penetrate the heart like the rest of the album.
As my good luck would have it, the album closes with McAllister teaching the audience the chorus to my favorite, “Beautiful Savior.” What a way to end this listening experience, with the sounds of an entire auditorium singing of how beautiful the Savior is, declaring that He is the Lover of their souls and pledging that their lips will sing of who He is.
May we all heed McAllister’s admonition and Raise the Praise in our lives and in our worship.
Available at Amazon.com along with Send Judah First, McAllister’s debut project which yielded the popular “Oh, Give Thanks” and “Like the Dew.”
Check back periodically for new installments of Regina’s Music Corner.