Count it All JoyDarrel Pettis & Strength In Praise

Darrel Petties and his 38 member choir Strength In Praise open up their debut project with a power packed title cut and keep the praise rolling from that point on. "Count It All Joy" showcases the harmony of the group wonderfully especially during the bridge of the song and the strong horn arrangements on this tune takes it to a top notch level. Next they mellow things out with the ballad "A Place" painting a beautiful picture of heaven with the well sung lyrics. Lead singer Candise Miller's pure and rich alto flavors this tune and delivers a great sound to the track. Other songs to take notice of are the high octane "Yes Lord" and the standard ballad "It Is Well" featuring the guest vocals of Smokie Norful, who along with Myron Butler is a producer of the project. Talent runs all through the veins of Petties who also wrote the songs on the project. A great debut project from a group to look out for in the future. To learn more about this superb group log on to www.emigospel.com

ImmeasurableWayburn Dean

For someone who at birth was only given 10 days to live, Wayburn Dean has defied the odds and he continues to do so today. Showcasing that a sophomore jinks is not in the works for this artist; Dean delivers a project that is full of wonderful melodies and timeless lyrics. Opening with the title track Dean sings smoothly of the goodness and the "Immeasurable" amount of love God pours out on His children. Ballads are the strong point of this project with the tracks "Who Cries" and "Crucified" touching the heart and allowing Dean to use the power of his vocals masterfully. Produced by Doug Beiden and Kerry Dierking, Dean and his wife Janae penned most of the songs on the project. You can check out the project for yourself at www.wayburndean.com

This is MeKierra KiKi Sheard

Kierra Ki Ki Sheard is the embodiment of the statement "the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." By now I'm sure most of you know that she is the offspring of gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard and she, much like her famous mother, is a vocalist to be reckoned with. Releasing her much anticipated second project Sheard packs a bass bumping, soul stirring, and funk infused groove filled CD for all to enjoy. With the "Amerie sounding" go-go flavored "Yes" Sheard offers a party tune that will have you out of your seats quickly. From the opening scratches to the pounding drum line it says "praise party" all day long. Produced by Warren Campbell (Mary Mary) the song is hip-hop with a message. In fact that is pretty much what you could say about this entire project. Sheard has a spoken word intro on "It Is What It Is" which gives the simple statement that in the end there are only two choices for people...salvation/heaven or destruction/hell. The song is breezy and not preachy even though the message is strong and serious. It nicely tells everyone to "get it right" and follow the way of truth. Other tunes to check out are freestyle rap-flow "Have What You Want" produced by Sheard's brother J. Drew and the eclectic "Change", produced by Tommy Sims. The title track my favorite is a great ballad that displays the awesome vocals of Sheard and allows her to speak of how we are not perfect and face challenges but with God we can work toward his perfection daily. Learn more about Kierra Ki Ki Sheard at www.kierrakikisheard.com