The Anointed Sons of Jersey

The Anointed Sons of Jersey

Christian Race

This month, we take the opportunity to introduce you to The Anointed Sons of Jersey. Their new release is Christian Race. There is something on this project for anyone interested in good gospel music. This group has the talent and the professionalism to become a household name. The group is one of the few groups that can actually champion the fact that they have five (5) lead singers. That’s right, the group is so talented that any of the singers can step up to the microphone and take the lead.

For those that may not be familiar with this group, it is fitting to at least provide you with the members’ name. The group members are Jesse “J. B." Moorer, Antonio “Tony” Lawrence, Bobby “Rome” Jerome Lawrence, Stacy “Stac” Lawrence, Nathaniel “Nate” Roberts, Shannon “Shea” Stokes, Sean Baby Boy” Bradforth, Tyron “Ty” McAllister, Jayseph “Jay” Calhoun and Charles “Chucky” Hill.

The group is joined on this project with some of the best musicians and singers in the industry. For instance, according to the information we received with their CD, Dominic Durham co-produced four of the songs. Joey Damao, Ron Joseph, Daniel Grant, William Sutton and Adam Goldenthal lend their talents to this project. In addition, Bruce Springsteens’ backup singers can be heard on “Praise Medley.” With so many talented persons being involved with the group in the production of this project, it is easy to see why this CD is worthy of a review and should be in your collection.

The songs on this CD are rooted in traditional quartet gospel music. However, there are pleasant musical surprises throughout the project. At times, some of the songs lean toward the contemporary genre. However, listen carefully and you will hear, even on the songs with a contemporary slant, good gospel quartet singing.

There are only ten (10) songs on this CD. You will find yourself wishing that there were more. The first song is the title track, “Christian Race.” What a great introductory song. It will have you wondering (if this song is this good?) how the rest of the CD sounds. The harmony on this upbeat song of THANKS is very tight. The song invites you to join the group in giving God thanks. A live audience responding to the encouraging words from the group would have certainly been a plus for this song.

Another song of note is “Calvary.” Although, we must admit the song starts off very slow. It will take you about a minute to really get into what is being said. However, take the time and listen. There is a powerful message in this song. And as in all of the songs, you will find the background harmony to be very tight. It is probably one of the best produced songs on the CD. It is a ballad that should be in heavy rotation during the Easter season. In addition, for die hard quartet fans, at times during this song, you will think that you are listening to the Evereadys.

For the quartet fans that want a hard hitting song, listen to “Praise The Lord.” It seems that the guys are really enjoying themselves on this song. The instrumentation, including the horns you think you are hearing, is outstanding. This song will have you clapping your hand and stumping your feet. We must make your aware however, that a great portion of the arrangement will remind you of the Canton’s “Fix It Jesus.” However, the guys put so much energy into this song until you do not mind the similarities in the arrangements.

We must call attention to the longest song on the CD, “Have Thine Own Way.” This song showcases all the vocal talents of this group. This is a slow song and unless you are truly a gifted singer could be difficult to sing with the arrangement chosen by the group. However, the lead singer masterfully handles the vocal range required for this song. This song may not get airplay but you may find yourself meditating to it over and over.

“Glory to God” is a great song of praise. It is not a traditional gospel quartet arrangement. It has the flavor of many of the praise songs now being recorded by ensembles and choirs. The background singers sound like a choir instead of a gospel quartet group. This is another song that really showcases the varied vocal talents of the group.

The final song we will mention is “I’ve Got A Feeling.” The group makes a powerfully true statement to God's goodness and that God will make everything alright. With conviction and spirit filled vocals on every dip and run, the group reminds you that they are definitely rooted in traditional gospel quartet music. The background is clean and really powerful.

We really like the production on this CD. For an independent project, the production is excellent. The majority of the songs on the CD are in the public domain. Therefore, there are few truly original songs on the CD. At the same time, all of the songs have original and sometime unique arrangements. Once you listen to the entire CD, we think you will agree that it is worthy of being in your collection.

We give The Anointed Sons of Jersey “Christian Race” an 8.5 out of 10. You can purchase a copy by contacting The Anointed Sons of Jersey at (908) 902-2975 or (732) 927-0429, or by visiting their website – www.anointedsons.com. Click on the title to hear “Praise Medley.”

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