What About Bob

4Him & Third Day Get-a-way

My brother and I had a great weekend traveling to Louisiana for two great Christian Concerts.  We were friends with both concert promoters which got us in and access backstage.  Thanks Rob & Chuck!  You guys are awesome and gave the Chambless brothers a venue for a great weekend.

It had been 3 years since the 4Him guys had come together to sing.  This was a special reunion concert in West Monroe that our friend Rob Tucker put together.  The venue was at my home church, First West.  Got a chance to speak to several old friends as well.  They all did a great job.  Andy Chrisman leads a church in Tulsa.. Church on the Move.

 It was good to see Marty Magehee again.  He's got a new CD out entitled "Open".  Check out his site HERE.

The concert was great.  Good crowd and the guys each had a segment of time to share some of their own music that has been birthed these past 3 years.  There could be some future reunions in the future.

More later this week on the trip!

 

MWS at DSO

Brandi, Eli and I at Michael W Smith's Christmas Concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Vocal Majority

Eli, Todd and I attend Vocal Majority's Christmas Concert 2008.  This was Eli's first choral concert experience and he loved it! 
i

The Space Between The Notes

Silence speaks volumes.  There is a practice in music of hearing the space between the notes.  It's just as important as hearing the notes themselves.  When there is a focus on the space and silence the sound actually sounds bigger.  Less can be more.  Ironically, it is in this discipline that the silence and space communicate as much as the sound.

Likewise, we should spend as much time listening to God as we do talking to Him.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."   Ps. 46:10

 

Wille "Icon" Nelson

Willie Nelson will be honored as a BMI Icon at the performing rights organization's invitation-only country awards gala in Nashville on Nov. 6. The distinction is given to BMI songwriters and artists who have had a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers. Past honorees include Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Bill Anderson, Charlie Daniels and Loretta Lynn. Nelson's songwriting credits include "Crazy," "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "On the Road Again" and "Night Life."

Memory Almost Full - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has debuted his new song 'Dance Tonight' on YouTube. The video is the first sample of his forthcoming album 'Memory Almost Full'.  McCarthy plays a Mandolin on this song.  The story is that he actually just learned how to play the instrument after an impromptu visit to his favorite guitar shop - he's a left-handed player and always looking for instruments that will work his way. 

The video stars Pirates of the Caribbean star McKenzie Crook as a pushy postie who delivers a parcel to McCartney's house in the country and invites himself in for a cup of tea. Natalie Portman from Star Wars fame lends a ghostly presence.

2007 Dove Awards

Last year, artist/songwriter Chris Tomlin went home with an impressive five Dove Awards. Last week, he added six more trophies as the most honored artist at the 38th Annual Dove Awards, held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Newcomer Aaron Shust was also a major honoree with three Doves.

Tomlin’s six Dove Awards include Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, two honors he repeats for the second year. “Holy Is The Lord,” a song he co-wrote with Louie Giglio, earned him another trophy, as did his involvement in the Special Event Album of the Year, Passion: Everything Glorious. His most current CD release, See the Morning, accounted for two more awards, as it was honored as both the Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year and Praise & Worship Album of the Year.

Shust marks his Dove Awards debut with three of the evening’s most prestigious honors, including Songwriter and New Artist of the Year. He also was honored for writing “My Savior My God,” named Song of the Year. Aaron came back with his dove awards and cried when someone asked him if tonight would change him.  He said that he's a sinner saved by grace and tomorrow he would be a sinner saved by grace.

Re:create 2006 attendees were introduced to Aaron in an intimate artist circle evening last year. - Bob

The Ultimate Cheesy Playlist

In Search of the Cheese

Cheesy songs exist in every genre.  You know the song is cheesy but your love it anyway. 
Entertainment Weekly has a Reader's Confessional,  The Ultimate Cheesy-Ballad Playlist , that includes the likes of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and "Open Arms"; Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love" from the Karate Kid movie; "SomewhereOut There" by Rondstant & Ingram, and most anything by Barry Manilow.  

How about the church. What cheesy music are we using in worship ?

At the risk of ruffling feathers, I think we need to air out some cheese.  I'll be the first.  I've grown tired of many cheesy songs from the 80's and 90's that we use in worship. I think we should put "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" high on a shelf for a while.  That's an older song. What about newer songs.

Do you have a cheesy offering?  Please comment.

Andy Mckee - Rylynn - Acoustic Guitar

Simply Amazing stuff...

Glory Revealed

One of the cool aspects of attending the recreate conference is getting pre-releases of great projects. 
Glory Revealed is one of those gifts that I've been listening to for several months.  The work is headed up by Third Day's Mac Powell (who led us in worship one morning during the conference) and produced author/preacher David Nasser. 

The work has a very acoustic feel with guitar, mandolin, banjo (at times), Dobro, Fiddle, and a little harmonica  (Fortunately No Cow Bells ).  The sound is much like James Taylor with a Nashville slant.  But the great thing about Glory Revealed are the lyrics - they are all scripture straight out of God's Word.

The Reunion Records release of Glory Revealed plays like a "Who’s Who" of Christian music. The multi-artist worship album features artist-songwriters such as Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall, David Crowder, Brian Littrell, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith and Shane & Shane. Nasser employed his friend and musician extraordinaire Mac Powell from Third Day to serve as the proverbial casting agent and record producer.

“We want people to not only get to know the scriptures better through this, but to get to know Jesus through His own words,” Powell explains. He offers this reason: “I had made a rough mix of the songs to listen to in my car. I didn’t know that my family had been listening to it while driving, and one day I got in the car with them. They turned the CD on, and my little girl, who is seven, started singing along to Zephaniah 3:17:

The Lord Your God is with you
He’s mighty to save
He will take great delight in you
He will quiet you with his love
He will rejoice over you with His singing

“I just started crying. It’s so powerful that even little children can hear these songs and memorize them,” Powell recalls. “They are planting great seeds of scripture in their hearts.”

The Glory Revealed concert is coming.  Listeners will have the opportunity to experience the music of Glory Revealed, as well as Nasser’s message, this spring on a unique tour in March and April. Confirmed artists include Powell, Littrell, Hyper Static Union’s Shawn Lewis, Shane & Shane, Trevor Morgan, Candi Pearson-Shelton and Starfield’s Tim Neufeld. The tour will feature an intimate, living room style set up where all the artists will be on the stage leading worship simultaneously.

For tour dates, visit gloryrevealed.com .   To read CCM's review click HERE.