Quill Wordsmith

wordsmith@excapethematrix.com

"Praise Him for his mighty acts. Praise Him for his immense greatness. Praise Him with sounds from HORNS…Hallelujah" reads the 150 division of Psalm. Producer Paul-Michael Jackson and mother, Pastor Carolyn Jackson do not take this command lightly. After 2 years of labor, the album, "Sounding the Alarm" was finally released to the local Baltimore area. The album, clearly with a message of faith, can’t be labeled as "another gospel jazz album." The musical styles range from salsa, club, dance, and even traditional worship.

"The album has some points where it tries and it succeeds, and there are other points where it doesn’t"

After the album’s intro, the opening track "Sing, Shout, Dance" definitely gives off a positive feeling of dancing and praise. The vocalist even mentions "you have 30 seconds to get your praise on" and the music takes care of the rest. Biblical scripture is carried throughout several of the other tracks such as "If My People" and "My Savior Lives." A piece written by yours truly tells us the story of Christ dying for the sins of mankind and giving us all a second chance to keep moving. If the dynamics of the horns and the brass in the album aren’t enough and the vocals aren’t keeping the attention of the listener, there’s always the live track "Rapto." The rhythm, the timing and the percussion heard on this cut add more to the Psalm 150 feel of simply offering up a praise through dance.

"The album, clearly with a message of faith, can’t be labeled as "another gospel jazz album."

The album has some points where it tries and it succeeds, and there are other points where it doesn’t. However, the message is still clear and the musicianship is still apparent. Being the first debut release on independent record label, Adonai Records, Paul-Michael and Pastor Carolyn Jackson have done an awesome job. Demonstrating exactly how meaningful ministry, music and patience can be, the message is clear, the assignment is accurate - it’s time to begin "Sounding the Alarm."