Reviewed by James Tweed

Recorded live at Chicago's Bismark Hotel, 'Gotta Feelin" showcases O'Landa Draper's choir, which belongs to the tradition set by Andrae Crouch and the Richard Smallwood Singers rather than the Sounds Of Blackness. Fusing a gospel sensibility to a rhythm and blues backbeat makes for highly enjoyable listening on standout tracks such as "Bless The Lord O My Soul", which inhabits similar lyrical territory to Crouch's "Bless His Holy Name", but from there all similarity ends for it is an exuberant praise song compared to Andrae's more contemplative ballad. "Gonna Sing Your Music", a beautiful ballad embellished by Donald Hayes' David Sanborn-sounding sax, featuring the exquisite vocals of Angela Bethany, is another highlight in an album with many highs and few lows. The only disappointment is some dodgy editing and suspect mixing of the audience at the end of some tracks which interrupt the atmosphere and suggest some post-production surgery. However, it's musically excellent and yet another example of a job done well. Great stuff.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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