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Mention the name
Paul Porter
and immediately your thoughts are directed to
The Christianaires.
Since the beginning of The
Christianaires, Paul has
been their lead singer. The group had, to a great extent, become the
embodiment of Paul Porter.
Paul left the group in June 2008. A New Day is his first
solo project since leaving
The Christianaires.
The project begins with “My Redeemer Lives.” The song has an
upbeat tempo that will immediately remind you of
The Christianaires.
By the way, that is a comparison that could be drawn overall about the project.
It is probably a ‘good thing,’ in that; Paul did not try to deviate from who he
actually is.
“You Are” is a ballad that showcases Paul’s ability to handle an
interesting arrangement. The background singers, on this one, are worthy
of note. They are Timiney Figueroa-Caton, Darrell Cunningham, and Latoya Duggan.
“I Made It Through” takes you back to
The Christianaires’
Standing Room Only. The song was not on that project, but it
has the same arrangement as many of the songs on Standing Room Only.
"I Made It Through" should become a favorite of Radio Angels.
The project really slows down with “You're Blessed.” It is
not an overstatement that Paul is a master at handling ballads. Listen
closely to his interact with the background singers - Powerful.
Rance Allen joins Paul on “If There's No Tomorrow.” They
compliment each other’s voices exceptionally well. This is one of the
songs with a message that should be taken to heart by everyone.
Next, Paul reminds everyone to “Get Away and Pray.” Then the
question is asked “What Did You Do?” What a great drive
song. You can just hear someone in the background yelling ‘work it Paul.’
Often the musicians’ contribution to a song is overlooked. Well, it is
hard to overlook the musicians on this one. They really make this song one
of the best on the project.
Harvey Watkins, Jr.
joins Paul on “He's There All the Time.” This is the only
previously recorded song on the project.
The Cantons Spirituals
did this song on their Live in Memphis’ project.
Spanky Williams can be heard in the background on “I’ll Praise You.”
Spanky is not the producer of this song, but listen closely and you will hear
his influence on the arrangement. It has all of the trappings of an upbeat
song recorded by Darrell
McFadden & The Disciples
or by Keith “Wonderboy”
Johnson & The Spiritual Voices.
The project closes with “I Know a Man.” What a fitting ballad to
end the project. This song may not get much airplay, but it is one that
should be a favorite by those owning the CD. The song ministers to anyone
experiencing life’s daily challenges.
Overall, this new solo release from
Paul Porter is a good
recording. We give Paul Porter’s
A New Day a
solid 8.5 out of 10. To purchase this CD click "here." Click on the title to hear a clip
from “I
Made It Through.”
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