I got to catch a concert with Greater Vision at the First Presbyterian Church in Winchester, VA. What a night of great music!

1. Tell Me The Story Of Jesus
2. The Source Of My Song
3. He’d Still Been God – I scribbled in the margins after this one that Jacob Kitson is definitely a more solid tenor than Jason Waldroup. The group is sounding better than ever these days!
4. God Will Pass By
5. My Name Is Lazarus
6. Share It With Jesus – Gerald introduced this as a song that they actually re-recorded on their newest project, Not Alone. It was orignally recorded 18 years ago on the group’s 1991 project, On A Journey.
7. Little Is Much – this is the second time that I’ve heard Jacob Kitson sing this song live for myself, the first time being at a Cathedrals Remembered concert in Winston-Salem, NC. Jacob absolutely NAILED the ending, proving once again that Youtube videos are not the best source to form an opinion on someone’s sound. This got a standing ovation.
8. You Better Hurry Up
9. A Mighty Fortress – Wow! This song brought the audience to their feet again. Absolutely powerful singing from all three guys.
10. Faces
11. I Want To Know That You Know
12. Champion Of Love – Using the modified arrangement for Greater Vision (a half-step lower keyed), it is less taxing on the singers. Kitson handles the high ending well, and Gerald Wolfe’s solo is top-notch.

Intermission

13. Oh Holy Night – Yet another standing ovation.
14. It Means Just What It Says
15. You’re Not Forsaken
16. Common Garments – there’s two things interesting about this song: it was Jacob’s first time ever singing it (he did a good job), and it was also sung per request of some Brazilian missionaries that attended the concert. And by Brazilian missionaries, I mean missionaries from Brazil to the US. Gerald remarked from the stage that we needed them now more than ever; he is right.
17. So Much God
18. Gerald Wolfe Piano Solo – Sweet Hour Of Prayer
19. It Pays To Pray
20. I Know He Heard My Prayer

Final Thoughts: Greater Vision’s current lineup is one of their strongest to date, and they put on a great concert. See them as soon as possible if they come to your area!

Rating: 4 stars

Label: Daywind Records
Producer: Lari Goss
Website: www.greatervisionmusic.com
Buy Here

1. I Want To Know That You Know – The album opens up with a song that quickly proves that this album sheds the stripped-down sound that the preceding album, Everyday People, had. This catchy tune from the pen of Marty Funderburk and Steve Marshall had me humming along in no time. It was a great decision to ship this to radio first.

2. You Were Faithful Yesterday – Unlike the first track, this track does have the stripped down sound, save for a lone fiddle in the background. The song has a standard, mid-tempo SG feel. Newcomer Jacob Kitson gets his first feature on the second verse, and lets the listener know that Greater Vision made a great choice for Jason Waldroup’s replacement.

3. Meet Him At Calvary – This country-sounding song features Gerald Wolfe showcasing his lower range on this slow track. I really like this track; the featured singer’s voice compliments the music track well, and it’s a great song by itself.

4. It Pays To Pray – Rodney Griffin wrote and is featured on this slow song about the power of prayer for your unsaved friends. This song may very well be the next “Faces”; a great message combined with stellar music make this song one of my favorites of the project.

5. Share It With Jesus – Yet another slow song that features Gerald Wolfe. A nice track, but not one that stuck out to me.

6. He Is Loved – The fourth slow song in a row, this time bringing Jacob Kitson out front. Good orchestration with sax provide the accompaniment, and Jacob proves that he can carry a ballad as well as any tenor out there. A quiet inclusion of a bit of the song “I Love You Lord” has some smooth blends, and the track ends very reflectively and quietly.

7. I’ve Been To The Bottom – The tempo finally picks up a bit to the mid-tempo range on this Rodney Griffin song and feature. Very jazzy track, and it works well for a song like this.

8. Born To Serve The Lord – The album slows back down for a song that has an intro similar to Legacy Five’s “In His Grip.” This style of song is one that GV pulls off very well. Jacob Kitson leads a throwback to “I Will Serve Thee” before the final bit of the track.

9. The Source Of My Song – The album speeds up again with this happy little tune about Jesus giving us a song to sing. The track is one I’ve found myself singing a lot. Good product of the pen of Rodney Griffin.

10. You’re Not Forsaken – The final song on the album is yet another ballad with orchestration backing the group. It gives the project a powerful finish that should do well for itself among Greater Vision’s repertoire of songs.

Final Thoughts: Greater Vision’s newest project proves that the trio hasn’t skipped a beat with the addition of Jacob Kitson at tenor. Oftentimes, he sounds like his predecessor, Jason Waldroup, while at the same time sounding much fuller and thereby giving the group a fuller sound as well.

My only complaint with this album is that the pace drags in it’s middle. As I stated earlier, GV pulls off the slow song like few other groups can, but having too much at once can make the listener grow bored with the album.

But boy, are there some great songs on here, which is why this album is a great addition to Greater Vision’s discography.

Just got back yesterday from this year’s NQC, and it was a blast! I could never adequately give a rundown of all the events, but be sure to check out Averyfineline.com, Daniel Mount’s blog, and David Bruce Murray’s blog for some reports.

Also, I took advantage of some great deals, so be looking for these upcoming reviews (in order):
1. Greater Vision – Not Alone
2. Mark Trammell Trio – Always Have A Song
3. Mike LeFevre Quartet – Nothin’ But Good
4. Soul’d Out Quartet – Ain’t Nobody
5. Legacy Five – God’s Been Good
6. Brian Free & Assurance – Timeless Hymns & Classics Volume II

And, since Tribute Quartet won 2008 Horizon Group Of The Year, I’ll be reviewing both of their projects as well.

Well, this will be the last you hear from me till probably Monday. I’m heading out tomorrow to go to NQC, and I’m planning on picking up several new (some brand-new, some that have come out recently) projects to review. Be looking for such reviews as:

Mark Trammell Trio’s new CD
Greater Vision – Never Alone
Legacy Five – God’s Been Good
Mike LeFevre Quartet – Nothin’ But Good
Brian Free & Assurance – Timeless Hymns & Classics Volume II

Hope to meet some of you at NQC, and I’ll see you all when I get back!

… and ushers in a new one. Last night was Jason Waldroup’s last concert with the group after 13 years of singing with them. Here are some highlights:

And, to welcome their new tenor and a bright future for the group, here is Jacob Kitson singing a powerful version of “Little Is Much.”

In a special Greater Vision newsletter tonight, Gerald Wolfe wrote a tribute and send-off to longtime tenor Jason Waldroup. The tribute reads:

This is not your normal, weekly, Email Update. This week, we say goodbye to our tenor of thirteen years, Jason Waldroup. He’s not just a tenor… oh no… for the last thirteen years, we’ve developed friendships that will last a lifetime. Really, our relationships have been more like family, since we’ve actually been together on the bus more than we’ve been with our families.

Jason moves on to begin a new phase of ministry with our good friends at Central Baptist Church in Katy, Texas, as well as beginning his education at Louisiana Baptist University. He has an exciting and challenging life ahead of him, and we are so proud of him!

Please join us in praying for Jason, Missy, Abbie, Jonathon, and yet-to-be-born, Ella Claire, as they begin this new journey.

We love you guys!

Waiting in the wings is Jacob Kitson, our new tenor, who will sing his first full-concerts with us beginning next week. We are excited to have Jacob on board, and we believe God has some great things planned for us as we move ahead! We are excited about the future, and we can’t wait for you to meet Jacob, as he settles in to life on the road with us. You’re gonna love him!

This shows just how much class Gerald, and Greater Vision as a group, has. Gerald does a great job sending off Jason, and also welcoming Jacob Kitson into the fold. It’s great to know there are groups out there that truly care for their personnel and demonstrate enough class to do a tribute like this to a departing member and, at the same time, welcoming the new guy.

Artist(s): Danny Funderburk, Mark Trammell Trio, Legacy Five, Greater Vision

Venue: Reynolds Auditorium, Winston-Salem, NC

I attended a Cathedrals Remembered concert last night, and it was great! I missed most of Danny Funderburk’s set, which was first, but I did get to hear him sing the old Cathedrals song “Statue Of Liberty.” Good stuff, and Danny still has “it!”

Next up was the Mark Trammell Trio, a group that is getting better and better. A rough songlist of their set was “I Still Believe”, “Weary At The Well”, “How Great Thou Art”, “Glory Road”, and “Once Upon A Cross.” Mark’s solo on “How Great Thou Art” was top-notch, and I stand by my opinion that he’s one of the best baritones out there.

Legacy Five came after that, but with a surprise; Scott Fowler said that literally five minutes before they were on, Tim Parton’s son was playing backstage (I think), and slipped and busted his head open. Tim had to take him to get stitches, so he was unable to play for the guys. However, Scott brought out Gerald Wolfe to play for them, and he was excellent! I agree with Scott’s statement that Gerald doesn’t play nearly enough. Their set consisted of “The Moment I Get Up There”, “Strike Up The Band”, “Personal Savior”, “I’ve Been Changed”, “Holy Is Thy Name.”

Greater Vision came last in the first half, and it was good to see Jason Waldroup one final time. They did songs like “He’d Still Been God”, “Thank God I’m Free”, “My Name Is Lazarus”, “A Mighty Fortress”, an acapella Jason solo “Victory In Jesus”, and “It Means Just What It Says.”

The best part of the night, by far, was the second half. It was a huge tribute to The Cathedrals, and I don’t even remember all of the songs that were sung. A couple of highlights:
1. The appearance of Steve Lee, the baritone for The Cathedrals from 1979-1980. He sang “Then I Met The Master” and got a standing ovation.

2. Gerald singing bass on “Movin’ Up To Gloryland.” He even made it rumble!

3. Jacob Kitson, who is going to be Greater Vision’s tenor when Jason leaves, came out and was featured on “Little Is Much.” Wow! Greater Vision won’t miss a beat, and Jacob is a fine addition.

Final Thoughts: Very good concert. I plan to catch another one when it happens next year.

My take on some news items of interest these past couple of days:

Lari Goss Diagnosed With Cancer: I had heard rumblings of this, and a short bit in Greater Vision’s newsletter today confirmed it. He was unable to be in the studio with them recently, and according to Gerald:

“Our friend, producer / arranger, Lari Goss was not able to be in the studio with us, so we were able to use video-conferencing technology to allow him to be involved in the sessions. Our engineer, Bob Williams, was able to provide Lari with the same “audio mix” we were hearing in the studio, and we were able to hear Lari speak back to us through our headphones. We also set up a lap-top computer in the studio so we could see Lari, and he could see us as we recorded. We called it “Virtual Lari”, and it was an amazing experience!…. Lari was recently diagnosed with a rare form of Tracheal Cancer, and is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville.”

Dove Brothers Raise Prices On CDs: Hoo boy…. I could tell when this was announced that an onslaught of angry fans would show up, and they did. However, a smart move on DBQ’s part in sending out an email later that only their online store prices would rise, not those at retailers or their product table. They are also implementing digital downloads of their complete discography, as is Legacy Five.

From a SoGospelNews article:

Greater Vision has named Jacob Kitson as the group’s new tenor. Jacob is from Yuma, Arizona, but has lived in the Nashville, Tennessee area for the last seventeen months, and will soon be relocating to Morristown.

Kitson, 24, is a graduate of Grace Baptist College in Gaylord, Michigan. He is the eldest son of Kevin and Gina Kitson, and has three brothers and eight sisters.

Jacob has traveled with the Tribute Quartet since their inception in 2006, and was a founding member of the group.

Gerald Wolfe states… “We are really excited about Jacob joining Greater Vision. The first time I met him, which was about one year ago, I knew he was a very special and gifted young man with a real heart for ministry. He was the first person to call me after the announcement of Jason’s departure, and he is the only person we actually auditioned. We knew he was the right man from the start.”

Rodney Griffin said… “I look forward to what the Lord has in store as Jacob joins our ministry. Jacob says he’s been a Greater Vision fan since he was a teenager. Now that’s he’s joining us, we’ll see how long he remains one! LOL”

Jacob commented…”I am looking forward to serving side by side each night with men who have dedicated their lives to a ministry of Christ-honoring Christian music. I can say this is a great honor and I’m pleased to be part of such a team.”

Jason Waldroup, who will be leaving Greater Vision in August, said…”I’m glad we’ve found someone who I believe is, first and foremost, a man of God. I’m sure everyone who meets him is going to love him. I hope to be a help to him anyway that I can during this transition. God has great things in store for Greater Vision.”

Jacob will begin traveling with Greater Vision in June, and his first official concert with the group will be August 6 in Lebanon, Missouri.

Greater Vision will be in the recording studio later this month working on Jacob’s debut recording with the group.

Hmm.. interesting move. I enjoy Jacob’s singing, especially on Tribute’s new single, “When Those Gates Open Wide.” I think he will be a good fit for Greater Vision.
Now, I wonder who Tribute’s new guy will be….

Update: For those wondering what Jacob sounds like, visit www.tributequartet.com and listen to the song on their front page. He is featured on the verses.

As most of you know, it was announced a few months ago that Jason Waldroup will be leaving Greater Vision after a 13-year time in the group, a remarkable statistic given today’s ever-rotating lineups. Thanks to the Singing News website, here is some new info on Jason’s future plans:

MORRISTOWN, TN(Press Release) – Beginning in August, Jason will be pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Bible at Louisiana Baptist University. Upon completion of his Bachelor’s Degree, he will become a student of the Luther Rice Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, he plans to finish his Master’s Degree program there.

Jason will be studying to become a Music & Worship Pastor, which will give him the opportunity to influence the music of the Church, as well as teaching people to become more committed and serious about their relationship with Christ, and their responsibilities as members of His family

This past Sunday, Pastor Larry Maddox and the congregation of Central Baptist Church in Katy, Texas (near Houston) unanimously extended an invitation for Jason to join the staff of the church as their Music and Worship Pastor. He will begin his ministry there on Sunday August 10. Since much of Jason’s time will be consumed with studying, his wife, Missy, will be assisting him with his responsibilities at the church.

Many people are not aware of Missy’s extensive background in church music and studio production, so she will be a tremendous asset to both Jason and the Music Program at Central. We are thankful to God for His leading and His provision during this exciting time of transition.

I think Jason would fit well as an MoM. His musical talent will surely be missed in SG, but God has led him to a new area with which to use it!