Reviewed by Andy Cooper

Released in 2004, this album presents more smooth jazz from the piano playing preacher, both instrumental and vocal, featuring the silky tones of Shirley Murdock and Shell Massey. Fine grooves, soulful sax, funky bass lines and tidy vocals augment the laid back piano tinkering of Ben's self-written tunes. There are a couple of more well known standards too, including "Head To The Sky" and Lionel Richie's "Jesus Is Love". There's a good mixture of tempo and feel as the tracks flow, at times comparable to the R&B beats and electric guitar of Brit Ronnie Jordan, and other times more like the classic jazz-funk of Lonnie Liston Smith or Grover Washington Jnr. Perhaps sometimes verging more on the smoochy side rather than being overtly spiritual, Ben Tankard's output is nevertheless understandably the best selling gospel jazz instrumental music around and this set shouldn't be overlooked for enthusiasts of gospel jazz.

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