Reviewed by Tony Cummings

After her ventures into praise and worship and the long standing critically acclaimed career recording with her brother BeBe, CeCe Winans presents us with a new project on her own record label. She's grown away from the urban pop of her earlier music and this album is a bit of a genre straddler from wor­ship to urban. With that in mind, who better to employ on the production team than Fred Hammond? The percussive funk of "King Of Kings" is classic Hammond as is the breezy "Love Of My Heart" and the compelling slow funk of "Without Love". As this is a late '90s gospel album, there are four production teams working on the project! CeCe is, of course, in fine voice and whether it's the sheer joy of "Higher Place Of Praise" or the vulnerability of the slow, slow ballad "Blessed, Broken And Given", these are songs designed to inspire and encourage. It's the huge ballads that CeCe clearly enjoys the most and they don't come better than "It Wasn't Easy" which is a prophetic ballad, the voice of God coming through the speakers reminding the listener how much they are worth. On the title cut, the lush orchestral arrangement immediately signals that this is going to be The Big One, the album's centrepiece telling the story of the woman who anointed Jesus. Polished gospel that is well produced, 'Alabaster Jar' is not an absolutely classic gospel album but it's still satisfying.

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