Reviewed by Simon Redfern

Mary is the sister of the famed blue-eyed gospel diva and worship leader Martha Munizzi. Mary leads worship at a Miami church she and her husband Steve pastor. From the word go, this CD oozes energy with heaps of enthusiasm from Mary herself which is a great way to start. There is a real big-band feel to the musical arrangements, with a full brass section in addition to the usual keyboards, bass and percussion which sounds very professional and polished. On the flip side of the coin, this gives the CD more of a staged feeling and it can be a little too glossy which detracts from the atmosphere of a live worship event which is sad. Vocals from the gospel choir, backing singers and Mary herself are well presented with good harmonies, although I couldn't say I was awe struck by the song lyrics which became a little repetitive on occasions. Mary has written the majority of the tracks herself, but unless you are a real heavyweight American gospel fan you are unlikely to connect with many of them.

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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