Reviewed by George Luke

I've never been able to take Vanessa seriously since that silly outburst of hers a few years ago about contemporary gospel having gone too far, but I quite enjoyed this. Indeed, hearing her reassure her audience that "It's all right to move," my guess is she doesn't agree any more with what she said back then, either. The album was recorded in September '97 at Marvin Winans' Perfecting Church in Detroit, and the church choir provide a more than adequate backdrop for Vanessa's vocal talents. "Free" is a mellow, jazzy affair, pleasant and easy on the ears, while "Grab Hold" is as churchy as traditional gospel gets. Her host, Marvin Winans, has a guest lead vocal on "He Is Lord". Some of the songs are introduced with a few words, but - and could any gospel singers reading this PLEASE take note - Vanessa fully realises that people have paid to hear her sing, not preach, and the talks only last a few seconds. The singing is capable of doing any ministering that needs to be done - and it does.

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