Reviewed by Tony Cummings

For those who obsessively read CD sleeve small print, the name Chris Rodriguez will be as familiar as Mark Heinemann or Wayne Kirkpatrick or any of the other Nashville seasoned heavyweights with sufficient gift and reputation to perform backup duties with most of the major names of CCM and quite an impressive smattering of pop luminaries as well. So though it's taken Mr Rodriguez many years to record this, his debut album, it's hard to think of him as a newcomer, while such is the acknowledged excellence of his voice and guitar this reviewer approached 'Beggar's Paradise' with the same expectation that a chocoholic enters Cadbury's World. I was not disappointed. Fluid pop arrangements and catchy hooks overflow throughout the CD. There's the Phil Keaggy tinged mid tempo "I'll Stay There", the tuneful "This Time Around" and the acoustic folk tinged "Retreat". If you enjoy singer/songwriters in the Wes King/Chris Rice mould you'll enjoy this carefully crafted album.

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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