Jim Drew And The CrossBridge Worship Team - Let The Rocks Cry Out
STYLE: Roots/Acoustic RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 78972-26641 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1
Reviewed by Lins Honeyman
This release from 1998 sees New York-based singer/songwriter Jim Drew team up with the worship group at Crossbridge Community Church to offer up a stirring and accomplished set of original praise songs. As Drew alluded to in a recent Cross Rhythms interview, his musical influences stem from the early 1970s and, as a result, this offering has a delightful nostalgic feel that borrows from the kind of sound that many of the Jesus music acts pioneered back in the day. Refreshingly, Drew and crew refuse to skimp on melody with numbers like the title track and the rousing "Faith" sticking in the memory after only a couple of listens with the lead singer and the Crossbridge choir - who never put a foot wrong - often singing in unison to give more muscle to these already powerful songs. In fact, Drew's vocal talents shine throughout but none more so than in the sublime "They That Wait Upon The Lord" which sees the man explore every corner of his vocal prowess as he communicates the love of God with a passion and intensity that takes the breath away. Instrumentally, things are kept fairly rudimentary with some driving acoustic guitar, bass and drums all punching above their weight to form the bedrock of each track whilst the occasional lead guitar flourish or synth wash adds colour to a largely undiscovered album of original worship material that deserves much more recognition.
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Posted by Jim Drew in Rochester NY @ 01:13 on May 18 2009
My First worship recording with the worship team I lead for
11 years At CrossBridge Community Church, (obviously changes
of personnel through all those years too),
This was in the very middle of that time in my life and I
had many worship songs I wanted to get down. It became a
church project and had several questions in my mind due to
decisions made but I was learning to submit and let God lead
and it was a great lesson.
The recording was a step back for me due to some folks
recording for the first time and some budget limits and all
that but this was worth the effort and it was a real
blessing to the body I was worship minister at as well as
many other churches I would visit and lead at.
The title cut became a popular song for the region and many
other tunes ended up in worship teams around the northeast
states.
I am working on a new worship project and with so much time
in between I have written a ton of songs, many bad and some
really good. This new CD will be a double CD project and
will include at least two from this original project with a
very high update in the recording effort and some tweaks of
feels and how it all works. Looking forward to unleashing my
personal way of worshiping and seeing if anyone else gets it
and worships the way I do. it definitely won't be a copy of
anything we hear today, though I love worshiping with all
that is out there as well. I just have that different thing
going on.
My First worship recording with the worship team I lead for 11 years At CrossBridge Community Church, (obviously changes of personnel through all those years too),
This was in the very middle of that time in my life and I had many worship songs I wanted to get down. It became a church project and had several questions in my mind due to decisions made but I was learning to submit and let God lead and it was a great lesson.
The recording was a step back for me due to some folks recording for the first time and some budget limits and all that but this was worth the effort and it was a real blessing to the body I was worship minister at as well as many other churches I would visit and lead at.
The title cut became a popular song for the region and many other tunes ended up in worship teams around the northeast states.
I am working on a new worship project and with so much time in between I have written a ton of songs, many bad and some really good. This new CD will be a double CD project and will include at least two from this original project with a very high update in the recording effort and some tweaks of feels and how it all works. Looking forward to unleashing my personal way of worshiping and seeing if anyone else gets it and worships the way I do. it definitely won't be a copy of anything we hear today, though I love worshiping with all that is out there as well. I just have that different thing going on.