JOURNEY! LIVE IN NEW YORK - RICHARD SMALLWOOD
Smallwood marks his 25th year as a major-label recording artist with this fittingly momentous two-disc set. Time has clearly only honed Smallwood’s singular gifts as a singer, composer, arranger and producer. He and his choir, Vision, along with a host of pre-eminent guest artists, shine like precious metal on this set of largely new Smallwood originals. Stellar videos enhance the title track (featuring an incendiary Kim Burrell) and “I’ll Trust You,” a celestial ballad that finds the ever-soulful Smallwood in thrilling voice. Kelly Price (”Morning’s Breaking”), Chaka Khan (”Precious Is Your Name”) and the Hawkins Family (”We’ve Come Too Far”) are nothing less than commanding, and a two-song reunion of the original Smallwood Singers only adds to the riches on this career high-water mark. Billboard
