Aaron neville in Christian & Gospel Music

"Gospel Roots" (08/11/2003) Gospel Neville, Aaron, Toshiba EMI (Japan)Japanese exclusive edition. A husky man with the voice of a fluttering bird, Aaron Neville is one of America's most acclaimed male pop singers. Not surprisingly, he is also a tremendously gifted and dedicated gospel singer, and GOSPEL ROOTS presents Neville performing many well-known devotional songs, in addition to pop tunes that lend themselves well to spiritual interpretations. A two-disc set, this uplifting outing celebrates life and God more than it proselytizes. In fact, GOSPEL ROOTS is a gentle, relaxing record that avoids over-the-top piousness. From the opening track, "Oh Happy Day," to the Bob Dylan classic "I Shall Be Released" to the archetypal "Amazing Grace," Neville hypnotizes listeners with his delicate vocals, employing a gorgeous falsetto on all 25 tracks. Whether interpreting the classical "Ave Maria" or the Beatles ballad "Let It Be," Neville invokes the true beauty and splendor of each selection. A serene, mellow release, GOSPEL ROOTS crosses stylistic boundaries with its varied set list, but it always remains true to the gospel tradition.

"Believe" (01/28/2003) Gospel Neville, Aaron, Silverline RecordsPersonnel: Aaron Neville (vocals); Wardell Quezengue (conductor); Blue Miller (acoustic guitar); Dean Parks, Shane Theriot (electric guitar); Judith Armistead, Burton Callahan (violin); Lauren Lemmier, Richard Woehrle (viola); Jonathan Gerhardt (cello); Jim Horn (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Sam Levine (tenor saxophone); Steve patrick (trumpet, flugelhorn); Chris Dunn (trombone); The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (horns); John Jarvis (piano, keyboards); Jim Cox (Wurlitzer piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Michael Rhodes (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Mark Beckett (percussion); Alvin Chea, Jim Gilstrap, Phil Perry, Darryl Phinnessee, Maxi Anderson, Alex Brown, Jacquelyn Gouche, Sandtown Childrens Choir (background vocals). Producers include: Barry Beckett, Aaron Neville, Art Neville, Gary Lux, Mark Mazzetti. BELIEVE was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. This is a DVD-Audio disc. The DVD-Audio content can only be read by a DVD-Audio player. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks provided on this disc will play on a standard DVD player. Aaron Neville's is an angel's voice contained within the body of a dockworker (which he once was), and it turns out to be perfect for gospel. BELIEVE is the New Orleans native's second full-length release of religious material. Teaming with noted Muscle Shoals session cat Barry Beckett, Neville delivers an interesting slate of material that finds him rejoicing in his faith without becoming preachy. Original material is sprinkled throughout, including the smooth, acoustic-guitar-driven "Let Go," and "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" with its robust brass arrangements. Otherwise, Neville is priming the pump for other people's material. Among the notable songs included are a casual reading of Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer," a vibrant remake of the Edwin Hawkins Singers 1969 gospel-pop crossover smash "Oh Happy Day," and a punchy cover of Hank Williams's "I Saw The Light" featuring The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Other highlights include a reading of Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody," (whose original version also featured Beckett.), a goosebump-inducing "Ava Maria," and a picture-perfect "A Change Is Gonna Come." Aaron Neville's is an angel's voice contained within the body of a dockworker (which he once was), and it turns out to be perfect for gospel. BELIEVE is the New Orleans native's second full-length release of religious material. Teaming with noted Muscle Shoals session cat Barry Beckett, Neville delivers an interesting slate of material that finds him rejoicing in his faith without becoming preachy. Original material is sprinkled throughout, including the smooth, acoustic-guitar-driven "Let Go," and "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" with its robust brass arrangements. Otherwise, Neville is priming the pump for other people's material. Among the notable songs included are a casual reading of Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer," a vibrant remake of the Edwin Hawkins Singers' 1969 gospel-pop crossover smash "Oh Happy Day," and a punchy cover of Hank Williams's "I Saw The Light" featuring The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Other highlights include a reading of Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody," (whose original version also featured Beckett), a goosebump-inducing "Ava Maria," and a picture-perfect "A Change Is Gonna Come." DVD Features: Region 0 Audio: 24 Bit/96 Khz PCM Stereo - English 24 Bit/48 Khz Dolby Digital 5.1 - English