Kim Gentes

Kim Gentes may not be as familiar a name to you as some of the well known worship leaders, but he has been instrumental in providing the church with some of the best worship songs and resources available through worshipmusic.com for the past 10 years. While serving as a worship leader in his church every week he recognized the need to be able to easily access great worship songs and resources, but also had a desire to share them with the worship community around the world. Kim Gentes has reviewed literally hundreds of worship CD's and songs over the years and his new release, Kingdom Rain is the result of seeking the heart of God each week, trying to give voice to the cry of our hearts in each song and inviting God to visit us in a special way. Several of the songs are co-written with producer Brian Thiessen, (guitarist for Brian Doerksen) who provides a great "worship band" feel for Kim leading with his acoustic guitar. 

"Let Everything" is a great opener and an invitation to do what we were created to do….join with all creation to Praise the Lord! I resonate with every word of the title cut, "Kingdom Rain". What a great prayer! I love the text from Revelations and minor rock feel of "Holy Holy Is The Lord Almighty", featuring Vineyard worship leader, Andy Park. I wasn’t ready for this one to end. "Whispers Like Thunder" and "Only Jesus" are two tender prayers that I know reflect the heart of Kim Gentes. "All Of Me For All Of You" is the result of a very personal journey for Kim and a few close friends. I was privileged to be on that journey with him. It has a great Celtic feel featuring a duet with Jessica Park. Love this. "You're My Refuge" is another great prayer and declaration. The chorus is so simple and I found myself singing along immediately. "Bless The Lord" features Rita Springer and is a beautiful moment on the CD, especially toward the end of the song as she worships freely, setting up for Kim’s last song…..a prayer… summing up the whole project. 

For those of you who don't know Kim, I encourage you to listen to this CD and get to know his heart like I have. The songs reflect the heart of someone who is dissatisfied with the status quo and who is longing for the refreshing rain of the Spirit to fall on us. If that's you, let’s join our hearts with Kim and say, "Let the flood come. Bring Your rain, Lord. Bring Your Kingdom Rain!"

Kingdom Rain CD is available here.

Review by
Don Moen
 

About Don Moen: Don is one of the most prolific songwriters and producers in Christian music. Having overseen literally hundreds of projects, and a successful songwriter/recording artist in his own right, he has served as the President at Integrity Music, toured on every continent in the world, and received numerous industry accolades and notoriety. But at the heart of Don Moen is a man who is hungry for God, and his work, songs, albums and tours have a common thread of bringing the hope, comfort and encouragement of God's love and promises to people who are also hungry for God.

You can find out more about Don at his own website at
 http://www.donmoen.com/

Several months ago I found myself on a driving trip from New Orleans to Mobile, AL then to Nashville. Over eleven hours total in driving prompted me to bring two new worship CDs to review. The first one I put in was Andy Park's "Wonder Working God". I never took it out. Like my trip, the project is a journey of its own going from song to song, sound to sound, culture to culture. Collectively, this project moves through a wide range of rock, acoustic rock, blues-rock, gospel-piqued and even Asian influenced styles.

Right off the top, the track "Our God Reigns" wakes you up with a 60/70s rock story complete with pounding drums, punching bass and big band accents (or ska, depending on your generational persuasion). A great declaration song about the truths of God's character, "Our God Reigns" will become a favorite in any church it is played in.

Many of us know Andy Park as the songwriter of "In The Secret (I Want To Know You)", one of the most popular songs in the church in the last 15 years. But that may soon become the second most popular song in Andy's songwriting repertoire after the church hears the title track on this album. "Wonder Working God" is a brilliant song with scriptural lyrics, compelling music and soaring melodies. In our time of uncertainty in so many areas, "Wonder Working God" is a lifeline of scriptural truth that congregations everywhere will be using to help remind them of the hope God has placed in our lives through His promises. This is a song that will find its way to other artists and be covered on other albums. It's that good.

The great songs don't stop. Other new songs "New Day", "Help Somebody", "Friend of the Poor", "Fleece of White" and "Your Grace is Sufficient" provide an expansive pallet for anyone looking for superbly crafted songwriting with solidly scriptural content. In addition to that, classics such as "How Priceless" (one of my favorite songs ever), "Messiah", "One Thing I Ask" and "Like A Lily" round out the album with crisp arrangements that provide for generous use in the local church.

The production on this album is diverse in style, but constantly understated in execution, which makes it a listening delight. Choosing well between guitar or piano based song arrangements, producer Brian Theissen makes this album about the songs, not about an infinite number of layers of production that take the songs beyond their intended use- the local church.

I wish I could say I remember what the other album was that I intended on listening to for the balance of the eleven hours in the vehicle, but "Wonder Working God" made the entire trip with me through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. And it was a delight! A great album and a gift to the church, it's easy for me to recommend "Wonder Working God" to you as our latest "Editors Choice" selection from WorshipMusic.com.

Product Link (buy it here): Wonder Working God

Serving with you, Kim Gentes

WorshipMusic.com Congratulates

Album of the Year 2008
Stand In Awe
Producer: Casey Corum & Bob Hartry
Vineyard Music USA

Resource of the Year 2008
Live Audio Basics
Ron Davis
Down 2 Earth Audio Resources

We are pleased to announce the above winners of our annual WorshipMusic.com Editor's Choice Awards. This Special Edition newsletter highlights each product and its significant contribution to the Body of Christ in equipping us and in pursuing the vision of "increasing worship in the earth".

We highly encourage you to to look at these "cream of the crop" resources below - we think they are the best available to the Body of Christ.

Blessings
Kim Gentes & Staff
WorshipMusic.com

Stand In Awe
Producer: Casey Corum & Bob Hartry
Vineyard Music USA

We are proud to announce that "Stand In Awe" has earned the 2008 Editor's Choice Album of the Year. Recently Kim wrote a glowing review of this amazing CD. Here is some of what he had to say about it:

"..If you have felt (like me) disappointed by several popular CDs in the last few years, welcome you back to what a worship project should be- "Playlist: Stand In Awe" from Vineyard Music. One of the original vanguards of resourcing the church in worship, Vineyard has stayed true to its roots with great songs, while making continued strides in progressive musical production and sound with its arrangements and musicianship. The essence of a great worship song is its ability to resonate with the heart-cry of the worshiper. The "Stand In Awe" project is a wonderful set of worship songs that resonate clearly with followers of Christ....."

Live Audio Basics
Ron Davis
Down 2 Earth Productions

This great resource is packed with information and learning tools for live audio instructions. Hundreds of people and church have benefited from this timely resource. Here is some of what reviewer Jeremy Dunn had to say about it:.

"..At the heart of the "Live Audio Basics" 3-disc set is the DVD video hosted by producer and engineer Ron Davis. The DVD is packed with real world information about how to run a sound system and run it well. Not only is it informative, it's really entertaining with graphics, video clips and funny skits to help you remember the information. So if you think that learning about sound is all dry definitions and math, think again. But that's just scratching the surface of this DVD. It tackles subjects like signal path, monitors, EQ, and getting the perfect levels. It also has one of the best explanations of the mechanics of microphones that I have ever heard (this is the information that will take care of that pesky feedback). As if all that wasn't enough, Ron goes on the give insight into how sound technicians and musicians can understand each other and lots of other practical advice for becoming the best sound technicians you can be. It would be very hard to overstate the amount of detailed information that this DVD delivers. The title may include the word "basic" but believe me, you will thoroughly know the basics when you are finished.."

Crisp, clear and radiant--these are the inviting rhythms of Roger Hodges' best worship project to date, 'Big Big God'. Are you thinking of what it would sound like to have pristine sound production, knitted with completely rapturous melodies, all held together with incredible grit through honest vocals? Stop thinking, start worshiping--with 'Big Big God'!

Anyone who may have had the opportunity to worship in a meeting with Roger Hodges knows his approach is a one-way rocket to the courts of God. I have to confess something--I used to be of the opinion that truly great albums and songs would 'float' to the top, get picked up by the majors (labels), and make it to the masses. After the last two-and-a-half years of listening to stacks and stacks of praise & worship CDs, this just isn't reality anymore.

The rise of the 'indie' (independent) praise and worship projects has become a legitimate source of TOP quality resource and expression in that genre's music market. Sure there is a lot of 'fluff' put out by indies, but the truly great stuff is not only competing with the big labels, they are setting the pace in creative and passionate musical prayers and devotion. After indie projects like Langley Vineyard's 'the Well', Rita Springer's 'Created To Worship', and WaterDeep's 'Enter The Worship Circle', the water is gathering for this emerging stream of praise to become a torrent of the river of God.

And now you can add to that flow of God's praise, the rhythmic current of 'Big Big God'!

This CD belongs in that category of top notch projects. 'Big Big God' begins its spin in your CD-ROM with 'You Are,' a power-ballad that throws out the rules and rushes straight to God, speaking passionately to the Father. You will fall to your feet in surrender to Him, as you sing out:

And You are the air I breathe
And You are the song I sing
And You are redeeming love
I trust in You alone

You will be tempted to lock on to this first song and let the [repeat] function hold you here for hours! But that, my friend, would be a big, big mistake. The six minutes this track plays for will seem far too short to anyone who finds themselves on the floor, pouring out the heart to the Father.

Moving on to the next song, Roger calls us to 'rise up' in the military/march-girded rhythms of Psalm 33. I really enjoyed this song, as the music and Hodges' voice invites us to stand in the light of God.

But the journey has just begun, and as the light, crisp strum of the acoustic guitar begins to swell into the title track song, you are swept back into a personal conversation with God. Thankfulness expressed across the breadth of God's character is a constant staple to this great album, which is a well balanced feast of lyrical devotion. Of course, there is a reason 'Big Big God' is the title track to this project--the song is as infectious as it is thoughtful. But if you thought this was just another well-scripted, studio produced session of nice songs. well, by this third song you have begun to realize this is much more. In 'Big Big God', Hodges begins his adding of joyful, creative and honest worship and praise 'spontaneous' moments. And apparently, once he gets started, he can't hold it back.

Throughout the rest of the album, Hodges makes no apologies for his obvious attack of enjoyment that lifts this album into a real praise and worship experience. The joy keeps on going in the boisterous 'You Are Faithful', where this rocket launches into some very nice musical placements by electric guitar power-man Lincoln Brewster.

You can't put much better talent on an album, and those haven't already heard Brewster's work on his self-titled debut (from Integrity Music's youth worship label Vertical Music) will be very pleasantly surprised. After a brief settling back, with Kevin Prosch-esque 'The Son Is Rising', the trip continues with 'The Lamb has Overcome'. This has the same straight-ahead lyrical and progression stylings as 'You Are', but this time points us to the returning of Jesus.

Just when you think you have things all figured out, 'All that I Want' is slight step off the trail, but most welcomed. This song provides good style contrast, and again with deeply heartfelt lyrics sung with actual passion (wow! Imagine that!). By this time you are pretty convinced that Roger Hodges is the real item--an actual worshiper who recorded what he actually would do in a live worship service setting.

This time comes to an intimate juncture with just voice and acoustic guitar (and a touch of oboe or synth patch) laying out the song 'You've Captured My Heart'. This intimate worship ballad is perfect, no other words for it. On the final cut, every instrument is pulled back except piano. Then, Hodges just lets it all come out- passionate prayer, covenant commitment, and loving thankfulness, with a beautiful backdrop of sensitive piano playing.

Quite obviously, this project earns our highest commendation here at WorshipMusic.com, the Editor's Choice Award. I actually struggled to find something wrong with this CD, listening to it for 5 continuous hours (a record for me with any CD). Maybe it was because the musicianship was impeccable. Maybe because the vocals are just everything you ever wanted to say to the Lord. Or, maybe it's because you can't help but get caught up in the praise and worship with this album--I am not sure of the reason, but this project is flat out excellent. Praise God!

Product Link Big Big God - Roger Hodges

Review by Kim Gentes