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It seemed like only yesterday when vocalist and Pastor Beverly Crawford made noise across the gospel industry with "He's Done Enough." The powerful testimonial track from her 2007 release, Live from Los Angeles, made such a huge impact that it lasted over a year in the top ten on the Billboard gospel charts. For her work on that album, Crawford - who began her career in the mid-nineties with Dr. Bobby Jones - was recognized with her first Stellar Award for Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year in 2008. Just like its predecessor, Live from Los Angeles - Vol. 2 is loaded with vibrant vocals, surefire preaching moments and fundamental worship (think Pastor Shirley Caesar and Judith McAllister).
It seemed like only yesterday when vocalist and Pastor Beverly Crawford made noise across the gospel industry with "He's Done Enough." The powerful testimonial track from her 2007 release, Live from Los Angeles, made such a huge impact that it lasted over a year in the top ten on the Billboard gospel charts. For her work on that album, Crawford - who began her career in the mid-nineties with Dr. Bobby Jones - was recognized with her first Stellar Award for Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year in 2008. Just like its predecessor, Live from Los Angeles - Vol. 2 is loaded with vibrant vocals, surefire preaching moments and fundamental worship (think Pastor Shirley Caesar and Judith McAllister).
Live wastes no time turning on the praise jets for the first single: "It's About Time For a Miracle." "Born Again," written by Doug Williams of the Williams Brothers, and Shawn McLemore's "Everything Will Be Alright" drip with plenty of blues gospel spice. The latter features guest appearances by Shirley Murdock and the composer who seamlessly bounce their testimony off each other. Those aforementioned tracks are Crawford's bread and butter. Yet she is just as capable in oozing beauty within the several ballads on Live, such as "Serve You Well."
The rare detour on Live, "Radical Praise," caters more towards the younger audience with its bump and grind rhythms and fuzzy synthesizers. But the performances from Beverly, daughter Latrina Crawford and husband Todd Crawford still click on all cylinders, especially the trio's soul satisfying harmonies. The low points on Live are few (the ordinarily structured "For Who You Are" and the too understated "I Need a Word"). Oddly enough, there is also a sampler from Crawford's label, JDI Records, which adds ten-minutes of unnecessary padding. Otherwise, Live from Los Angeles - Vol. 2 is a welcome sequel and marks a triumphant return for Crawford, one of traditional gospel's reliable talents.
Vocals: 4.0 stars
Music: 3.0 stars
Lyrics: 3.0 stars
Production: 3.0 stars
SoulTracks Call: Recommended
By Peggy Oliver