Jesus at the Center: Live [Digipak] * by Israel (CD, Aug-2012, 2 Discs, Columbia (USA))(US version)

Album Features
UPC:	000768506325
Artist:	Israel
Format:	CD
Release Year:	2012
Record Label:	Columbia (USA)
Genre:	Contemp. Christian, Gospel
Number Of Discs:	2

Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Intro, The
2. Jesus the Same
3. Rez Power - (featuring Jeremiah Woods)
4. No Turning Back - (featuring Aaron Lindsey)
5. Te Amo - (featuring T Bone)
6. More Than Enough - (featuring Krystle Harper/Onaje Jefferson)
7. Overflow - (featuring Daniel Johnson/Bishop Michael Pitts)
8. I Call You Jesus
9. Church Medley: Jesus Is the Sweetest Name I Know/Oh How I Love Jesus - (featuring Onaje Jefferson/Daniel Johnson/Charlin Moore)
10. Jesus at the Center

DISC 2:
1. Jesus at the Center (Reprise)
2. Speechless - (featuring Adam Ranney/Rev. Tina Baker)
3. It's Not Over (When God Is in It) - (featuring Aaron Lindsey)
4. Your Presence is Heaven
5. More and More - (featuring Onaje Jefferson)
6. Hosanna/Moving Forward/Where Else Can I Go
7. You Have Me/You Hold My World - (featuring Michael Gungor)
8. To Make You Feel My Love/Name of Love
9. It's Not Over (When God Is in It) [Studio Version] - (featuring Jason Nelson/James Fortune)
10. Jesus at the Center [Studio Version]
11. Your Presence Is Heaven [Studio Version]

Details
Playing Time:	139 min.
Contributing Artists:	T Bone, Aaron Lindsey, James Fortune, Jason Nelson, Michael Gungor, Daniel Johnson, Onaje Jefferson, Maria Houghton, Jeremiah Wood, Rev. Tina Baker, Adam Ranney, Bishop Michael Pitts, Charlin Moore, Krystle Harper, Jeremiah Woods
Producer:	Iz, Linz
Distributor:	Columbia (USA)
Recording Type:	Live
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	n/a

Album Notes
Personnel: Lois DuPlessis, Jeremiah Woods, Christabelle Clack, Krystle Harper, Onaje Jefferson, Erica King, Daniel Johnson , Charlin Moore, Shawn Flowers, Ryan Horton, Rev. Tina Baker, Bethany Masepiqa (vocals); Israel Houghton (guitar, piano, drums); Joel Camey, Jeremiah McConico (electric guitar); Victoria Orta (violin, cello); Randy Alison, René Ornelas (saxophone); James Williams , Eddie Luis, Felix de Leon, Omar Martinez (trumpet); Yankar Gonzales (trombone); Buddy Strong (Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards); Kevin Camp (keyboards, drums); Chris Baker , Arron W. Lindsey (keyboards, programming); Jerry Harris (keyboards); Mike Clemons (drums); Javier Solís (percussion).Audio Mixer: Paul Salveson.Recording information: Channeland Recording, Houston, TX (02/01/2012-02/05/2012); Lakewood Church, Houston, TX (02/01/2012-02/05/2012); Lakewood Studios, Houston, TX (02/01/2012-02/05/2012); Quad Studios, Nashville, TN (02/01/2012-02/05/2012); Vanquish Studios, Davie, FL (02/01/2012-02/05/2012).Director: Michael Mellett.Photographers: Micah Bickham; Cesar Cabrera; David Vice.When you've cut your teeth cutting live albums -- and have single-handedly become a one-stop source for multicultural church music -- five years is a long time to be away from the game. In the case of gospel-praise supergroup Israel & New Breed, that's not really a problem. Its frontman, Israel Houghton, has kept busy all along, exploring the solo route with two albums, The Power of One and Love God. Love People, while continuing to resource churches for new material. Plus, it's not like the band was twiddling its thumbs: they accompanied the bandleader wherever he went -- on tour with Chris Tomlin, on-stage at the Grammys, or back home at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church. It's at the Houston megachurch that Israel and the gang reassembled for Jesus at the Center, a double-disc recording in the spirit of the classics New Season and Live from Another Level -- the top-selling albums that made the group a household name in gospel.Like efforts past, Jesus consists of two main movements. The first one is a praise-fest featuring a string of high-octane numbers, running the gamut from corporate choral praise ("Jesus the Same," "More Than Enough") and contemporary gospel ("No Turning Back") to Latin electro-pop (the Pitbull-esque "Te Amo"), and even a gospel-ska hybrid ("Rez Power"). The vibe isn't always congregational -- "Te Amo," in particular, is more a dance party than a praise party -- but that's merely Israel getting the audience primed for something a little deeper. The turning point is the pop ballad "Jesus at the Center," a rousing number giving way to the second movement, a stretch of worshipful, impassioned slow-burners that segue right into one another. This is familiar territory for the group, which makes it all the harder to pinpoint which songs from Jesus at the Center will join the ranks of "Friend of God" and "You Are Good" in the canon of cross-cultural praise. Aside from the title track -- which some churches have had in rotation since its inclusion in the collective's 2011 retrospective, Decade -- only time will tell how the new material will fare with churchgoers. After all, they're the gatekeepers who continue to give Israel & New Breed a reason to sing. ~ Andree Farias