::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

A GROUP THAT'S WORTH THE WAIT Three years ago I sat in a crowded Compton, CA church (Love and Unity) and witnessed one of the most incredible recordings I've ever heard. It was the Soul Seekers' live recording of their second album. The Soul Seekers are a Stellar-Award winning contemporary gospel "quartet" comprised of young men who all worked in the mainstream music industry in various capacities and decided to make music for God--together. The members are: Teddy Campbell, Warryn Campbell, Nisan Stewart, John "Jubu" Smith, Gerald Haddon, Charlie Bereal, Craig Brockman and Eric Seats. Their individual resumes boast work experience with a gamut of talent such as Beyonce‘ and Missy Elliott to Nelly, 50 Cent, Diddy, Jennifer Hudson, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler and Britney Spears to hit making shows Diddy’s “Making His Band” and “American Idol.” Just one look at the pews and you knew they were not an ordinary quartet group. Among church folk of all age...

Anita Baker will be a headliner at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 25th, and has just started work on a new album in Nashville, planned for release by Blue Note Records later in 2010. "I'm going to Nashville to mix it up, shake it and see what comes out" says the eight-time Grammy winner with obvious glee. Baker will be producing the album with George Duke, Nathan East and Daniel Moore , recording in Nashville in part because, she explains, "they still know how to make a record in analog." Baker has some long time friends in Nashville - just last month, when she performed at the TJ Martell Honors Gala there, attendees were surprised to find out that she counts many country stars and personalities among them. Singing Vince Gill's "Little Liza Jane" at the dinner, Baker was backed by a cohort of Nashville players. Inspired by their performance, she's invited the "badass Nashville cats," as she terms them, to record...

Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 7:30 PM at Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, NJ Lindenwold, NJ: Abundant Harvest Entertainment will showcase some of gospel music’s dynamic future superstars on a special concert on Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Bethany Baptist Church’s Harvest Hall. The recording arm of the company has signed up Cherry Hill, New Jersey’s homegrown rapper, Christawn; Long Island, New York vocalist Karen Orlando; and a Delaware based girl group known as His Own. The purpose of the evening is to introduce the tri-state area of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware to these exciting new artists releasing new CDs over the course of the year. Hip Hop minstrel Christawn’s debut CD Life Story will debut May 18, 2010. The guitar-driven radio single “Save Me” features Micah Stampley’s dramatic wail and retells the real-life story of the day that Christawn escaped getting arrested for drug possession and cried out to God: “Save Me!” $10 pre-orders of his CD will be sold that night. ...

(April 5, 2010 – Atlanta , GA ) – Gregg Patrick & The Bridge Project recently released out of its contract with Tyscot Records, signed a new deal with BlackSmoke Music Group owned by Kerry Douglass. Both Patrick and Douglass are based in the Houston area. With this move, their new album CROSSOVER TOO including a DVD, will be released nationwide Tuesday, May 18th. The new single - “El Shaddai” featuring the late Roz McDuffie, has already been shipped to radio and the press and climbing up the charts. The incredibly-orchestrated song also features Patrick and Shawn McLemore. But it is McDuffie, who takes over to bring the song to its' great spiritual crescendo. Patrick and the choir will be performing on RADIO ONE’S One Love Cruise on April 12th and a live performance on TBN May 3rd.

BET took the search for Sunday Best to Africa for its Easter Sunday premiere. After watching the Nigerian auditions, while I appreciate seeing the global influence of gospel music, I seriously doubt the winner will come from the Motherland. Droves of singing hopefuls displayed lots of spirit, but gospel talent was scarce. Many of the voices were suitable for corporate worship rather than potential professional gospel acts. After a long day of grueling deliberation, hard-to-impress judges Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell and UK-based Christian artist Muyiwa Olarewaju only selected 7 singers. (Just one of them will be chosen to compete in the U.S. Tune in to Sunday best airing on Bet on Sundays at 8 pm to see who it’ll be!) The sole judge on the panel from Nigeria, Olarewaju was the most rigid of the 3 and clearly was looking for someone to make his country proud. Nearly every person to try-out was not good enough to represent Nigeria on a world stage in his doubtful opinion. Howeve...

Set to Perform the #1 Song on Dancing with the Stars and Tonight Show in April; Erkyah Badu Added to Just-announced second night at Madison Square Garden in Concert with Jill Scott on June 26 Platinum-selling soul star Maxwell is still making news nearly a year after the release of his hit album 'BLACKsummers'night.' *The singer and songwriter scores a three-peat this week with "Fistful of Tears," his third consecutive #1 on Billboard's Urban Adult airplay charts, making him the first male artist to achieve this feat according to the magazine. * Maxwell will perform the history-making single on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" on April 20th and NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 22nd , as he preps for the most talked about tour of the summer, his major arena dates with Jill Scott. The tour starts May 21 in Cleveland, Oh. *It's just been announced that Maxwell will be joined by Erkyah Badu for his second Madison Square Garden performa...

CD TO DEBUT THIS JULY BET's (Black Entertainment Television) "Sunday Best" winner Y'Anna Crawley has signed on as an endorser with Shure Pro Audio. The volcanic gospel vocalist leaped to fame during the 2009 second season of BET's hit television talent competition where she wowed viewers with her electrifying performances of songs such as Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands" and the Rev. James Cleveland's "No Ways Tired." "What can I say about Shure? The sound is consistently crystal clear, the quality of the product is the BEST, and it prevents me from having to work as hard vocally," Crawley says. "I've been requesting this product in my rider for years so to finally be partnering with them officially is great. Shure. Yes, that's my sound product of choice without question." "Y'Anna Crawley's powerful, soulful voice is a fresh light in Gospel music," says Ryan Smith, Regional Manager,...