STELLAR MOMENT: ALEXIS SPIGHT

Sunday's Best Alexis Spight and Varion Walton-Photo: "E Photo" aka Elpwe Ray

(NASHVILLE, TN.) ---The 28th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards will re-air on Gospel Music Channel Saturday, March 9th.  Be sure to catch my interview with one of this awards shows'  most notable "rising stars," Alexis Spight.  Many gospel fans remember Alexis coming in second place in this season's "Sunday Best,  however today Alexis Spight is a determined 19year old with a "BIG VOICE" AND A "HUGE DREAM."  Don't miss my recap of this "STELLAR MOMENT,"  ALL NEW this week on "VISION/VOICE/VARION."

Check OUT THIS VIDEO:  Alexis Spight's "red carpet" arrival at the ASCAP "Morning Glory Breakfast" honoring the legendary Gospel Superstar Andrae Crouch at The Hutton Hotel in Nashville during Stellar Awards weekend.

STELLAR MOMENT: ANDRAE CROUCH HONORED

(NASHVILLE, TN)-- Every now and then you get to witness something so awesome it gives you "goosebumps."  During the weekend of The 28th Annual Stellar Awards in Nashville I got an opportunity to witness such an event.   

ASCAP's Rhythm and Soul recognized The 2013 Stellar Awards nominees during their 3rd Annual "Morning Glory" Breakfast Reception.

Check out this video as some of gospel's greats pay homage to "the greatest!" In addition to recognizing The 2013 Stellar Awards Nominees,  ASCAP's Rhythm and Soul honored Andrae' Crouch for his outstanding contribution to gospel music.  

The Legendary Williams Brothers, Maurette Brown-Clark, Jason Nelson and newcomer Alexis Spight honored the legendary singer and songwriter with an impromptu musical tribute.  Andrae Crouch can be seen sitting in a chair to the right of the screen.

Reason to Smile Commercial Featuring Gina Brown

(New Orleans, LA.)--For weeks we've been building up, previewing and teasing you about the new Louisiana Lottery jingle and commericial. This week, it's official Gina Brown is now the new voice and face behind this revamped campaign.  Spread the word;  tell a friend-- Gina Brown is doing "the darn thing," giving you something to smile about!   

WHAT'S HOT! NPR "Loving" Anthony Hamilton's New CD-"Back To Love"

(December 13th)--Anthony Hamilton's "BACK TO LOVE" is available NOW on I-Tunes and area music stores.  The CD was released today, December 13th and already is winning critical acclaim.  The enclosed NPR-Music review is definitely "required reading."  


I'm especially excited to see Anthony Hamilton teaming up again with Huntsville's own Kelvin Wooten on the beast of a track #9 "Sucka for You".   The two really make beautiful music together and earned Grammy nominations for their work with "So In Love" with Anthony Hamilton and Jill Scott.  
(See Kelvin Wooten: The Man Behind The Music" on this blog.)   I'm no music critic, but I like what I like and I like a lot of it.  "Back To Love" truly becomes addictive with every play!  


(Article as it appeared in NPR Music)

FIRST LISTEN: ANTHONY HAMILTON'S  "BACK TO LOVE"
by ANN POWERS 

EnlargeAdrian Sidney

Anthony Hamilton's new album, Back to Love, comes out Dec. 13.

December 4, 2011

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to see Anthony Hamilton perform before a 

few thousand fervent fans at an outdoor concert in the Deep South. The 40-year-old 

singer and songwriter was opening for his recent duet partner, Jill Scott. But for the 

hour in which he led his funky band through a set that was as funky as beautiful gets, 

this was his revival meeting.

As Hamilton went deep in the pocket with his band, sexy slow jams segued into gospel testifying. The singer shouted the crowd to its feet and then took us down to a simmer with the deep amber falsetto he's known to break out. He cracked jokes, prayed and humped the floor. As my husband remarked, the performance made the whole idea of 

retro-soul irrelevant. Hamilton's songs about surviving hard times and keeping the flame

of steady love were soul, that's all — as connected to present realities as music gets.

Hamilton has made a steady career in R&B by mindfully responding to the genre's legacy. His baritone, one of the few on the charts today that has real grit, touches on the magnificence ofTeddy Pendergrass and the tenderness of Donny Hathaway. A North Carolina native, Hamilton also sometimes reminds me of my favorite Southern gentleman: Bobby "Blue" Bland.

His ownership of soul's legacy is one thing, but Hamilton also has serious hip-hop bona fides. In the 1990s, he toured with D'Angelo's legendary Soultronics, and he's sung on tracks by the likes ofTupac and Eve. Working with great rhymers has helped the singer shape an exquisite sense of timing. Even when he's clearly looking back to Stax or early-'70s funk, Hamilton stays free of the straitjacket of nostalgia by connecting with hip-hop's incessant inventiveness.

Back to Love is Hamilton's sixth album, and also his most consistently hooky and inviting. On previous efforts, he's developed strong grooves and showcased his killer pipes, but only sometimes hit on great hooks. Here, working with an array of producers who understand that "classic" and "contemporary" aren't contradictory terms, Hamilton has created a set that becomes more addictive with every play.

Variety is the spice of Back to Love — out Dec. 13 — as Hamilton applies his commanding vocals to rock-tinged funk, cool quiet storm and bare-bones balladry. The legendary Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds produced three cuts, including the bumping "Woo" and the hymnlike "Pray for Me," and his coolly open-minded approach infuses the whole album. That's Hamilton's approach, too, and he never gets lost working with a wide range of collaborators.

Salaam Remi takes Hamilton into the Curtis Mayfield zone for the creamy title track. "Sucka for You," co-authored by Hamilton and longtime collaborator Kelvin Wooten, is a climb-on-the-chairs stomper. A Keri Hilson vocal and a squeaky synth beat make "Never Let Go" totally now, while listeners craving Southern funk ought to be satisfied by the bluesy "Life Has a Way."

"Life humbles you down," Hamilton moans in that song, a mournful acknowledgment of how hard the journey can be. He's always been the paragon of modesty, a great talent without much interest in bragging or high rolling. More than ever before, this music makes the case for his importance. Let him lift you up.
FOR A SECOND LOOK AT THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AND TO SAMPLE TRACKS:
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/04/143006086/first-listen-anthony-hamilton-back-to-love

BayFest 2011--RECAP OF LIVE TICKET GIVE AWAY!

(Mobile, AL.) October 6th--BayFest 2011.  It's the "hottest ticket in town" and 3 lucky "VISION/VOICE/VARION" viewers are joining in on all the fun!  Varion Walton announces the winners of her special "BayFest 2011" weekend ticket give away.  "It pays to WATCH AND WIN!" Tell a friend to FOLLOW www.varionwalton.blogspot.com.

                           Previously Recorded Sat. Oct. 1, 2011-Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Mobile