Ricky Dillard, Choirmaster | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated gospel standout Ricky Dillard delivers a compelling, meaningful, and spiritually rewarding experience with Choirmaster.

Gospel is a style of music perfectly suited for live performance – black gospel in particular.  Capturing the spiritual highs only adds to the authenticity and purpose of the genre in the first place. Ricky Dillard is absolutely terrific at what he does – understatement.  On his latest album, Choirmaster, he blesses us all with north of an hour-and-a-half of energetic and spiritually uplifting songs, including some truly compelling, enhanced and rearranged covers. Save for one, all songs extend beyond the five-minute mark, with a couple running well beyond 10 minutes.  Perfect genre and medium to do so.

“Glad to Be in the Service”

Choirmaster commences with its second briefest number, the funky “Glad to Be in the Service.” This is a strong opener, setting the tone for the high-flying praise that characterizes the album through its course.  The choir is polished, while the band is unified – tight as albeit.

✓ “More Abundantly Medley” continues the excellence established by “Glad to Be in the Service.” The technical skill of the choir is incredibly impressive, particularly how unified they are in delivering the articulations and riffs.  Here, the listener is privy to more part singing, particularly when they rhythmically carry the lyric “joy” in parts.  So often, we discount how ‘musical’ gospel can be beyond the magnificent singing.  “More Abundant Medley” is a prime example of how accomplished the genre can be from the musicianship standpoint.

Among the crème de la crème of Choirmaster is the well-rounded ✓ “Since He Came.” Here, listeners are given the full range of the gospel script.  The arrangement is awe-inspiring, particularly the use of horns. The harmonic progression incorporates jazzy harmonies, while there are more complex, technical riffs that add additional color.  Ricky Dillard, who hasn’t been mentioned much to this point, delivers great moments in the role of lead vocalist, drawing the best out of his choir as the choirmaster.  Three songs into Choirmaster, it’s nothing short of awesome.

“Let There Be Peace on Earth” 

✓ “Let There Be Peace on Earth” is definitely a record for ‘times like these.’  This crowning achievement, featuring anointed countertenor Thomas Allen was the first advance single I heard from Choirmaster and piqued my interest in the project. The song, often associated with Christmas and the holiday season left quite the impression on me, including appearances on numerous lists: Somber Sunday from the weekly playlist, Weekly Gems No. 3: Week of 4-13-2020; 11 Captivating Songs About the Earth – Well – Some of Them; 10 Songs That Capture and Embody the Pandemic; Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: April 2020.

Dillard’s rendition yields amazing results. Honestly, you don’t have to be a believer to arrive at that takeaway.  The spirit is lofty, led by the compelling, technically sound Allen. The arrangement also deserves recognition, opting against merely being tried and true version, expanding beyond. If you’re in need of music to help assuage and soothe anxiety, doubts, and troubles, particularly given the turbulence of 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, “Let There Be Peace on Earth (Live)” is definitely a peaceful, reassuring means to do so.

“He’s My Roof Top”  

I’d argue that even the most unapologetic religious skeptic would be hard-pressed to deny the spirit cultivated on ✓ “He’s My Roof Top (Live).” The fifth song on Choirmaster, is an enhanced cover of a The Mighty Clouds of Joy staple, “He’s My Rooftop”, from the 1983 album, Sing and Shout.  The Mighty Clouds of Joy version was funky in its own right – a progressive sound for contemporary black gospel music at the time. This superb take by Ricky Dillard enlists the awesome Keith Wonderboy Johnson for the vocal assist.   

Where the original clocked in at five minutes, Ricky Dillard and company go eight-and-a-half minutes and man, oh, man, is it energetic, funky, and high-flying to the nth degree. Characterizing it as spirited is an understatement – it’s that potent.  Lyrically, the themes are familiar and idiomatic of black gospel: God is my all, and “I’m gonna serve him.” It’s difficult to deny the power of this song, with the band at their funkiest (that bassist), not to mention the rooftop metaphor (“For he’s my rooftop in the rage of the storm / He’s my protector, there will never be no harm”).

“Release”

Choirmaster continues to be nothing short of marvelous.  The opening quintet is fiery to the nth degree.  It doesn’t fade with ✓ “Release,” featuring the vocal talents of TIFF JOY.  Smartly, “Release” is more reverent compared to the ‘electric from the start’ “He’s My Roof Top.” As “Release” percolates, though, it packs even more of a punch. Eventually, TIFF JOY ascends to astonishing heights, fully touting that glorious release that the Lord has “already released.” The shortest record on Choirmaster, “Release [Live/Edit]” concludes the album as the 12^th track.

It should come as no surprise that a lightning quick record follows. ✓ “God’s Gonna Do It” again shows off plenty of technical skill from a musical perspective.  Tempo is incredibly unforgiving as a musician, but the band nails every note and riff.  I love the prominence of the bass in the mix throughout Choirmaster – he’s definitely the anchor.  The keyboardist shows off immense skills too, with the colorful harmonic scheme, and some clever melodic lines in his right hand.  All the while, the lead female vocalist and choir are on autopilot.  How long does that autopilot status last? Nearly 12 minutes! You definitely leave “God’s Gonna Do It” knowing that HE will do it.

“I’ll Trade My Worries for Worship” 

Ricky Dillard does a nice job with pacing and ordering songs throughout Choirmaster. “I’ll Trade My Worries for Worship” is definitely a good fit following the up tempo “God’s Gonna Do It.” Here, the tempo is slackened, yet the audience doesn’t lose any of the bite and conviction.  The message remains LIT (in the most Christian, Godly sense), yet lays back more.

The longest record follows, “I Won’t Go Back” – 14 minutes! It’s ambitious in length, but it’s also ambitious as a musical work, something that again, we don’t always consider with gospel music.  Yes, the purpose of gospel is to provide words of encouragement, moving its listeners, but it can also incorporate a high level of musicianship.  Once more, that’s the case with “I Won’t Go Back” – top-rate singing (including part singing), a locked-in, technically sound band, and plenty of accoutrements and ornaments beyond the basics.  The vamp section, where Dillard incites ‘church dancing’ is definitely rad.

Ricky Dillard never misses the mark on Choirmaster.  “Never Failed Me Yet” is another incredible spiritual experience, which provides the food to persevere through trials and tribulations.  As accomplished as it is, it’s bested by the incredible penultimate cut, ✓ “You’re the Lifter,” a 10-minute, must-hear ballad featuring Tamela Mann.  If there was this inkling that Choirmaster was running slightly long, “You’re the Lifter” simply provides another blessing – touches your soul.  It’s always wonderful when an album saves one of its best numbers for last – next to last in this case, with the aforementioned “Release [Live/Edit]” closing the album out.

Final Thoughts

Ricky Dillard has done it once more with Choirmaster – what else can you say? Albums that clock in past an hour often push it, but Dillard delivers a compelling, meaningful, and spiritually rewarding experience with Choirmaster.  The messages are timely, the music and musicianship is skillful, and to quote a LaShun Pace song, “All Things [are] Working” on this terrific gospel album. Bravo Ricky, bravo!

✓ Gems: “More Abundantly Medley,” “Since He Came,” “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” “He’s My Roof Top,” “Release,” “God’s Gonna Do It” & “You’re the Lifter”

Ricky Dillard • Choirmaster • Motown Gospel • Release: 5.1.20

Photo Credit: Motown Gospel