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Lamar Campbell & Spirit of Praise
I N e e d Your S pirit
Focus. Self-awareness. Spiritual
growth. All are goals to which any
artist a sp ires. But for L am ar
Campbell & Spirit of Praise, they
are not the dreams of some distant
future. They are very present-tense
realities, and the essence of being
for this richly gifted man and his
choir. And they are the heart and
soul of the ensem ble’s second al­
bum, I Need Your Spirit.
The project was recorded before
an enraptured crowd that filled the
historic Madame C.J. Walker Build­
ing in the group’s hometown of In­
dianapolis, IN. On the heels of the
choir’s 1998 self-titled, hit debut al­
bum, I Need Your Spirit is clearly the
launching pad set to propel Lamar &
Spirit of Praise from the realm of
promising newcomers to the rarefied
ground of gospel mainstays, and be­
yond. I Need Your Spirit tips its hat
to tradition while planting its feet
most firmly on a solid urban/contem-
porary R&B foundation.
That unique approach to today’s
gospel music was perfected on the
group’s first album featuring m od­
ern classics like “He W on’t Let You
D ow n.” Lamar Campbell & Spirit
of Praise foreshadowed the impact
Lamar would have as a songwriter
and choral director. Critical acclaim
pointed toward Lamar as an impor­
tant artist to watch in the com ing
decade, as gospel listeners across
the nation began to connect with
the group’s special ability to per­
form sw eeping ballads and up-beat
jams with equal flair.
I N eed Your Spirit takes the next
leap toward establishing Lamar as
one of today’s great choir directors,
songwriters and artists. T he major­
ity of the album ’s songs were writ­
ten or co-written by Lamar. With
intricate choral arrangements and
powerful lyrics, the 11 songs fea­
tured on the project reflect the mov­
ing energy and spirit-filled depth
few choirs can deliver in a live per­
formance.
Is it really Gospel? Absolutely.
The Good News and the Church
that sings its praises permeate ev­
erything Lamar and his 40-voice
choir touch. Are there some seri­
ous, no-nonsense grooves? Believe
it. This group can cook with the
best. A touch of pop here, a rocky
edge there, a little jazz for good
measure. The mix defies labels.
Just call it Lamar Campbell, then
crank it up and let the sound of
something truly new, fresh, and
exciting wash over you.
The album’s title song lays an
infectious hook into a funk/rock
pocket so overflowing with joy
and unbridled celebration it could
rattle the very gates of Heaven.
“We built a reputation for
strong ballads on the first al­
bum ,” Lamar notes, “and you’ll
still find them on the new re­
lease. But we wanted to go a
little more urban and expand on
what we’ve done. ‘I Need Your Spirit’
picks up the tempo and the energy
level overall.”
“T hat particular son g is the
sound of G od’s people crying out to
Him from the depths o f their be­
ings, saying, ‘We N eed Your Spirit,
and w e’re nothing without You. It
empowers us. T he joy is in knowing
that He is w illing and able to do all
that we ask and m ore.”
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O B IT U A R Y
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AT NORTH PORTLAND BIBLE COLLEGE...
4905 N. Vancouver Ave. Portland, Oregon
In Loving Memory o f
Cynthia Yvette McKenzie-Harris
S unrise - January 23, 1956
S unset -July 16, 1999
Services were held Wednesday,July 21,1999 at New Hope Baptist
Church. Rev. Johnny Pack IV, Presiding.
Cynthia Yvette McKenzie-Harris was bom January 23, 1956 in
Vancouver Washington to the union of Muhammad Abdullah and
•For students to get a refresher course in Christian thinking before going away to secular college,
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Billie J. McKenzie. She was baptized at New Hope Missionary Baptist
Summer Term: August 3 - September 3
Church under the pastorate of Reverend A.A. Newton.
She married James Ward in Berkeley, California. They later di­
Classes meet twice a week, Tues. and Thurs. • 6:30 to 9:30 p . m .
vorced and after a few years she married Jerrial Harris. There were no
children from either of these unions, however, she has two sons;
DeAndre Aumont Guyton and CalbruceJ amal Green. They both reside
Bible class: The Book of Ephesians, on campus.
in Portland, Oregon.
She is survived by: her parents, Muhammad Abdullah and Billie J.
EARNS THREE QUARTER CREDITS
McKenzie; three sisters, Rhonda Renee McKenzie, Sharon Lynette
McKenzie and Tracy Lurcretia McKenzie; and her grandmother
Lucretia McMillian. Cynthia was blessed with a host of aunts, uncles,
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