DESCRIPTION:
Commissioned "The Commissioned Reunion "Live" Cd Album released on April 23, 2002

One of modern gospel's most influential and emotionally piercing vocal powerhouse groups got back together in October 2001 at Detroit's Straight Gate Church, with spectacular results that could suck even a hardened skeptic into God's kingdom without protest. The joy is contagious, the brassy rock-soul arrangements tight and explosive, and the vocals by such now-solo stars like Fred Hammond (who produced and arranged the music and vocals on the project) and Marvin Sapp are deep, hip, and spiritual gold. Hammond and Michael Brooks split the bulk of the songwriting, making even overused title concepts like "You've Got a Friend" and "Back in the Saddle" exciting in execution, as the crowd roars and praises along. There are a few softer moments, like the disc one closer "Lay Your Troubles Down," where the group sounds like a larger version of Take 6. Hammond's Radical for Christ and Kirk Franklin's groups rule the roost in modern male gospel, but it's clear that the Commissioned's earlier efforts made all of that possible. Wild, crazy, and fun, without taking the focus off the source of it all.

Recorded live Straight Gate Church, Detroit, Michigan on October 26, 2001.

THE COMMISSIONED REUNION: LIVE was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

From the long, elaborate intro to this live album, you might think you had popped in a Pink Floyd disc by mistake. Thankfully, things right themselves in short order, as the smooth but complex pop/gospel harmonies of this much-loved group take center stage. Though members of the Commissioned have gone on to solo careers (most notably the solo gospel sensation Fred Hammond), it was as an ensemble that these men first endeared themselves to scads of contemporary gospel enthusiasts. The reunion concert documented here is a major event for that audience, and the energy going back and forth between the crowd and the Commissioned is audible. From the blazing, horn-punctuated pop-funk of "I'm Going On" to the gentle, R&B-laced ballad "Lay Your Troubles Down," the group testifies with such soulfulness that it's difficult to imagine why they ever separated in the first place.

Commissioned: Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, Karl Reid, Mitchell Jones, Keith Staten, Michael Williams, Marcus Cole.

Personnel: Fred Hammond (vocals, bass guitar); Karl Reid, Keith Staten, Marvin Sapp, Mitchell Jones (vocals); Joey Woolfalk (acoustic guitar); Darryl "Major D" Dixon (electric guitar); Randolph Ellis (saxophone); Clifton Brockington (trumpet); Marvin Thompson (trombone); Noel Hall (piano, organ, keyboards); Earl Wright (keyboards); Luther "Mano" Hanes (bass synthesizer); Michael Williams, Marvin McQuitty (drums); Darius Fentress (percussion); Tommie Walker (keyboard programming, drum programming); Danielle Stephens, Marsha Johns, Davey Hammond, Bryan Pratt, Frederick Purifoy II, PamKenyon Donald, JoAnn Rosario, Radical for Christ (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Fred Hammond; Ray Hammond.

Arrangers: Fred Hammond; Noel Hall; Tommie Walker; Luther "Mano" Hanes.

Recording information: Face To Face Productions, Southfield, MI (10/26/2001); Straight Gate Church, Detroit, MI (10/26/2001).