Browse Artists
Grammatrain
He's a down-to-earth, what-you-see-is-what-you-get blue-eyed preacher's kid from a tiny Washington town who sings his thoughts on tape. So what's so exciting about Pete Stewart? Once you hear the songs he sings預nd the voice that sings them遥ou'll know. Stewart's singular voice has ground its mark into the fabric of Christian music for the last five years as lead singer of Grammatrain, which came to the end of its tracks with the mutual decision of the band members to disperse. Stewart continued writing and recording songs溶othing new for him傭ut this time the project was his own solo venture. Although he never had considered a solo deal, once presented to him, the self-titled record became an exciting experience. "I can't really think of too many male solo artists right off the top of my head who are doing more rock kind of stuff, more edgy music. So to be able to do something that would be perceived as unique I thought was a really cool opportunity," he explains.
The excitement increased as Stewart had the chance to produce the album alongside dc Talk's Michael Tait, who concentrated on vocals. And it's those stalwart vocals that Grammatrain fans will undoubtedly recognize as the same ones which crashed passionately into the band's forcible music. While none of the emotion has died from Stewart's voice, the new songs he wrote and co-wrote for his first solo effort showcase its versatility.
Stewart's voice is not the first of his talents that Tait has acknowledged. Stewart plays guitar on the project as he did on dc Talk's Supernatural, which is when the two musicians first connected. After that they co-wrote "Uphill Battle," a harmonious song the two recorded as a duet for ForeFront's Ten: The Birthday Album. With less grit than Grammatrain's rock, "Uphill Battle" joins the debut's 10 other cuts which constitute the thoughts of this 26-year-old man who recently uprooted himself from the Seattle area along with Donna, his wife of six years, to head two thousand miles to Nashville. Stewart has always been a thinking man, reaffirming his beliefs through a difficult struggle during his years at a legalistic Bible college that frowned on loud rock bands容ven if kids did get saved at the concerts. On another level, his spiritual struggles were reflected in a lot of the songs he wrote for Grammatrain. Some of the themes of the new songs differ, but the depth remains. "Grammatrain was always introspective and this is introspective too, but I think this one's a little more like a celebration of God's love and salvation. Grammatrain tended to deal a little more with trying to die to our sinful nature," Stewart says. "The lyrics are a little more in your face as far as Christianity goes; they're a little more worshipful on some songs."
Musically, the songs reflect Stewart's interest in pop music. In fact, the disc's opening cut, "Out of my Mind," exemplifies the celebrative music and demonstrates the scope of Stewart's voice. Set to what Stewart calls "retro rock" mixed with modern sounds (including a horn refrain), lyrics co-written with dc Talk's Toby McKeehan speak of how constantly God fills the singer's thoughts, which to unbelievers seems crazy. Stewart's voice rises and falls without missing a beat, like water that rolls softly over pebbles and then gushes through gravel-filled rapids.
His voice also flows nicely in and out of low minor keys in "Better Off," a favorite of his depicting a scenario he can well relate to: growing up in a depressing town where life seems to be going nowhere. The way to truly become better off in life is not to seek out material things, but to know Christ. Stewart's wife inspired another of his favorites, "Don't Underestimate," by keeping her husband on track with what God wants him to do. The lyrics, again co-written by McKeehan, are sustained by solid and heavy, yet pleasant, guitars.
A song Stewart finds himself listening to often is another one he wrote for his wife: "Be the One." It's not a washed-out ballad; rather, it's a rocky declaration of faithful love to a person that has traveled many miles with him and supports him when he's away from home. "I just always felt like God blessed me with the right person," he says. "That song really sums up how I feel about our marriage." "It's amazing that God chooses to love us and accept us despite the fact that we struggle with our sinful nature・od's always offering us His grace," Stewart says, reiterating the message of "Spinning," a haunting melody with acoustic beginnings that blaze into a British pop sound reflective of the song's meditative nature. Similarly, "The Reason Is You" takes a pensive look at grace and wraps the quest for understanding God's choice to be benevolent into mellow harmonies and smooth vocals exhibitive of Tait's coaching. The song concludes: tell me why I should not give all I am to Him?
And Stewart's desire is to give all of himself to the Lord, resulting in the album's thanksgiving and worshipful themes. You fill my soul with peace and deliver me, and I will call upon Your name summarizes the reverent, acoustic ballad "Worship Song." Stewart's gentle vocals underline the song's pure honesty, indicating the influence of Larry Norman. Another evidence of Stewart's love for the simple authenticity of the early 70's music is the cover of "Little Country Church," going back in time to Lovesong預nd to Stewart's childhood when he listened to his parents' "Jesus Music" records.
Musically, Stewart cites Led Zeppelin and The Beatles to be among his influences, but lyrically it's apparent that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth sings. And with such an inescapable voice proclaiming the depths of a Spirit-filled dwelling, Pete Stewart at the very least will awaken the complacent to the fact that walking with Christ is exciting. [end]
www.christianitytoday.com
Amy Grant
For all of us, the anchors that hold us steady throughout our lives take on a sacred quality. Maybe it's a parent's sage advice, an insightful song lyric, an author's profound words. For A&M Records/Word Records recording artist Amy Grant, the early century hymns that laid the foundation of the Church worldwide continue to be her stalwart moorings.
So it seems appropriate that the five-time Grammy winner who started out singing hymns in church each Sunday, would return to her roots to commemorate her 25th anniversary in music and record her 17th album. Legacy... Hymns & Faith features 15 arrangements of hymn classics such as "It Is Well With My Soul," "Nothing But the Blood," "This Is My Father's World, " "My Jesus I Love Thee" and "How Great Thou Art" as well as four new contemporary songs and an instrumental.
"I really see Legacy as identifying for myself a long overdue musical expression of my roots," says Grant who in the past 20 years has garnered six No. 1 pop hits, including "Baby, Baby," "Next Time I Fall" and "I Will Remember You." The more life you live, you realize how precious it is to be moved. I just thought how much I would like to be moved again by these songs that really fashioned the framework of my faith as a child."
Hence the album, Legacy, an appropriate title, says Grant who thinks about the rich legacy her family has left her. She remembers standing in the church sanctuary every Sunday with her great-grandmother Mimi beside her. "She would sing the harmony parts to those hymns," she recalls. "I remember in the second grade memorizing all those verses and choruses throughout the week and then listening to Mimi sing them in church."
In fact, Grant's understanding of theology was born out of these words penned centuries ago, she says.
"It's tough to whip out in 90 minutes, in time for next week's worship time, something that 200 years from now people are going to be singing. To me, it's like hearing a pop song on the radio and comparing it to Handel's Messiah. One has its place for the moment. The other has its place in history."
To give new life to vintage standards, Grant enlisted veteran Brown Bannister (Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace) and husband and country superstar Vince Gill to co-produce the album as a team - the first time the two have paired up. Grant drew on Bannister's familiarity with the songs and the fresh ears of Gill who didn't grow up singing church music.
Together, Bannister, Gill and Grant plus well-known Nashville players Chad Cromwell (drums), Leland Sklar (bass), Tim Akers (Hammond B3), John Jarvis (keyboards) and revolving guitarists Kenny Greenberg, Gordon Kennedy and Richard Bennett. worked to retain each hymn's original melody in an intimate musical setting.
"We'd go in with what we thought needed to be the direction and basically keep changing instruments, changing keys, changing tempo until we found something that moved us," Grant explains. "I kept saying, 'Okay, an alien has visited our planet. We have the opportunity to introduce them to this song for the first time. What's the most compelling way we can do it? I wanted to re-introduce these songs with the hope that the people who grew up on them could also be moved again."
The 17th century hymn, "Fairest Lord Jesus," was recorded in one setting with each player in the studio facing each other. "Just recording that one hymn so differently than we usually approach songs was really special," Grant says, "and the environment fostered a very intimate recording."
The same holds true for the stirring arrangement that integrates refrains from hymns "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "The Old Rugged Cross" and flows effortlessly into the chorus of the 19th century "How Great Thou Art."
British pastor Robert Robinson's 18th century work, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," was the only song the team took liberties with, as they added moving harmonies to the familiar melody. The result is poignant lyrics ("Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it/Prone to leave the God I love/Here's my heart, O take and seal it/Seal it for Thy courts above") packaged in a contemporary musical framework a la The Eagles.
"What I hope this project does is provide for people who grew up with the same musical heritage I did a way to enjoy those songs again in a very intimate setting," she says. "I just kept thinking about one person sitting at home listening to these songs. It's not about radio. It's about one person listening."
In addition to the vintage collection, Legacy includes four signature cuts: "The River's Gonna Keep on Rollin'," written by Gill, "The Things We Left Behind," written by Grant, "Imagine" written and previously recorded by Bart Millard of the group Mercy Me and "Do You Remember?" written by Grant, Gill and Grant's longtime producer Keith Thomas. Each song, she says, fits with the intimate nature of the record, both musically and lyrically.
Instead of taking the usual six to eight months to make a record, Grant and her Nashville-based management team of Mike Blanton, Dan Harrell, Jennifer Cooke and Chaz Corzine took a different approach. The idea was to record the record in 25 days, not overscoping or overanalyzing any song.
"That was the great thing about doing this record," she says. "We really just kept going. The only important thing was that we were moved."
25 Years Worth Celebrating
It's those unique musical moments that characterize Grant's repertoire, as well as her 25-year career. She points to numerous "small world" experiences as some of her best surprises through the years.
"I run into people all the time who come up and say that my music has been a part their lives," she says, telling a recent story of meeting a Starbucks employee who in Fall '94 had seen her show in Bangkok. "It's all about sharing unique moments, and often I don't realize that maybe someone was sharing a moment until they come up and identify themselves. It feels like the richest experience in the world and it all was born out of music. That's the best thing."
Legacy marks the beginning of Word's yearlong celebration of Grant's 25 years in music. In 1978, at age 17, she signed her first record deal with the Word-owned Myrrh label and has since made her mark on the world at large. She has sold a total of 22 million records, including one quintuple platinum record (Heart in Motion), one triple platinum (Home for Christmas) and one double-platinum album (House of Love), as well as six additional platinum and three gold album releases.
Her numerous media appearances include "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," "Oprah," "Late Night With David Letterman" and "Larry King Live," among others, as well as special TV productions such as the Lifetime Television special "Women Rock!: Girls & Guitars," The Grammy Awards, The American Music Awards, Christmas In Washington, an acting debut role in a CBS network original movie A Song From the Heart, as well as hosting the CBS network "A Christmas to Remember" special.
This year, Grant was honored as 2001's Nashvillian of the Year for her leadership and community awareness strides encompassing her work with the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Nashville Symphony. Grant also participates in Nashville's Leadership Music Program and meets with terminally ill children as part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
As one of Word Records' premiere artists, she has pioneered the path for contemporary Christian music, winning 20 Dove Awards, the highest honor in the genre. As part of its celebration, Word plans to release an Amy Grant boxed set next Spring 2003. A studio album is also in works.
After 25 years of recording music, Grant remains true to herself and the faith that has sustained her. " You assess things differently. There's less pom-pom waving and more appreciation about the fanfare of the things that are real. So it's an exciting challenge to articulate faith at this point in the journey. But I think it's important for me to continue trying."
The excitement increased as Stewart had the chance to produce the album alongside dc Talk's Michael Tait, who concentrated on vocals. And it's those stalwart vocals that Grammatrain fans will undoubtedly recognize as the same ones which crashed passionately into the band's forcible music. While none of the emotion has died from Stewart's voice, the new songs he wrote and co-wrote for his first solo effort showcase its versatility.
Stewart's voice is not the first of his talents that Tait has acknowledged. Stewart plays guitar on the project as he did on dc Talk's Supernatural, which is when the two musicians first connected. After that they co-wrote "Uphill Battle," a harmonious song the two recorded as a duet for ForeFront's Ten: The Birthday Album. With less grit than Grammatrain's rock, "Uphill Battle" joins the debut's 10 other cuts which constitute the thoughts of this 26-year-old man who recently uprooted himself from the Seattle area along with Donna, his wife of six years, to head two thousand miles to Nashville. Stewart has always been a thinking man, reaffirming his beliefs through a difficult struggle during his years at a legalistic Bible college that frowned on loud rock bands容ven if kids did get saved at the concerts. On another level, his spiritual struggles were reflected in a lot of the songs he wrote for Grammatrain. Some of the themes of the new songs differ, but the depth remains. "Grammatrain was always introspective and this is introspective too, but I think this one's a little more like a celebration of God's love and salvation. Grammatrain tended to deal a little more with trying to die to our sinful nature," Stewart says. "The lyrics are a little more in your face as far as Christianity goes; they're a little more worshipful on some songs."
Musically, the songs reflect Stewart's interest in pop music. In fact, the disc's opening cut, "Out of my Mind," exemplifies the celebrative music and demonstrates the scope of Stewart's voice. Set to what Stewart calls "retro rock" mixed with modern sounds (including a horn refrain), lyrics co-written with dc Talk's Toby McKeehan speak of how constantly God fills the singer's thoughts, which to unbelievers seems crazy. Stewart's voice rises and falls without missing a beat, like water that rolls softly over pebbles and then gushes through gravel-filled rapids.
His voice also flows nicely in and out of low minor keys in "Better Off," a favorite of his depicting a scenario he can well relate to: growing up in a depressing town where life seems to be going nowhere. The way to truly become better off in life is not to seek out material things, but to know Christ. Stewart's wife inspired another of his favorites, "Don't Underestimate," by keeping her husband on track with what God wants him to do. The lyrics, again co-written by McKeehan, are sustained by solid and heavy, yet pleasant, guitars.
A song Stewart finds himself listening to often is another one he wrote for his wife: "Be the One." It's not a washed-out ballad; rather, it's a rocky declaration of faithful love to a person that has traveled many miles with him and supports him when he's away from home. "I just always felt like God blessed me with the right person," he says. "That song really sums up how I feel about our marriage." "It's amazing that God chooses to love us and accept us despite the fact that we struggle with our sinful nature・od's always offering us His grace," Stewart says, reiterating the message of "Spinning," a haunting melody with acoustic beginnings that blaze into a British pop sound reflective of the song's meditative nature. Similarly, "The Reason Is You" takes a pensive look at grace and wraps the quest for understanding God's choice to be benevolent into mellow harmonies and smooth vocals exhibitive of Tait's coaching. The song concludes: tell me why I should not give all I am to Him?
And Stewart's desire is to give all of himself to the Lord, resulting in the album's thanksgiving and worshipful themes. You fill my soul with peace and deliver me, and I will call upon Your name summarizes the reverent, acoustic ballad "Worship Song." Stewart's gentle vocals underline the song's pure honesty, indicating the influence of Larry Norman. Another evidence of Stewart's love for the simple authenticity of the early 70's music is the cover of "Little Country Church," going back in time to Lovesong預nd to Stewart's childhood when he listened to his parents' "Jesus Music" records.
Musically, Stewart cites Led Zeppelin and The Beatles to be among his influences, but lyrically it's apparent that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth sings. And with such an inescapable voice proclaiming the depths of a Spirit-filled dwelling, Pete Stewart at the very least will awaken the complacent to the fact that walking with Christ is exciting. [end]
www.christianitytoday.com
Amy Grant
For all of us, the anchors that hold us steady throughout our lives take on a sacred quality. Maybe it's a parent's sage advice, an insightful song lyric, an author's profound words. For A&M Records/Word Records recording artist Amy Grant, the early century hymns that laid the foundation of the Church worldwide continue to be her stalwart moorings.
So it seems appropriate that the five-time Grammy winner who started out singing hymns in church each Sunday, would return to her roots to commemorate her 25th anniversary in music and record her 17th album. Legacy... Hymns & Faith features 15 arrangements of hymn classics such as "It Is Well With My Soul," "Nothing But the Blood," "This Is My Father's World, " "My Jesus I Love Thee" and "How Great Thou Art" as well as four new contemporary songs and an instrumental.
"I really see Legacy as identifying for myself a long overdue musical expression of my roots," says Grant who in the past 20 years has garnered six No. 1 pop hits, including "Baby, Baby," "Next Time I Fall" and "I Will Remember You." The more life you live, you realize how precious it is to be moved. I just thought how much I would like to be moved again by these songs that really fashioned the framework of my faith as a child."
Hence the album, Legacy, an appropriate title, says Grant who thinks about the rich legacy her family has left her. She remembers standing in the church sanctuary every Sunday with her great-grandmother Mimi beside her. "She would sing the harmony parts to those hymns," she recalls. "I remember in the second grade memorizing all those verses and choruses throughout the week and then listening to Mimi sing them in church."
In fact, Grant's understanding of theology was born out of these words penned centuries ago, she says.
"It's tough to whip out in 90 minutes, in time for next week's worship time, something that 200 years from now people are going to be singing. To me, it's like hearing a pop song on the radio and comparing it to Handel's Messiah. One has its place for the moment. The other has its place in history."
To give new life to vintage standards, Grant enlisted veteran Brown Bannister (Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace) and husband and country superstar Vince Gill to co-produce the album as a team - the first time the two have paired up. Grant drew on Bannister's familiarity with the songs and the fresh ears of Gill who didn't grow up singing church music.
Together, Bannister, Gill and Grant plus well-known Nashville players Chad Cromwell (drums), Leland Sklar (bass), Tim Akers (Hammond B3), John Jarvis (keyboards) and revolving guitarists Kenny Greenberg, Gordon Kennedy and Richard Bennett. worked to retain each hymn's original melody in an intimate musical setting.
"We'd go in with what we thought needed to be the direction and basically keep changing instruments, changing keys, changing tempo until we found something that moved us," Grant explains. "I kept saying, 'Okay, an alien has visited our planet. We have the opportunity to introduce them to this song for the first time. What's the most compelling way we can do it? I wanted to re-introduce these songs with the hope that the people who grew up on them could also be moved again."
The 17th century hymn, "Fairest Lord Jesus," was recorded in one setting with each player in the studio facing each other. "Just recording that one hymn so differently than we usually approach songs was really special," Grant says, "and the environment fostered a very intimate recording."
The same holds true for the stirring arrangement that integrates refrains from hymns "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "The Old Rugged Cross" and flows effortlessly into the chorus of the 19th century "How Great Thou Art."
British pastor Robert Robinson's 18th century work, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," was the only song the team took liberties with, as they added moving harmonies to the familiar melody. The result is poignant lyrics ("Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it/Prone to leave the God I love/Here's my heart, O take and seal it/Seal it for Thy courts above") packaged in a contemporary musical framework a la The Eagles.
"What I hope this project does is provide for people who grew up with the same musical heritage I did a way to enjoy those songs again in a very intimate setting," she says. "I just kept thinking about one person sitting at home listening to these songs. It's not about radio. It's about one person listening."
In addition to the vintage collection, Legacy includes four signature cuts: "The River's Gonna Keep on Rollin'," written by Gill, "The Things We Left Behind," written by Grant, "Imagine" written and previously recorded by Bart Millard of the group Mercy Me and "Do You Remember?" written by Grant, Gill and Grant's longtime producer Keith Thomas. Each song, she says, fits with the intimate nature of the record, both musically and lyrically.
Instead of taking the usual six to eight months to make a record, Grant and her Nashville-based management team of Mike Blanton, Dan Harrell, Jennifer Cooke and Chaz Corzine took a different approach. The idea was to record the record in 25 days, not overscoping or overanalyzing any song.
"That was the great thing about doing this record," she says. "We really just kept going. The only important thing was that we were moved."
25 Years Worth Celebrating
It's those unique musical moments that characterize Grant's repertoire, as well as her 25-year career. She points to numerous "small world" experiences as some of her best surprises through the years.
"I run into people all the time who come up and say that my music has been a part their lives," she says, telling a recent story of meeting a Starbucks employee who in Fall '94 had seen her show in Bangkok. "It's all about sharing unique moments, and often I don't realize that maybe someone was sharing a moment until they come up and identify themselves. It feels like the richest experience in the world and it all was born out of music. That's the best thing."
Legacy marks the beginning of Word's yearlong celebration of Grant's 25 years in music. In 1978, at age 17, she signed her first record deal with the Word-owned Myrrh label and has since made her mark on the world at large. She has sold a total of 22 million records, including one quintuple platinum record (Heart in Motion), one triple platinum (Home for Christmas) and one double-platinum album (House of Love), as well as six additional platinum and three gold album releases.
Her numerous media appearances include "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," "Oprah," "Late Night With David Letterman" and "Larry King Live," among others, as well as special TV productions such as the Lifetime Television special "Women Rock!: Girls & Guitars," The Grammy Awards, The American Music Awards, Christmas In Washington, an acting debut role in a CBS network original movie A Song From the Heart, as well as hosting the CBS network "A Christmas to Remember" special.
This year, Grant was honored as 2001's Nashvillian of the Year for her leadership and community awareness strides encompassing her work with the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Nashville Symphony. Grant also participates in Nashville's Leadership Music Program and meets with terminally ill children as part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
As one of Word Records' premiere artists, she has pioneered the path for contemporary Christian music, winning 20 Dove Awards, the highest honor in the genre. As part of its celebration, Word plans to release an Amy Grant boxed set next Spring 2003. A studio album is also in works.
After 25 years of recording music, Grant remains true to herself and the faith that has sustained her. " You assess things differently. There's less pom-pom waving and more appreciation about the fanfare of the things that are real. So it's an exciting challenge to articulate faith at this point in the journey. But I think it's important for me to continue trying."
Albums
-
Lonely House
Flying
Grammatrain Live - 120798
