Kevin Tracey

Like evangelistic sax great Kirk Whalum, versatile vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Butler has drawn upon his success in contemporary urban jazz to create opportunities in the realm of worship and gospel music. The South African-born artist launched this phase of his career with 2004's The Worship Project and has since anchored his live jazz performances with the crowd-pleasing "Brand New Day" and "Falling in Love with Jesus." While tracks like the title tune "Grace and Mercy," "You're All That I Need," and "Who Is Like the Lord" are rousing, choir-filled, R&B-driven call and response church tunes, the crux of what Butler is going for on this dynamic and heartfelt set is his simple but emotional exhortation on the passionate reflective ballad "Moments of Worship" to "Lift those hands…give glory to God."

The long-overdue reissue of a classic album. Initially released on an independent Montreal-based label, this album has been out of print for years, although it was one of the largest-selling independent releases in Canada. From beginning to end, this album is brilliant, with wonderful songs played with emotion on synthesizers. Danceable, melodic, futuristic (for its time), and overall, a treat. "Close to Nature," "Saturdays in Silesia," and "Just a Sound In the Night," among others, are amazing songs, played expertly, and now on CD sounding as they were meant to be heard. Actually, there are no weak songs on the CD, and the whole package comes highly recommended.