The Butler

A vocalist and guitarist that writes and produces most of his own music, Jonathan Butler has had successes over his twenty-five year recording career in pop, R&B, smooth jazz and adult formats. Self-produced, the songs on The Worship Project reflect the heart of a man who feels that he is in the best place he has been in personally in over a decade. The album is incredibly soulful and the messages are deeply spiritual. Butler's nylon guitar, smooth piano and jazzy vocals intertwine with shuffling percussion rhythms to create this 12-song gospel marvel.

LaVerne Butler has recorded only sporadically since her 1992 debut, but it isn't due to a lack of talent. Steeped in jazz with an appreciation for R&B, she tackles a mix of Broadway tunes and pop, backed by her frequent collaborator, the gifted pianist Bruce Barth, who also penned the arrangements, along with bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Rudy Royston, with tenor saxophonist Houston Person added on seven tracks. Butler makes it all sound effortless with her expressive alto, gliding through the arrangements as if they've long been part of her repertoire instead of being created just before the sessions.