New Music Scoop: CD Reviews
Christmas music from two West Michigan artists:Wayburn Dean
"Joy to the World"
West Michigan singer-songwriter Wayburn Dean has a new collection of Christmas songs that will do very nicely for this holiday season.
Eleven songs (including two originals) are on "Joy to the World," became available for streaming/downloads on Nov. 23.
A sampling: a traditional carol such as "O Come All Ye Faithful" is treated with a soul-inspired setting, highlighted by Dean's smooth vocals. "The First Noel" also has a compelling arrangement. And "Joy to the World" is joyously uptempo!
A true labor of love, Dean produced the album and sang all the lead and background vocals. His wife Janae was executive producer and wrote the two original selections, "Glory to the King" and "So This I Give."
Dean is a former member of the inspirational vocal group Acapella. His solo music career includes numerous albums and several national top-ten songs. (sample his lyric video for "The First Noel" online ) Also check www.wayburndean.com
Jeremy Hoekstra
"O Little Town of Bethlehem"
Singer-songwriter Jeremy Hoekstra has a new rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
Hoekstra, a Grand Rapids church worship leader, has fashioned a version that features both electric and acoustic guitars, layered with his own combination of synth and drum loops.
"My favorite line in the song is 'The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight,' a line I think can be helpful to a lot of us these days," he said.
The song is now available at various online locations (Spotify, Amazon, etc.) or at his website www.jeremyhoekstra.com
