Andrae Crouch music

Over the course of four history-making decades, Andrae Crouch has done more than any other artist in living memory to bring the power, majesty and pure elation of great gospel to hungry hearts around the world.

Supremely talented, intensely dedicated and enormously influential, he has faithfully offered the timeless message of God's love to nations and generations with a freshness, originality and authenticity that have earned him a unique and enduring place in the annals of inspirational music.

His accomplishments are immeasurably enhanced with the release of his long-waited new Verity Records debut album, Mighty Wind. Two years in the making and featuring 14 stunning selections, including both new songs and inspired renditions of beloved classics, Mighty Wind is, simply put, an exuberant celebration of a man and his music, both which have enriched the lives and stirred the spirits of millions.

But Mighty Wind is more than just a celebration of a lifetime's journey. It also points the way to a new musical chapter in Andrae's ever unfolding artistry. Unlike his previous solo projects, Mighty Wind was, from its inception, created to be purely inspirational. ?Styles and tastes change,? Andrae says, of the guiding spirit behind his first studio album of newly recorded music since 1997's acclaimed Pray. ?Yet the message of the gospel never changes. I try to bring that truth into a contemporary setting, through melody and rhythm and lyrics that will draw people in. But I guess you could say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. And God's truth is always the same: yesterday, today and tomorrow.?

It's a truth that finds uplifting expression on a collection that clearly stands as a new high water mark for an artist who has consistently gone from strength to strength over the course of more than thirty albums. Awe- inspiring and infused with deep devotional power, Mighty Wind was produced by Andrae, along with accomplished collaborator Luther ?Mano? Hanes and features an A-list assembly of supporting musicians and vocalists, including such notable special guests as Pastor Marvin Winans, Fred Hammond, Tata Vega, Crystal Lewis, and Karen Clark-Sheard.

Small wonder Mighty Wind soars on eagle's wings from the first stirring notes of ?I Was Glad,? to the last, fading refrain of the glorious title track. In between, Andrae and his team offer up a musical feast that features the exhilarating ?Thank You For Everything,? to the transcendent ?Bless The Lord,? to a version of the time-honored ?Softly And Tenderly,? which is sure to become a defining version of this familiar hymn. Other standout selections include ?O Give Thanks,? ?Yes, Lord? and ?All Because Of Jesus? - each one an instant Crouch classic.

Mixing old and new, traditional and contemporary, Andrae has also managed to blend the polished production values for which he is renowned with the spontaneous energy of an up-close and personal gospel service. It's a feat accomplished with the help of such renowned vocal powerhouses as The San Diego Mass Choir along with the acclaimed choir at the New Christ Memorial Church of God In Christ, where Andrae has been a pastor since the late Nineties. ?It's one thing to go into a studio and cut an album,? Andrae asserts. ?It's another to bring with you a group and brothers and sisters who have shared your life with you. That's one of the things that makes this album so special to me.?

Both Andrae's artistic integrity and musical acumen are backed up by a lifetime of experience, a rich history that encompasses many of the most significant musical moments of the last half-century. Hailing from Los Angeles, Andrae cut his creative teeth singing and playing piano in his father's church. Despite being entirely self-taught, he was writing his own songs by age ten and went on to form the Church Of God In Christ Singers along with keyboard great Billy Preston and his sister Sandra Crouch.