Victory Live! (CD - 2006)

Tye Tribbett & G.A.: Candace Felder, Carolyn Benjamin, Dania Daniels, DeMaris Tribbett, Shaylah Stevens, Shukriyyah "Peahie" Parham, Shannon Murray (soprano); Cachet Bailey, Angela White (alto); Arron Camper, Darnell Parham (tenor); Delandria Mills (guitar); Christopher "Chris" Stevens, Theljon Allen (trumpet); Dana Sorey (organ, keyboards); Parris "Diddy" Bowens (keyboards); Tye Tribbett (bass guitar); Leonard "Pudge" Tribbett Jr. (percussion); George "Spanky" McCurdy, Darnell Miller.

Personnel: Angela White, Shante Tribbett (vocals, alto); Aaron Camper (vocals, tenor); DeMaris Tribbett (vocals); Kimberly Tribbett, Dionne Bowens, Dean McKinney Moore, Daneen Parham, Cachet Bailey (alto); Lionel Brown, Darnell Parham, Jerome White (tenor); Darnell Miller (guitar); Delandria Mills (flute); Danté "Telly" Felder (alto saxophone); Curtis Jones (trombone); George "Spanky" McCurdy (drums).

Audio Mixer: Ryan Moys.

Recording information: Axis Recording Studio, Philadelphia, PA (12/03/2005); Deliverance Evangelistic Church, Philadelphia, PA (12/03/2005); Sony Studios, New York, NY (12/03/2005).

Photographer: Ron Cadiz.

Tye Tribbett gives gospel a shot in the arm with VICTORY LIVE!, a concert performance that features Tribbett and his choir and band going full-tilt for the Lord. Tribbett's not afraid to tweak the formula of traditional gospel to achieve new forms of uplifting music by incorporating elements of R&B, rock, hip-hop, Celtic, and other styles (note the go-go beat in "Victory"). Yet Tribbett and company never stray far from their roots, as the tent revival feel of "Still Have Joy" proves. Connecting these musical directions takes serious commitment, making VICTORY LIVE! a truly moving document of spiritual expression.

After a solid yet otherwise understated in-studio debut, contemporary gospel supergroup Tye Tribbett & G.A. took to the stage of a Philadelphia megachurch to record the follow-up, Victory Live!, thus offering a more true-to-form representation of the group's sound, synergy, and spirit. Ironically and perhaps coincidentally, Victory Live!'s predecessor, 2004's Life, had more in common with Philly in the way it married urban gospel with neo-soul tendencies, but overall it was too polite an album to really catch anyone by surprise. Victory Live! is different: it explodes right out of the gate to position itself as one of the most unusual, spellbinding contemporary gospel spectacles of 2006, if not of the entire history of the subgenre. The album's sonic ambitions recall those of gospel provocateur Tonéx -- himself a kindred spirit of bandleader Tye Tribbett -- but here things aren't overblown to the point of exhaustion or showmanship. Instead, Tribbett makes sure his agenda for the disc -- to inspire the faithful to use praise to declare victory over their own inadequacies -- isn't obscured by the pyrotechnics, which are already formidable to begin with. By keeping a firm footing on high-powered gospel vocals, Tribbett is able to gel an endless palette of sensibilities, including ferocious funk-rock ("Victory," "I Want It All Back"), Celtic pop ("Hallelujah to Your Name"), bossa nova (Andraé Crouch's "Bless the Lord"), pop/rock ("No Other Choice"), inspirational ("Seated at the Right Hand of God"), and even straight-up Broadway ("Everything Will Be Alright," "Sinking"). Such an extensive laundry list of styles could've been a hot mess if handled any differently, but Tribbett is a church boy: he and his troupe know where they are, so they stick to the program and try as best as possible to keep it churchy. While on occasion things do get too grand for their own good, Victory Live! is a triumph in the end: it stretches the boundaries of gospel music to places that it's never been. ~ Andree Farias minimize