We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

supported by
grandeped
grandeped thumbnail
/
1.
Word 2 Soul featuring Amy Mintzer & Monette Newsuan - Reach 05:40
info
buy track
2.
A Symphony of Praise 04:23
info
buy track
3.
Word 2 Soul featuring Autumn Brown - Benediction 03:36
info
buy track
4.
Word 2 Soul featuring Autumn Brown - He Wants to Bless You 04:17
info
buy track
5.
Word 2 Soul featuring Linda Wheatley - In His Kingdom 03:53
info
buy track
6.
Word 2 Soul featuring Chris Bovard on lead guitar - I am Fine With That 03:49 video
info
buy track
7.
Word 2 Soul featuring Janice Todd - A Fine Line 03:47
info
buy track
8.
Word 2 Soul featuring Tim Breon on lead guitar - Carpenter's Kid 04:19
info
buy track
9.
There He Stays 05:05 video
info
buy track
10.
Word 2 Soul featuring Lyanna Lusk - Even in the Night 03:48
info
buy track
11.
Word 2 Soul featuring Dana Marshall - Who Do You Say I Am? 04:27
info
buy track
12.
Word 2 Soul featuring Johnny J Blair - The Standard 04:20
info
buy track
13.
Free Me 08:13
info
buy track
14.
Word 2 Soul featuring Johnny J Blair - Just One Victory (demo) 03:41
info
buy track
15.
First Flame (outtake) 05:09
info
buy track
16.
Henrietta Hadley/Marlon Walker - United 04:21
info
buy track
17.
Word 2 Soul featuring Alice Weiler - Voices (outtake) 08:50
info
buy track

about

(Edited from the 2005 news release from Williamsport PA): WORD 2 SOUL MUSIC PROJECT FINALLY RELEASED--URBAN GOSPEL COLLABORATION HIGHLIGHTS REGIONAL
TALENT

Aspiring lyricist Amy Mintzer did not expect that her "demo sessions" from 2000 would overflow into a full-length, radio ready production, but "The Word 2 Soul Project" is finally on the market.

"Amy tagged me to set up some demos with the goal of shopping for a publishing deal," say main collaborator, musician and producer Johnny J. Blair. "The recordings turned out so good I couldn’t stop some disc jockeys from airing them. We took it to another level and ended up with an entire concept album."

The template of the "W2S Project" recalls concept albums by Quincy Jones or the Alan Parsons Project—where the producers wrote the music and a panel of singers interpreted the songs.

"Every singer brings their own dynamic to the material. Different singers bring different colors," noted Blair, who sang lead and harmony throughout and played most of the instruments. Guitarists Tim Breon (Martha Reeves, Olivia Newton-John, Davy Jones) and Chris Bovard (Blind Chitlin Kahunas) contributed "sizzling" lead guitar parts.

Singers on the "W2S Project" include local talents Janice Todd and Alice Weiler as well as former city residents Autumn Brown and (sometime back-up singers for Davy Jones) Monette Newsuan and Linda Wheatley. Harrisburg's Lyanna Lusk was also enlisted.

"Even though the sessions were spread out over months, the end results are amazingly unified," said Blair, who has been recording since the 1970s and issuing his own music since the 1980s. His sunny brand of innovative pop and world beat rhythms, layered with gospel and "American-roots music," has reached a global audience (www.johnnyjblairmusic.com). He’s worked with a "who’s who" of the music business and has a produced string of releases with Davy Jones (The Monkees).

"We have so many Word 2 Soul songs recorded we had to start our own publishing company," said Blair. Other artists are already covering W2S material. Award-winning gospel singer Carol Calloway recorded four titles for her recent CD (www.cdbaby.com/cd/carolc3).

Said Mintzer, "Actually, the term ‘songwriting’ is a bit formal. Song-groovin’ or ‘groove design’ might fit more suitably. In conjunction with Johnny, my good friend and talent extraordinaire, the results are form and flow that hopefully others will enjoy and find uplifting. God puts an idea in my head. I make a rough sketch with John. He takes that and, with his masterful arranging and experience, molds something amazing and wonderful."

Mintzer grew up in the small town of McVeytown, PA (next to Lewistown PA—once profiled in Rolling Stone magazine as an all-American city). Her musical influences include The Blue Ridge Quartet, Marvin Gaye and The Jackson Five. She sang in high school and church choirs, took piano lessons and played flute in marching band.

"Someone made me and called me beautiful— God, Who planted the idea of songwriting in the head of my husband Dean, and also in my kids."

Brought up in a United Methodist home, Mintzer was taught to put Jesus and God ahead of the church because He is the Head of the church. She learned that a Christian’s goal is not heaven, but to become Christlike—heaven is the reward. This perspective informs Mintzer’s lyrics.

Mintzer concludes, "’Word 2 Soul’" became the goal: ’To Improve the Groove For God's Kingdom.’ Can we? Do we? You decide." Soundclips and CDs can be found at cdbaby.com/cd/word2soul.

==========

Around the time of the FIRE album I released in 2000, there was an explosion of creativity and a corral of talent coming together. From this fruitful period we produced Monette Newsuan's album, and sessions with Davy Jones--notably "When All Else Fails." I always enjoy revisiting this time of my life and remembering the people who were part of it.--Johnny J Blair 4/12.

credits

released September 11, 2005

All lyrics by Amy Mintzer. All music arranged & composed by Johnny J. Blair & Amy Mintzer except "Just One Victory" by Todd Rundgren, and "United" by Marlon Walker.
Copyright 2002-5 Published by Word 2 Soul Music BMI except "Just One Victory" written by Todd Rundgren, published by Humanoid Music, Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Produced by Johnny J Blair
Executive Producer: Amy Mintzer

Recorded mainly at NEAN/R&J Studios, S. Williamsport PA
Engineered by Tim Breon
Assistant Engineers: JJB, Eric Hulien & Willi Ort
Mastered by Tim Breon
Cover art by Cassie Blair

Musicians:
JJB: bass, drums, drum/percussion programs, guitars, keyboards,
orchestration, percussion
Chris Bovard: lead guitar “I’m Fine With That”
Tim Breon: lead guitar “Even in the Night” and
“Who Do You Say I Am?”
Eric Hulien: drum/percussion programs

Vocalists:
Cassie Blair: harmony vocals “Carpenter’s Kid”
Johnny J Blair*: lead & harmony vocals “Carpenter’s Kid,” "First Flame," "Free Me," “I Want to Praise Him,” “I’m Fine With That," "Just One Victory," harmony vocals on all other songs
Autumn Brown a.k.a. Suzu Reign: lead & harmony vocals “Benediction” and
“He Wants to Bless You”
Henrietta Hadley: lead vocals "United"
Lyanna Lusk*: lead vocals “Even in the Night”
Dana Marshall: lead vocals “Who Do You Say I Am?”
Amy Mintzer: lead vocals “Reach”
Monette Newsuan: duet & harmony vocals "Reach"
Janice Todd**: lead vocals “A Fine Line (That We Walk)”
Alice Weiler: lead vocals “Voices”
Linda Wheatley: lead & harmony vocals “In His Kingdom”

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large" image

Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large" San Francisco, California

"Johnny is a virtuoso"--Brian Wilson
"Pop music with a conscience.”--Goldmine
“the Harry Houdini of rock and roll.”-- Spotlight. Listen to Johnny's fast-paced mix of old school soul, psychedelia, punk/new wave, & classic pop/rock. Singer-songwriter in his own right, he was also a sideman for Davy Jones and The Monkees + performed with David Cassidy, Al Stewart, Buddy & Julie Miller, & others. ... more

contact / help

Contact Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large"

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this album or account

Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large" recommends:

If you like WORD 2 SOUL PROJECT, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now