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LP
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DD 010LP
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Jimetta Rose and The Voices of Creation present new album Things Are Getting Better via Day Dreamer Recordings. A spirit-lifting, soul-stirring devotional that effortlessly unites house, funk, soul, RnB and hip-hop influences, Things Are Getting Better hears the LA-based vocal group reach new heights to spread a message of faith and togetherness in troubled times. Accompanying the announcement is lead single "Portals." "Portals" is the album's opening track and first single, an invitation to step into a new paradigm and a new way of thinking. Built on a shuffling groove, Jimetta leads the Voices of Creation in a soaring incantation to self-belief. Breaking the traditional gospel mold with soulful RnB vocal runs and syncopated verses, "Portals" is a fitting introduction to an album that might just change your life. Where their Mario Caldato-produced debut How Good It Is (DD 007LP, 2022) captured the raw power of the choir and channeled their irrepressible live energy on record, Things Are Getting Better introduces a more crafted studio sound to the arrangements. An evolution rather than a reinvention, this is the gospel of Jimetta, delivering "new mantras and new prayers for this new day that we find ourselves in that is so stark between the dark and the light." Composed of non-professional singers who she assembled following an online call-out, The Voices of Creation embodies Jimetta's mission to demystify the ministry, spreading a message of faith in the power of music to effect positive change. A prolific vocalist and collaborator with the likes of Anderson. Paak, Carlos Niño, and Angel Bat Dawid, this time Jimetta leads from the front, bringing in instrumentalists Isaiah Collier, Ryan Porter, and V.C.R. to create a fuller, more diverse palette. Recorded at Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles alongside fellow producers and choir members Jack Maeby, Allakoi Peete, and mixed by Ben Baptie, the resulting album encapsulates Jimetta's vision for a "Black spiritual classical music." Music, faith, community. The Voices of Creation are living their purpose and things are only going to get better.
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LP
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DD 007LP
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Limited restock. The Voices of Creation are a community-based choir led by vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and mainstay of the Los Angeles scene Jimetta Rose. Made up of a multigenerational group of mainly non-professional singers backed by some of the city's finest musicians, their music marries hip strains of gospel with layers of jazz, soul and funk. While aspects of their music might recall Kamasi Washington, The Staple Singers or Sly Stone, Jimetta's unique vision has resulted in new spiritually-charged forms of music whose whole-hearted embrace of love, joy and peace act as sonic healing balms for the soul. For Jimetta -- whose resume includes collaborations with Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Angel Bat Dawid -- the very act of creation was part of a healing process. Among those accepted into the ever-evolving collective, which was begun initially as a community choir, were the likes of Sly Stone's daughter Novena Carmel, better known as a radio DJ for KCRW's flagship breakfast show. Jimetta's upbringing in the Pentecostal church, where she was a youth choir director, fed into her otherwise intuitive teachings of her songs and arrangements to the inexperienced members with help from the group's seasoned organ player/co-musical director Jack Maeby. Produced by Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Seu Jorge) and his wife Samantha Caldato the results show the incredible sense of togetherness and communal spirit that the group had built up over time in the rehearsal sessions. The six tracks of their debut album, a mixture of originals and rearranged covers, are performed in a wide-eyed mix of styles that reflect Jimetta's vision for borderless music. The group's propensity for warm and buoyant sonics finds representation on album opener "Let The Sunshine In," a sparkling rework of the Sons and Daughters of Lite's deep jazz classic. Their version finds the group's dynamic group harmonies offset with Allakoi Peete's nimble Afro-percussive touches and plenty of soul-drenched keys courtesy of pianist Quran Shaheed and organ player Jack Maeby. A similarly uplifting take on Rahsaan Roland Kirk's choral jazz classic "Spirits Up Above follows," with Maeby's groove-laden organ lines inspiring some gorgeous group harmonies as well as prime solo turns from the likes of Kellye Hawkins, Zavier Wise, Tamara Blue, and Khalila Gardner. Another Sons and Daughters of Lite cover follows as Jimetta leads the choir in the groove-drenched ode to self-affirmation "Operation Feed Yourself." Written as a series of mantras for everyday living, the Jimetta-penned composition "How Good It Is" harnesses the full transformative power of music to generate a stirring and joyful ode to positivity. Jimetta's talent for re-imagining songs in her own light is highlighted in "Answer The Call," her vivid re-telling of Funkadelic's Cosmic Slop. The album finishes with the standout original gospel number "Ain't Life Grand".
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