The Jones Singers begin this Special Arrangement of Walter Hawkins and the Love Center Choir’s “Special Gift” by Earl J Miller with a live-band capture – an instantly engaging and well-produced moment of instrumental expressiveness. The atmosphere shifts from a simple Gospel/pop-rock vibe to one that is fully immersed in the freedom and taste of jazz.
From Calvert County, Maryland, the Jones Vocalists are a talented musical family with deep roots in superb gospel singing, arrangement, and songwriting. They have shared the stage with well-known gospel musicians and sung background vocals with other legendary singers.
The Jones Singers have five vocalists, but this “Solo Sessions” session will only have four. Yolanda Miller, Alvin Jones, Phelicia Jones, Lavonya Echols, and Britney Jones are the vocalists (not featured)
Thaddeus “Leon” Moore is the bassist, Shane Galloway is the drummer, Hasmon “Chester” Abraham is the guitarist, and Earl J Miller is the keyboardist.
Earl Miller Music is a platform dedicated to Earl Miller’s original music as well as his covers of well-known songs. He enjoys singing songs with tonalities such as jazz, classical, funk, r&b, folk, fusion, soul, reggae, gospel, and rock. His show “Solo Sessions” also serves as a platform for “other” outstanding and skilled vocalists and musicians.
The new arrangement incorporates engaging, meandering vocals with a typical pop-rock build-up that employs short lines and rhymes – before a longer-form part leads magnificently into the hook’s resolution.
The Jones Singers appear to have infused their music with every emotion and thought that drives them or takes them down, delivering unshakable truthfulness, submission to a greater power, and an inspiring sense of resolve that ultimately inspires hope and possibilities.
As the set progresses, a surprising amount of acoustic musicality emerges. The music begins with a Gospel flair and a creative atmosphere while remaining focused on the piece’s leading strength and featuring a gloriously uplifting hook from a passionate chorus. We’ve been given a precise level of variation, which helps keep everything entertaining, engaging, and easy to connect with.
You continue with a superbly jazz-driven and emotionally engaging piece, complete with hi-hats, delicate solos, and stunning vocal performances. The voice has enough worth inside the sound to carry the song on its own, but when combined with such excellent rearrangement, the music becomes much more. This is evident throughout the performance.
It becomes very familiar very quickly, but it never becomes tedious. You remember it, you find yourself singing it, and you want to hear it again – all of which are crucial qualities for a great arrangement.
