
Award-winning Gospel star, Ted Winn was born and raised in Memphis but latterly he’s been working out of Atlanta and Washington DC. ‘Stand In Awe’ is his second long player and the ten tracker is a musical manifestation of his beliefs – sure the traditional Gospel messages are here, but Winn goes much further than what we would probably best call the Gospel establishment. Ted believes that Gospel artists should, indeed must, speak out through their music on issues that affect black people. He says: “Just because you go to church and you believe in God, doesn’t mean anything. Your’e still black… you still experience all the other issues that people of colour are experiencing ion a daily basis.”
Hear Winn’s message throughout the album and most notably on the big opener, ‘The Greatest Power’ which features Gospel don, Hezekiah Walker. Elsewhere – on the title track for instance, the messages are more subtle. Musically the soundscape owes much to the pioneering work of people like Andrae Crouch and the Winans with Ted’s own singers, Balance, offering stellar support alongside guests Lisa Knowles and Maranda Curtis who features on one of the albums best inspirational ballads, ‘Grateful’.
(BB) 3/5