United Tenors Hammond Hollister Roberson Wilson (CD)

Kicking off with the tight and funky number "Unshakeable," United Tenors could be mistaken for one of Fred Hammond's Commissioned albums at first, but when the R&B harmonizing comes in on the hit single "Here in Our Praise," the difference is obvious. Here, multi-Grammy, multi-platinum leader Hammond is joined by well-known singers Dave Hollister, Eric Roberson, and Brian Courtney Wilson for the gospel quartet version of Blackstreet, the group which Hollister was a member of. The hip production touches that Hammond often employs on Commissioned releases are repeated here with scratching, sampling, and cool rhythms -- check "I'm Reminded," which is somewhere between a Drake song and something from the New Jack Swing era -- all figuring into the mix. Still, when reverence is required, the music is warm and comfortable, making this all-star combo's debut varied as well as verity. Perhaps they're too much of a group at this point, with only a few showcase opportunities given to the individual members, but anyone who's made the move from Guy or Gap Band to gospel is likely to embrace Hammond's vision. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi