It’s been 17 long years since Ivan Parker recorded his first Christmas project. The wait was worth it. Ivan has released “Christmas Dreaming” and it’s a dandy of a CD. The CD kicks off with a Big Band arrangement of “There’s No Place Like Home” and it showcases Ivan’s warm baritone. It makes you long for more and Ivan delivers on this CD. One of my favorites on the CD is “Christmas Dreaming” with Ivan crooning and making me wish I had his voice. Wow. Ivan slips in a few carols: “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and “What Child Is This.” But the true highlights are the more modern Christmas material on this CD. “My Grown Up Christmas List,” is for me the highlight of the CD, with Ivan crooning of longing for friendship, no war, and peace for all men, and that love would always win. Overall the best Christmas CD in the past few years to have been recorded. Yes, the wait was worth it. Kudos to Garry Jones for the arrangements and pulling the best out of Ivan. Visit Ivan at facebook. com/ivanparkerofficial/ and get a copy of “Christmas Dreaming” at ivanparker.com/store_cds.html. Strongest Songs: “Christmas Dreaming,” “My Grown Up Christmas Wish,” “Christmas Time Is Here”
Songs: “It Runs In The Family” (Daryl K. Williams - Kirk Talley ASCAP); “For What Earthly Reason” (Dottie Rambo SESAC); “God Still Delivers” (Marty Funderburk - John Mathis, Jr. BMI); “Magnify Him” (Kirk Talley BMI); “Mercy And Love” (Randall Garland - Rachel McCutcheon BMI); “Altar Of Grace” (Gina Boe - Rachel McCutcheon - Sue C. Smith ASCAP); “The Lamb” (Jeff Baumgardner Joel Lindsey - Wayne Haun BMI); “Live Like Jesus” (Rebecca Peck - Dianne Wilkinson BMI); “Your Ways Are Higher Than Mine” (Rachel McCutcheon BMI); “Awesome Power Of Prayer” (Marcia Henry - Rachel McCutcheon BMI); “Bring It Broken” (Wayne Haun - Tony Wood SESAC); “Do You Know The Savior” (Karen Gillespie - Rachel McCutcheon BMI); “Casting Crowns At His Feet/Worthy The Lamb” (Gordon Jensen - Bill Gaither - Gloria Gaither ASCAP/BMI); “We Shall Behold Him/The King Is Coming” (Dottie Rambo - Bill Gaither - Gloria Gaither - Charles Millhuff SESAC/ BMI) The sign that you’ve been a DJ for awhile is that you played the Collingsworths when the group was only Phil and Kim. The children soon joined their parents around the year 2000 and the rest, as they say, is history. Since 2012, they have won the Mixed Group of the Year nationally, for a total of six awards, and this album shows you why. It is a mixture of old and new material from established and up-and-coming songwriters, which combine to make one of the best Collingsworth CDs in recent years. Plus, on most CDs artists record only 10 songs, but on this CD you get 14 songs. They must have not been able to whittle the list down, and listening, you can see why. No filler on this CD. A song written in 1986, which sounds like it was made for the Collingsworths, “It Runs In The Family,” written by Kirk Talley and Daryl K. Williams starts things off. Their current single is “Mercy and Love” and could be their first No. 1 in a few years.
The Collingsworth Family “Mercy and Love” Producer: David Clydesdale and Wayne Haun Label: Stowtown Records 2018
There are some powerful songs on this CD: “Altar Of Grace,” “Your Ways Are Higher Than Mine,” and “The Lamb,” all sung in Collingsworth style, where family harmony and powerful lyrics join together to bless the listener. A favorite of mine is “Live Like Jesus,” featuring Phillip, with a catchy big band arrangement, makes for