Label: Jedidiah Records

Producer: Jonathon Curry, Eric Bailey

Release Date: 2004

Tim Solomon is perhaps one of the finest gospel/soul/R&B vocalists I've heard in ages. The man's heart and soul are blessed and this fine collection of tracks hold inescapable evidence that he is truly wired up to heaven!

Great is thy faithfulness is a five track EP that has been brought into the world courtesy of Tim and an ensemble of highly accomplished co-producers. It's a stunning reflection of what's possible with a little passion and commitment driven by dedication, determination and some sprinklings of help from above!

The first track In times like these opens with some startlingly bright acoustic work from Rick Williamson before Tim's soothing driven vocals begin to pull you in to places you were never quite sure existed until now. The song is almost ballad-like, no... lullabye-like, noooo gospelesque in it's intricacy and in the way it's well crafted melodies act like soft brush strokes to an awaiting canvas of delight. Watch what happens with the vocals at around the 2.5 minute mark and know your amazement is currently being willfully captured all over the world!

Praiz'm is every bit the stuff of contemporary pop gospel excellence that the genre has been waiting for. The real cleverness is in the detail of the arrangements and in the production that has taken the song to refreshingly bright heights. Why oh why Tim Solomon isn't 'currently' part of a major label is beyond me but I guess all good things come to those who shine very brightly at some point or another and Tim Solomon, ladies and gentlemen, shines in this song all the way to the very last audible note!

Just as I am is an absolute delight to behold and as some incredibly perceptive piano leads us straight to the jazz embedded vocals that seem to effortlessly caress the soul, we find ourselves bound by the passion and the embrace in one very welcome swoop! What an amazingly beautiful song this is! The emphasis in the vocals meanders around the superb piano and harmonies in ways that I haven't heard since my next door neighbour 'Big Frank' introduced me to his 1000 rare blues and soul album collection back in Liverpool in the winter of 1980! It just makes ya wanna see the entire performance live and from inside of a truly spellbound audience!

The reprised version of Praiz'm acts like a bridge of innovation that began a few tracks back but this time the backing is brought to the fore and the beats seem a little more penetrable with the addition of some nice sfx inserts here and there!

Great is thy faithfulness is the final track on the ep that makes you wish Tim and the team would hurry up with the album to follow! With some gentle key strokes on the piano coupled with some dynamite soul work emenating from just behind Tim's lips, we have one truly wonderful piece of production work made all the more exciting by the dynamically blessed vocal range that makes up most of what Tim Solomon is all about! This is why my opening statement talks about being wired up to heaven folks.. you try singing like this without divine intervention!

It's at this point that I just had to talk to Tim personally rather than by email.. he just had to know that, for a guy that hasn't really listened to this kind of thing since 'Big Frank', my world just got turned upside down and inside out listening to the work of a true master of the genre and if Tim Solomon's album is anywhere near on the horizon, I hope he has the good sense to send it my way! You only need to have the good sense to buy it!

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IOM Magazine

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