Back in the mid-90's Kim began writing impromptu reviews of church music CDs (worship music) so that people who were looking for CDs would have an opinion from someone who is also a worship leader and is garnering music for local church use. Up to this point, this was rarely something that was done, because church music was revered as sacred and it was thought that any offering of that sacred worship shouldn't be criticised or evaluated. In fact, Kim wasn't as much a critic as he was an evaluator, helping people find what fit their church. He began posting his reviews on line in a email discussion forum, called the Worship List (website). After a while, when he helped launch Worshipmusic.com, he continued that same concept of trying to help other local church worship leaders and musicians find music that might be applicable to their situations. The reviews continued to be a part of that. Worshipmusic.com went on to grow a staff of writers that would add many more reviews to the collection they have, but Kim continued to participate as a key reviewer. This journal logs all the reviews Kim has written on worship music CDs and projects.
Kim's reviews of CD projects of worship music includes independents, label and main stream recordings, but all having to do with worship music.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 10:12PM 
Christmas brings out nearly everyone in the music world. Renditions here and there, all styles and all kinds of remakes of classic songs.
What comes as a respite for me is the simplicity and beauty of music played in the excellence of a grand piano. Ed Kerr is the veteran musician, songwriter and composer that has been gracing the Christian and worship music world for over 20 years.
Recently, I have been listening to eight classic Christmas songs and enjoying the sounds of the piano as crafted by Ed Kerr. His new release, "Christmas In Ivory", takes the iconic songs of the season and places them to inventive but classicly framed arrangements.
Are you looking for a fresh new album of Christmas music that you can put on and enjoy for hours? "Christmas in Ivory" is my recommendation for you. But don't take my word for it- check out the free song below, which is one track from Ed's album.
Free Song Download from "Christmas In Ivory"
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Now that you have sampled part of this great album, I strongly encourage you to get the entire album. You can get a copy of the album yourself at :
Christmas In Ivory (CD) http://bit.ly/uMz8cl
Christmas In Ivory (MP3 Album) http://amzn.to/w0K2EC
For musicians or churches interested in incorporating some of these great song arrangements in their own contexts, there is also a full digital songbook available at the same page.
Review by Kim Gentes
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 2:19AM 
Come take journey with me...
I lean back, close my eyes, open my ears, drink in the sounds... and very soon, I am surrendering my tension and anxiety to the Prince of Peace. Once surrendered, I am carried along in the ebb and flow waters of beautiful sonic soundscapes, skilful artistry and thematic hooks and progressions. I drift. Not aimlessly, but toward a grace-filled remembering that God is not limited to our ways. He holds the universe, the planet, the country, my family and even my day in His very capable and very caring hands.
How did I take that journey? What vehicle or route did I take for just such an adventure? Quite simply, I took this journey via a new "Passage" - the latest instrumental CD from singer/ songwriter/ musician Kelly Carpenter.
Using perfect sound beds, a gracious 5-peice core ensemble, and a light sprinkling of violin, Kelly Carpenter achieves a wonderful balance of ethereal space, melodic hooks and rhythmic structure that you are lifted almost effortlessly from our dense world of noise and confusion into another world of reflective and deepening peace. Keyboard is primary, and brings center to this recording, but it is not agrandized against the better use of a more perfect sound for any single song. Occasionally, a swelling electric takes you buy the hand, then the drums walk you to the next section, but you never feel ripped or pushed or unceremoniously dumped from one musical context to another. It is all well envisioned, well planned and well executed.
While the entire track list of this peerless experience is new material, save one track, I couldn't shake the feeling that all the tasteful riffing and discourse was warmly familiar. Our first aural glimpse of the violin happens with the prelude and main section of the only covered song on this project- an instrumental version of the David Ruis classic "Whom Have I But You" anchors the early section of the album with perfect positioning. We don't hear the violin return until track 11, and when it does, only subtly it glides us gently along, delivering us to the homestretch of this wonderful experience (into which tracks 12 and 13 are aptly named "Final Journey" and "Embrace").
Because this album is something of an experimental journey, you would think that the result would feel ultimately lost. But nothing could be further from the result on this album. Passage succeeds at both projecting and reaching its target of enraptured peace through the transcendance of music. It also succeeds at making the journey without formulizing the route. You don't arrive at the end of each song in the same time, groove, style or arrangement as you did from the previous song.
This project breathes of creativity, and settles for nothing less than artistic brilliance. After listening through it no less than 20 times, I love it even more now than the first time I listened. This is rarely the case with instrumental music, which often bores the attuned listener after a half a dozen plays.
I strongly encourage you to check out Kelly Carpenters wonderful new album, Passage.
The album is available as CD and/or MP3 album, whatever you prefer.
Audio samples for all 13 tracks available at Kelly Carpenter Album: Passage
Review by,
Kim Gentes
ad lib, carpenter, cinematic, ethereal, independent, instrumental, kelly carpenter, ministry, music, passage, piano, worship in Awards, CD Review, Instrumental, Music Review Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:39PM 
"Your love never fails,
It never gives up,
It never runs out on me. "
This is the anthem call of the newest album from Vineyard Music's Jeremy Riddle.
Some projects come loaded with great music. Some with great songwriting. Some with timely message that is beyond both music and lyrics- a sense in which now is the time for us to all to sing a song together.
Today releases the 3rd album from Jeremy Riddle, worship leader and songwriter. One listen to this album and you are immediately struck by Jeremy's desire to be set on fire by God, his unconcern for following a formula and his ernest contrition in songwriting. On the fuel of Jeremy's great vocals, songwriting and passion, producers Bobby Hartry and Ed Cash deliver the best album yet from Jeremy Riddle.
Having heard all of his past published work, including studio and live projects, this album "Furious" represents the most diverse venture yet for Jeremy. Diverse on two main fronts- musical style and songwriting. Stylistically, Furious journeys to acoustic ambient sounds (Fall Afresh, Here, Always), wall-of-sound rhythmic song (Furious), soft rock melody (Love Came Down), building pop/rock anthems (One Thing Remains, You Are Good, One Thirst and Hunger, Glory To The Lamb, The Lord Is My Shepherd), and pensive minor ballad (Walk In The Promise).
I love the hills and valleys of tempo, instrumentation and lyrics given place in this album. It doens't run you over with a frieght train of hard-driving rock anthems, and doesn't lose structure with tiresome endless introspective songs. There are great prayer songs here, but they range from the hungry-call songs like Fall Afresh and Always to declarative scripture prayers like The Lord Is My Shepherd.
The albums adds some encouraging diversity to Jeremy's songwriting, with many songs co-written by Bethel church songwriters (Jeremy's home church). Writers Brian Johnson, Jeremy Edwardson and Christa Black bring added freshness to the songs of this album, taking it beyond the wonderful but limited range of Jeremy's past recordings. The stand out church favorite will doubtless be "One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)", which has already become a very fast rising favorite in churches around the world.
My favorite tracks are Furious, One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails), with The Lord Is My Shepherd being my standout favorite. This album is georgeous music, free from a style rut, well-written and encouraging. One thread that follows through a great number of the songs is the encouraging, grace-filled messages of the song lyrics. A thankful heart resounds on nearly every song, and it lifts us all up to join with Jeremy as he sings:
If the storms of life they come
And the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in fatih, I will believe
I remind myself of all the You've done
And the life I have because of Your Son
Come take this journey and lift your heart to the Son. A great album, and a beautiful musical narrative of God's love! Furious is my Editor's Choice Worship Album for 2011.
Available already at WorshipTeam.com (full length audio, chord charts and lyrics for subscribers).
Product Link : Audio samples for all 12 tracks available at Amazon
In Him,
Kim Gentes
album, bethel, bobby hartry, brian johnson, ed cash, furious, jjeremy riddle, music, praise, review, vineyard music, worship in Awards, CD Review, Music Review Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 6:53AM 
With a jubilant song of freedom, Matt Redman leads us into his newest album "10,000 Reasons" on the wings of the high-energy declaration song "We Are The Free". This is about as upbeat, power-chord driven, high-tempo as I've ever heard Matt Redman- and he doesn't waste it on bad lyrics. "We Are The Free" is spendid lyric writing, coupled with the hard driving beat and a passionate voice it makes for a great introductory track.
As we look through this entire project, Redman has offered up what may be his best complete project of new songs ever. Ever? Really? Yes, really. No one knows what a record and its songs will do before they make their way to the church. In fact, in Redman's case, it would have to be said that some of his most popular songs have risen over time, and through the coverage of others artists (Blessed Be The Name comes to mind especially in this regard). After "Friendship and the Fear" and "Heart of Worship" back before the turn of the millenium (ya, I know, wow!) I had to wait until "Facedown" to enjoy an album from Redman's new songs. Was it because he didn't put out good songs? No. He did, just not one great project with a large batch of great songs, great production values, and that energetic live presentation with that extra "something" that can only come from a true time of worship captured on a recording for worshipers to engage with later.
Well, I am here to say- "10,000 Reasons" delivers it all. Great songs, great production, and engaging, worshipful live experience. So let's get on with it.
Track two is a trademark three section song, where a steady A/B pattern is established, then an equally infectious melody line is added for a C section about 2/3 through the song. "Here For You" tags "We welcome You with praise" and lifts the entire song, and all of us along with it. A keeper for the Sunday setlist for sure.
Track three is almost a clone of the format set up for track 2. "Holy" has a verse/chorus happening just well and strong. Then another mid-section is added for contrast. But this song has an extra chorus that is yet a 4th part- close enough to fit as the chorus, vamping on strong major chords to start (instead of the minor chords the chorus 1 begins with). The entire song is overwhelming and humbling to anyone involved with it. It works well, and again is a great song for the Sunday selection.
And so it goes, from "10,000 Reasons/Bless the Lord" (the song) to "Fires" to the droning "Never Once" to the anthemic "Where Would We Be", the driving "We Could Change the World", the glorious "Magnificent", the straight pop/rock "O This God" and finally the piano ballad "Endless Hallelujah".
This album is full, I mean FULL of excellent songs. Well written lyrics, excellent musical hooks, great production, and the gift of one of the best song writing worship leaders in the last 50 years who has obviously poured a ton of work into his craft for this album. Of course, literally every song is a co-write, a testament to the fact that Redman (and most worship writers) have finally figured out that the best songs are made brilliant with co-writing. Jonas Myrin fills in for a bulk of the co-write credits, but familiar names of Matt Maher, Jesse Reeves and Jason Ingram also chime in along with relative new-comer Tim Wanstall.
It would be almost impossible for me to select a favorite song without trying to predict which song will become the next huge song. I absolutely love the first three tracks "We Are The Free", "Here For You" and "Holy". But I would have to settle with "Magnificent" as my standout track. But a dozen people will come out liking a different list each.
You might have checked out of worship recordings for the last few years. Check back in. This album is that good. Five years down the road, two or three of the songs on this recording will still be rising in the church. If you are a worship leader looking for fresh, well written songs, listen to this entire album. You will find something that will fit your church. Great stuff. Thus far, this is the best album of 2011, hands down.
Worshiping Him
Kim Gentes
10000 reasons, chorus, christian, magnificent, matt redman, music, myrin, praise, we are the free, worship in Awards, CD Review, Music Review Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 8:29PM 
Snap, pop, crackle, flood. Not words that normally go together. But then, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Such was the case for this afternoon. I sat down. Threw in the latest Club CD of new songs releasing from the Vineyard churches. Snap! I’ll dispense with the usual oblique comments meant to accommodate for the fact that the review may have different tastes than the reader/listener, or in fact be wrong. I’ll go on record- this project snaps and crackles the moment you put it on.