Keeper of My Soul

“Four years after gracing us with their soul-transporting debut Divine Direction, Charles Moorer & The Faithful Few are still all about capturing our hearts and souls for God while exciting with a dynamic, multi-faceted and supremely jazzy and soulful musical production. Anchored by Chuck’s sweet, warmhearted yet powerful vocal magic and deeply funky bass jamming, Keeper of My Soul can be appreciated for its heartfelt sharing of the Gospel message, yet sets itself apart from most albums in the genre with its extravaganza of urban jazz vibes and explosive performances by an array of jazz greats – including Nils, Najee, Mitchel Forman and Johnny Britt. Another transcendent element is complementing Chuck’s vocal tunes with one of the most compelling gospel raps ever by his late son Chadwin Moorer “The Reality Is,” a track also noteworthy for the contributions of Chuck’s late son Chadwin and serving as an inspiring legacy for the talented young musician.”

—Jonathan Widran, Music Journalist

On their new album Keeper of My Soul, Charles Moorer & The Faithful Few continue their smooth, silky and infectious fusion of gospel and contemporary urban jazz, appealing equally to people of faith and secular audiences like very few religious based artists have ever done. Smooth jazz programmers will light up the minute they hear the lush instrumental version of “Think of Your Soul,” which begins with a colorful exotic twist, with African tinged vocals, before powering into a funky, freewheeling dance between Chuck’s hard slapping bass and Grammy nominated sax superstar Najee’s dreamy, sensual soprano. The mightily grooving track backs its snappy, hypnotic bass melody with soaring atmospheres shaded with lush sax harmony before getting into another snazzy bass/horn conversation that includes a few bars where the instruments play together. As the tune reaches its crescendo, the African chanting returns and Chuck lets loose even more.

“Adonai” opens with a blend of Mitchel Forman’s elegant jazzy piano, Nils’ jangling guitar and Michael Parlett’s whimsical flute before we’re graced with Chuck’s soothing inspirational lead vocal. Artfully fusing jazz, pop, soul and gospel, “Adonai’s” empowering message is that while we want to be in full control, we will find greater joys, soul power and peace of mind by surrendering our will to God and letting God be our guiding light. Wordless backing vocals by Clydene Jackson and Johnny Britt add elegance and texture to this stirring expression of faith.

The hypnotic opening bars of “Keeper of My Soul” remind us that while Chuck’s hypnotic soul vocals are always the focus of his gospel music, he’s a funky genius on bass, too. After the breezy intro continues with dreamy atmospheres inflected with Johnny Britt’s inimitable flugelhorn, Chuck as lead vocalist steps forward to deliver a tender musical love letter to God – reflecting on “every little thing you do for me,” God’s perfect timing and the divine’s role as his strength and refuge.

The emotional, infectious chorus emphasizes all that God has done and will do. The track also features more of Forman’s dynamic piano improvisations, lush horn harmonies and a fiery call and response section by Chuck and vocalist Clydene Jackson.

As the sole rap/hip-hop track on Keeper of My Soul, “The Reality Is” rolls as a bit of an outlier stylistically, but is on point and on message as far as making Christ the center of one’s life instead of all the temporary pleasures and dead ends that draw us in – like getting drunk, getting high and other activities that ultimately leave us feeling spiritually deprived. Though Chuck’s piccolo bass muses along for the ride, the real musical focus is on his late son, Chadwin Moorer’s cool rhymes and engaging flow, as well as the sparkling piano performance of Chuck’s late son Chadwin Moorer, accompanied by the infectious vocal accents of Paul Otis (Smooth P), picking up where he left off on the Divine Direction Project. Its vibe opens the project to a new and younger audience trying to find their way in the world.

The other tracks on the album include the vocal version of “Think of Your Soul,” with Chuck inviting us to make better choices in life as he and Najee amp up the bass and sax energy; the funky rocker “You Need Someone,” which showcases Chuck’s ample and fiery electric guitar skills; and “I’ll Trust,” an easy rolling tune featuring an ultimately soaring vocal about God leading us through trials and tribulations which features Chuck playing bass, lead guitar, piccolo bass, drums and percussion along with a beautiful and tender piano touch performed by Chuck’s personal piano player Carla Maxwell.

“One thing that anyone who knows the story behind Charles Moorer & The Faithful Few must acknowledge is that their hearts are in the right place. Yet it’s their musical soul that’s bound to get people excited as they groove and tap along and hear the life changing Gospel conveyed through Pastor Chuck’s instantly infectious urban jazz influenced gospel tunes. The group’s sound brings to mind the great Grammy winning gospel-jazz work of Kirk Whalum, and will inspire jazz, R&B and gospel fans alike. Dynamically produced with exciting instrumentation, explosive vocal textures and driven by the vision and the heart-tugging vocals of Chuck himself, Divine Direction provides a roadmap to great music that feeds (and – who knows? – maybe even saves) your soul!”

–Jonathan Widran, Music Journalist

One of the first things to keep in mind when you’re listening to Charles Moorer & The Faithful Few and their debut album Divine Direction is their disclaimer that they’re “not a group of entertainers, but a ministry full of love for God and concerned about doing His will by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music.” The message, delivered by the powerhouse, soulful vocals of Chuck and his other singers, is the focus – but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t some of the liveliest, funkiest gospel, coolest jazz and greatest songwriting you’ve ever heard from an independent group. The groove is anchored by Chuck himself on bass. The set kicks off a question: “Are You Ready?” The song has a deep grooving jazzy gospel vibe, with soulful female vocals, trumpet and sax harmonies, some rockin’ electric guitar edges and Chuck’s supremely soulful lead vocals.

The title track “Divine Direction” points us to God via an easy flowing vocal urban jazz groove, with a smooth and silky sax taking the emotional harmony role behind Chuck’s silky lead vocals. While that song is about finding our way, the next two tracks are instrumental and vocal versions of a gospel/soul-jazz/laid back funk tune urging us to “Make A Change”. While the vocal version features Charles on regular bass, he plays the fretless on the instrumental version which shows his deep Marcus Miller influences on his instrument. The next two tracks are two versions of the hands in the air old school jazz gospel jam “We Praise You”, with the second being a remix featuring a spirited rap vocal over soaring female vocals and Chuck’s lead voice. It’s a tune about how God can change us. It affirms, in wildly musical terms, “When Praises Go Up, blessings come down!” The fifth track “Why Should I Fear” starts with a bang, a dramatic rock jazz intro with sax and electric guitar, which eases into an uplifting, slow simmering sax-enhanced vocal ballad. It’s gospel-jazz at its finest.