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New Direction

© Carol Allen

The fifty-plus young members of new Gospel musical group New Direction each bring with them the story of a changed life. Gospel music artist Jeral Gray and his brother, Percy, launched the 50-plus-member New Direction choir six years ago which begun as a Chicago youth outreach in 1994 . Their mission was to gather Chicago area youth and use the joy and discipline of learning and performing gospel music as means of showing the kids an alternative method of rising above their troubled circumstances. This infectious youth choir drew its name from its purpose which is to show the choir members and their peers that God has the power to give you a new direction.

The group's 1999 debut garnered a fair amount of success on radio and earned New Direction several Stellar and Dove award nominations. Jeral has found the perfect balance of what he describes as "old school music with a new school flavor" with there latest release "Get Your Praise On". A large portion of the album was recorded live and the project moves through a variety of rhythmic flavors from urban to contemporary, and traditional gospel, with plenty of jazz, blues, and spiritual overtones. A touch of classic R&B is evident on such tracks as "When I Get There," and the seamless mix of classic and contemporary gospel displayed in "When I Get There" and "I Came to Jesus.

You can try to sit still with this album but you're going to get moved with Get Your Praise On, and it'll show on the outside. Everything about New Direction's great lyrics, foot stomping music, and original choreography during their live performances is aimed at reaching youth.

Track List to "Get Your Praise On". Click any underlined song title to listen.

1. I Came To Jesus
2. New Revelation
3. Hold Out
4. When I Get There
5. Get Your Praise On
6. Come In The House
7. Grandma Praise - (interlude)
8. Glory Glory
9. Victory
10. What Manner Of Man
11. Til We Meet

Discography

1999 New Direction
2000 Get Your Praise On

Awards & Honors
2001 Stellar Award Nomination: "Special Event CD of the Year" for WOW Gospel 2000
2000 Dove Award Nomination: "Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year" for New Direction
2000 Dove Award Nomination: "Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year" for "Lighthouse"
2000 Stellar Award Nomination: "New Artist of the Year"
2000 Stellar Award Nomination: "Choir of the Year"
2000 Stellar Award Nomination: "Contemporary Choir of the Year"

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