Chills.
Heart thrills.
Tears.
“And I know that He is risen! Yes I know that He is risen. Oh I know that my Jesus is Risen!”
The music swells, the voices soar, and my heart lifts and joins the testimony, “He is Risen!”
I have song number eleven on the Nashville Tribute Band’s new album, Redeemer, on repeat. I’ve listened to it five times already today. And each time Nathan Pacheco and Kassidy Osborn reach the chorus, I stop, and just feel the music, the emotions, and let Spirit take me away.
This new album from Jason Deere and friends doesn’t follow the path of their previous albums. It’s not country. It’s not typical Mormon music. It’s not quite Christian rock. And there’s only one true swinging gospel-style song. Not to mention contributions from Alex Boye’, David Archuleta, Nathan Pacheco, SheDaisy, and Diamond Rio all in featured songs in different genres. This album defies all labels- except awesome.
“When the Son of Man Comes Again” featuring David Archuleta
This is the Nashville Tribute Band’s fifth album in ten years. Each album is unique and different (and wonderful) in its own right. This newest album, Redeemer, released November 4, has already climbed the chart to number 11 on the Christian Billboard. It is available from Deseret Book, iTunes, and Amazon.
Album producer, writer, and performer Jason Deere explained to a crowd in Alexandria, Virginia. “If this album were a play, you would never see Christ’s face. You may see His hands or His feet, or you might see Him from a distance. But you would never see His face.”
The previous Nashville Tribute Band albums were Mormon-oriented, and wouldn’t serve as a good missionary tool without an explanation and understanding of LDS church history. But this new album is different. It’s for all Christians. It’s the story and ministry of Jesus Christ shared by all. The contributors to the album are primarily Mormon, but there are friends of other faiths found on the album as well.
“Blind” featuring Alex Boye’
According to Jason Deere, “There are a lot of people who are not LDS on this record. These friends of ours who stepped up on this album really blew us away, not only that they did it but that they gave their very best performance. They were focused and ready.”
The songs include a song from the point of view of John the Baptist, a soldier and thief on the cross, the Apostle Peter, and surprisingly, the wife of Pontius Pilate. It was this song, simply titled, “Pilate’s Wife,” that caught me off-guard. I wasn’t familiar with the scripture or her part in the crucifixion.
It’s a simple scripture, (Matthew 27:19) easily forgotten or overlooked. But Katherine Nelson, who played Emma in “Emma Smith: My Story,” and Deere’s lyrics, brings emotion and meaning to Pilate’s wife. Enough so that it inspired and encouraged me to pull out my scriptures and want to read the story again.
And I think that’s the beauty of this album. It’s not just beautiful music. It’s not just the “greatest story ever told.” It makes you think. It thrills you to the point of worship. It inspires you to think more about the people involved, the ministry of Christ, and ‘what a saint should be.’
I’ve already called two friends and insisted they immediately go download it. (And they did, and agreed they love it as much as I do.) I’ve purchased a second copy of the CD to send to my Catholic friend for Christmas. Because, like I said before, this album is for all Christians. “Redeemer” also inspired me to do one more unusual thing- go download more gospel oriented albums, because the album put me in a mood that wanted more spiritually uplifting music around me.
Deere said, “We want everybody from heaven to our friends to our fans to know that we’re serious about this one. We want to do our best.”
You did, Jason. You did.
Click for a free download on their facebook page of their song “He Is Coming”: https://www.facebook.com/DeseretBook/app_185301094822359
Erin Ann McBride is a writer, dreamer, and single woman. By day she writes and by night she hunts unicorns. Her books “You Heard It Here First,” and the sequel “This Just In!” are available on Amazon. You can always find her at the Story of a Nice Mormon Girl, or on Twitter as @erinannie and Instagram as @erinannie17.
