Cross Rhythms

Tony Cummings explains how he has been touched by the timeless music of DOLLY PARTON There are few singers/songwriters who have made a greater impact on my life than Dolly Parton. I never met her in person, only once seen her perform live, and have never received any of the 291 (including studio, collaborative, live, soundtrack, extended play and compilation) albums she has released.

Tony Cummings listens closely to the "Hey Mr Jesus" song on GODFREY RUST's 'Entangled' album. The fourth song on poet and singer/songwriter Godfrey Rust's album is subtitled "Voices Of A Church". In his CD notes Rust writes, "This song was written to reflect some voices of a particular church community, but it could be of many. The need for hope and acceptance is surely greater than the need for shared belief." "I kinda like your music, the hymns and the rock and roll.

Tony Cummings casts an eye on an artist who down the decades has recorded gospel, R&B, disco and dance music gems, CANDI STATON There's probably no other artist in the world who has recorded music in such a wide range of musical styles as Candi Staton... and done so with such brilliance.

Tony Cummings reports on a one-day anniversary event THE NTH FESTIVAL One of the most fondly remembered Christian music festivals of the noughties is due to make a surprise return on the 24th October. In 2006 800 people gathered in Yeovil Community Church in Somerset to attend the first Nth Festival. Now, in a special one day 20th anniversary event the same Somerset venue will host an impressive list of bands and soloists from all over the UK.

Tony Cummings reports on the pop man from Austin, Texas, ZANE WALLS In America, Zane Walls is one of the new wave of singer/songwriters who has broken through - he has clocked up 2.5 million streams on Spotify. In Britain though, he is only now beginning to connect with Joe Public and his Cross Rhythms radio hit "Dry Bones" shows just why this crafter of earworm anthems from Austin, Texas, is now well on the way to international popularity.

Tony Cummings muses on the JEFF LOWE PSALMS PROJECT and KNGDM REVIVAL and their radical approach to Scripture In the 1970s Britain's Jeff Lowe began a huge task. Under the name the Jeff Lowe Psalms Project he started recording and releasing new music for every psalm in the Bible. Not just fragments of the psalms, but the whole of all 150 of them. Jeff hopes to complete the task at the beginning of 2027. Putting the whole of selected Scripture to music is not a new idea, of course.

Tony Cummings reflects on the music and life of singer/songwriter STEPHEN STANLEY One of the best of the new wave of American singer/songwriters to arrive on the US scene, Stephen Stanley has clocked up a Shoal of Cross Rhythms radio hits including "The Edge", "Your Heart", "I Shall Have You", "Not By Sight" and "Signs". Stephen is based in Mansfield, Georgia and grew up in a happy Christian home. He picked up the guitar at age nine after suffering an accident that left him deaf in one ear.

Tony Cummings remembers the musical and spiritual contribution of gospel's BEAU WILLIAMS The death of Beau Williams from cancer on 17th June brought to a close one of the most admired ministries in the long history of gospel music. During his decades-long career he won a Dove Award and on 29th June 1984 the City of Houston named the day Beau Williams Day in honour of his outstanding contributions to gospel music.

Reviewed by Tony Cummings Phil Goss has had a long and productive run in Christian music. As the owner and chief engineer of Appletree Studios in Buckinghamshire, he has played on and often produced dozens of UK Christian music albums. As the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of As If. he has stewarded the group through the difficult and challenging waters of the scene. Festival goers in years gone by enjoyed As If's quirky, left of centre pop rock.

Tony Cummings tracks the history of LEE VASI, maker of viral hit "Teach Me" It's one of the strange quirks of the whole entertainment industry that those children who become "stars" as kids very, very seldom have any kind of success once they reach adulthood, even though their acting or singing ability may have in every way improved and developed.