Joe Pace II steps out in his new production deal with Integrity Records and brings worship further into focus in the urban church.

Specifically designed for praise teams, Pace submits another project where the songs can easily be proliferated in churches around the country on Sunday morning. Consistent with this, in the eleven tracks, there are only four leads.

The project beings with a majestic call to worship by Pastor Joseph Pace Sr., exhorting everything that hath breath to praise the Lord. If nature itself cries in praise, how much more should we, the ones whom He has redeemed. The segue is a natural one, with “Let Everything That Hath Breath” opening the project.

Then, in a guest spot, Alvin Slaughter guides through the title cut “Let There Be Praise” a mid-tempo selection that modulates with the backbone of synth horns and supreme guitar strums by Jonathan DuBose. The latin infused tone of 2000 carries over into 2001 with “Clap Your Hands”.

DuBose is prominent again on “Jesus I’ll Never Forget” a medley arrangement of the traditional that relies on some enthusiastic hand-clapping rhythms and plenty of call and response.

Interview with Joe Pace II

Click on the image above for our interview with Joe Pace II.

Continuing on the medley tip, Kirk Whalum steps in with his sax on the “I Worship You Medley”, which joins together a praise and worship standard. An added vamp gives you plenty time for the words to really sink in. Track length is unusually generous but not belabored, and features an appropriate reprise penned by Pace. The instrumental reprise of the cut that curtains the album, brings Whalum front and center.

Also on this Urban Praise project is “Lord We Bless Your Name” a proud, traditionally-formatted track where you can visualize your choir marching in, and “I Will Bless the Lord at All Times” featuring a groovy bassline influenced by the stylings of the late Pop Staples. It ‘takes us there’.

This project offers some options to church worship leaders, pulling from the old and the new; a sweet variety of tunes leave no one unsatisfied, no matter the musical preference.