Miracle Worker
Wayne Williford and Good News
Label: Morningstar Records
Producer: Eddie Crook
Website: www.waynewillifordandgoodnews.org
Song Titles: "I Came On Business For The King," "God's Reputation," "Walk Through The Water," "That Day Is Almost Here," "God's Not Dead," "Without A Doubt, I'm Saved," "Blow Ye The Trumpet," "Prayers Mama Prayed," "Hearts Of Stone," and "Miracle Worker"
When I popped Miracle Worker into my player for the first time, it took me about 10 seconds to draw a comparison. I heard three beats of music and then I could have sworn I heard George Jones singing out of my speakers! After a few more seconds, it became clear that it wasn't Jones, but even so, this group has done a great job capturing a classic country feel.
Wayne Williford and his son Stacy swap lead singer duties for this project, while Stacy's wife, Donna, is ever present on background vocals. They've found an excellent balance between freedom of expression in their singing and good harmony. This is a good example of a group taking simply written songs and selling them with confidence. Think of a Happy Goodmans type, let 'er rip attitude (without a Vestal).
Now, this recording isn't perfect. I heard a few vocal pitch/support issues that should have been fixed in the studio, for example, and some of the songwriting had accents on the wrong syllables or awkward rhythms. The artwork is of adequate quality . . . not bad . . . but nothing outstanding either. Overall, though, I'm impressed with Miracle Worker . The music tracks are basic, but the instrumentation suits this style of singing perfectly. Another thing that I like about this CD is how evenly balanced the songs are on all levels . . .delivery, songwriting, accompaniment, etc. . . . while remaining unique.
If you want to hear some soul stirring singing with just a touch of "The Possum" in the mix, you should really enjoy Miracle Worker.
--- David Bruce Murray