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If someone were to ask what Carman, Dolly Parton, Bill and Gloria Gaither, George Jones, The Newsboys, and Andraé Crouch have in common, the answer would be a friend named Vestal Goodman. They are such good friends with her that she invited all of them to appear on her new recording aptly titled Vestal And Friends. Other friends of Goodman include Vince Gill, Sandi Patty, Jake Hess, Janet Paschal, Russ Taff, The Katinas, and of course her husband Howard Goodman. That her friends come from diverse musical backgrounds should be no surprise. Over the years, Goodman has often been spotted participating in musical events that might not be typical for a Southern Gospel matriarch and icon. This vocal powerhouse and driving force behind the legendary Happy Goodmans has only two previous solo projects to her credit. That she would share her spotlight with her cohorts in the industry is yet another demonstration of her generous and boundary breaking character.
As you would expect, the music on Vestal And Friends is all over the stylistic spectrum though not always in the direction you might expect. For example, "Jesus Made A Way" with Vince Gill has heavy Black gospel influences while The Newsboys perform on an atypical acoustic arrangement of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." However, Goodman seems most comfortable with the Country and Southern Gospel artists singing the Country and Southern Gospel arrangements like "Big Homecoming" with Jake Hess and "Angel Band" with George Jones. A couple of the tunes ("Oh Happy Day" with Carman and "Giver Of Life" with Sandi Patty) sound a bit forced, especially when compared to her obvious ease on "With You," a testimonial "lifelong sweetheart" duet she sings with her husband. Listen to the closing piano notes of "With You" to hear a brief quote from their classic "I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now." That tune plus "Satisfied" (with Dolly Parton) and "You're Able" (with Andraé Crouch and The Katinas) are the highlights of Vestal And Friends.