Come Away Allison Durham Speer
by David Bruce Murray
Producers: Otis Forrest, George Hairr, and Allison Durham Speer
Song Titles: "God Is In Control," "Naaman," "Come Away My Beloved," "No Wonder," "If You Only Knew," "Better Hurry Up," "Live To Tell," "Upon This Rock," "Talking To Trouble," "A Friend Called Grace," and "What's Left Of You"
Allison Durham Speer is a very flexible vocalist who owes at least a portion of her popularity to the Gaither video series. On Come Away, we are treated to a complete recording showcasing her vocal talents.
Most of the songs on this CD have been recorded and popularized previously by other artists. The gamut runs from Southern Gospel stalwarts like the Happy Goodmans and Tony Gore ("Better Hurry Up") to inspirational heavy hitters like Sandi Patty ("Upon This Rock"), Michael English ("If You Only Knew") and Twila Paris ("God Is In Control"). Speer's delivery is both flexible and clear. She has an impressive range of pitch, with great attention to diction and tone quality. ("Upon This Rock" ends up in the stratosphere, just as Patty's original version did.) In contrast, Ben Speer, Reggie Smith, and Mike Allen form a quartet with Speer for a rollicking version of "Better Hurry Up" that closely resembles the Happy Goodmans' versions.
The use of two primary producers keeps Come Away sounding fresh. Otis Forrest and George Hairr divide the first ten cuts equally, with Milton Smith handling orchestration on several cuts for each producer. Speer takes over her own production duties for the final song on the CD "What's Left Of You." That song features Anthony Burger on piano with no other instruments in the accompaniment. It has a classic jazz club feel that contrasts the fully orchestrated tunes produced by the Forrest/Hairr/Smith triumverate, and it brings a softer reflective close to an otherwise showcase type performance . . . excellent pacing. It's clear that the record label didn't just slap the songs on the CD in a random order.
Overall, Come Away leaves little doubt that Speer is a very accomplished and flexible vocalist. Production value is also top notch. I'm going with a 4 star rating for Come Away, because despite all of the strengths it possesses, it is lacking just a bit in the originality department. Speer clearly proves she is just as good as the artists she covers. If she had taken one more step and infused these classic tunes with a unique quality, this CD would be a 5.