Where to even begin? The latest album from gospel luminary John Edmonds has been in exclusive rotation on my listening docket for nearly two weeks now since hearing portions of it performed live at its release. Live performance is how I am best acquainted with the magic of this Kentucky artist and national treasure.  The five or so times I have been lucky enough to catch his concerts have been these intense (en)lightning strikes on the timeline of my musical experience…phenomenae of nature, which are there and remembered to be sure, but experienced only in that precise moment.

For any artist, the studio has the capacity to capture and prolong the electricity’s impact on a listener… A Word From Heaven affords us precisely that opportunity. It simply takes repeated listens of anything to properly examine and appreciate every nuance of a work… the art of its constuct; the performers’ contributions, the production/engineering, the songs, and their subsequent delivery by a presence elevated upon a permanent stage composed of the afformentioned parts. It is an industry tradition to renew public awareness/appreciation of a seasoned master by pairing them with young blood, and whether intentional or not, this album is such a successful execution of the premise, ‘everything old is new again’…Tradition and distant familiarity are once again ‘ahead of their time’

From the commanding eerie beauty of the instrumental intro, through the entirely renovated and revamped signature anthem, “Oh, What A Reunion!”, the album pours forth via a wide array of genres and styles, wonderfully arranged, performed and produced; and above it all, the timeless, tempered, and soaring instrument of John Edmonds’ voice, whose words cover such common ground, that the listener is bound to feel the connection.  I have felt like I was receiving a personal message through this music, which is undoubtedly the core mission of its host.  In a world too-cool-for-Sunday-school, John Edmonds’ A Word From Heaven makes gospel ice-ageless.

John M. Thompson is the owner of Scottsville Conservatory and Farm-Out! Records.  He was president of the Allen County – Scottsville Arts Council from 2008-2010 and continues to serve as the organizer for the council’s Arts on Main summer concert series.  Visit him on Facebook or check out his music at www.cdbaby.com/cd/johnnythompson.