Angélla Christie

by Monica Watkins

On February 26th, Angélla Christie, known as Gospel music’s premiere saxophonist, will release her latest instrumental offering entitled The Breath of Life. Instrumental music often takes the listener on journeys regular vocal covered tracks simply cannot travel. Likewise, there is something to behold about instrumental Gospel music. First of all, the suggestive voices, however amazing they may be, have little or no place in this type of composition, leaving the listener in the beautiful land of creatively filling in the blanks and allowing the instruments alone to pervade the atmosphere.

The Breath of Life, however, is a fruitful union between the suggestive nature of the familiar and the enigmatic nature of something new. Christie and her saxophone bring familiarity with tunes like Because of Who You Are and Like the Dew. She took an already stirring Williams Brothers tune, I’m Still Here, and wrapped her sax around it in a warm and soulful embrace. With the change of a chord, Christie introduces her own heart of praise with original tunes like Praise Jam – ATL Hollas Back and John 3:16.

The gem of this musical collection is the cover of Richard Smallwood’s priceless classic worship song – Total Praise – a piece widely known to stimulate the most dormant of nerve endings in its original composition. Very recently, I had the pleasure of watching Christie perform this piece in person. By the time Christie, with seemingly effortless power, exhaled her soul into her last note (a note that most novice musicians probably have no idea a saxophone can even accommodate), not a limp hand or a tearless eye could be found anywhere in the building. 

I’ve often found that there are occasions when lyrics turn into mere words, and the simplicity of instruments alone begins to satiate a deep-rooted appetite within you. The project title, The Breath of Life, really speaks for itself, as Christie appears to breathe life into her listener with every exhale of every note. Even if Gospel jazz is new to you, The Breath of Life is a great project on which to test the instrumental waters. I popped it in, sat back, and allowed myself to simply breathe...

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