The Latest From N1M Artist David Chenault
From Christian Music Reviews:
Reviewing David Chenault's 'Somewhere Along The Road Tour'.
Foggy river bottoms, pilot boats, Pentecostal tent revivals...David Chenault has had many life experiences, and they are very evident in his music. When he was a small boy, his dad would play Hank Williams, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, Mahalia Jackson, Country & Western, and Jazz records on an old RCA record player.
As a result of these early eclectic experiences, David's influences became wide and varied, resulting in a deep love and respect for all forms of traditional American music.
David was raised in church, in the southern Pentecostal tradition. There, he began to develop a love for the spiritual and soulful sounds of what he calls "Delta Gospel". A sound, he says that "is completely unique to the southern Pentecostal church, but that became the most influential sound ever in American Music". Elvis, Ry Cooder, Creedence Clearwater, Hank Williams, Russ Taff, and entire generations of black musicians, blues players and Rock & Roll musicians, all borrowed heavily from the unique sounds of this "Delta Gospel".
Even many years later as a rock musician, his fans would mention the unique style and sound of David's music. It seems he simply could not leave his "first love" - or rather, it couldn't leave him. John Fogerty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Russ Taff, Hank Williams Sr., early Elvis Presley, and many traditional Pentecostal artists, have all had a big influence on David's music.
Even though you can hear these influences in his music, David Chenault sounds like no one else, and no one else sounds like him. I remember when I first experienced David's music. I saw him on TV in Ohio, it was a live concert at a church in Cincinnati. I was taken aback by his music's uniqueness and freshness. I had never heard any Christian artist quite like him.
David is one of those rare artist's that is much better live and in person, than he is in a studio. His live performances are what really won me over. I must admit, a while later when I got the chance to catch him live in concert in Huntington, West Virginia, that I immediately became a fan.
The one thing that I think separates David from his peers is his songwriting. Rare is the artist who can arrange, write and produce as prolifically as he does. His poetry and lyrical mastery are evident throughout his songwriting.
His honest approach and obvious love for traditional American gospel music is infectious and compelling. Now I too am a fan of this "Delta Gospel". My hope is that he will continue to write, produce, and perform Christian music for us all. Believe me, when I say that Christian Music needs David Chenault much more than he needs it...
If you love traditional American music , music that is primal, original and relevant, and music that invokes the Spirit and speaks of a life lived by faith, you will truly love the epic poetry and soulful grace of David Chenault...
by : Richard Leek
Christian Music Reviews
