05
Apr
2005
The first word Kim Wiseman sings on her debut CD, He's Not That Far, is "Jesus." The Quad Cities-based singer understands the effect such up-front religion might have on some people.
"I don't really care for all Christian music," she said. "Some of it is really square."
That's why Wiseman sought to give her CD more groove, more of a rock feel. And in the future, she's considering creating something that even secular people can enjoy; the spirituality will always be an element of the music, she said, but "I may try to be a little more subtle about it, so the non-Christian can pick it up without it being like sandpaper."
On Saturday at Mojo's in the River Music Experience, Wiseman will perform her first non-church concert since her CD's December release. "I'd really like to get it to some off-church sites," she said.
There's no doubt that He's Not That Far is Christian music, but Wiseman certainly shows potential for soft-rock crossover appeal. "Take Me Back" is driven by "Nervous" Neal Smith's saxophone, while "Where Is My Savior" is an affecting piano ballad. "Grace, Mercy, & Peace" has a wonderfully strong melody with an almost sorrowful undercurrent that adds depth.
Throughout the record, Wiseman's voice is firm, confident, steady, and clear. Her singing lacks some emotion on the CD, but her phrasing and articulation are strong, and her somewhat-husky voice is rich, with impressive range and unquestionable conviction.
Wiseman's emphasis on songs and sound stems from her belief in the power of music. "Where words alone will not do, music - a powerful tool - is able to reach into the soul and touch a life," she writes in the liner notes.
Although this is her first CD, the 40-year-old Wiseman has been singing in churches most of her life. "I sang before I talked," she said.
She'd recorded some favorite songs for family and friends, butHe's Not That Far is her first foray into original material. She worked with multi-instrumentalist Mark Johnson of Brass Sail Recording on developing the songs. Nine of the CD's 11 tracks are originals, most of them collaborations between Wiseman and Johnson.
The project started several years ago, when Ellis Kell heard Wiseman perform as an opening act for Salvador and suggested she record. She and Johnson tackled the project song-by-song in the studio for 18 months.
"He would teach me," Wiseman said of Johnson. "He would float something [musically], and I would find something." She added that Johnson helped her give shape and form to the tunes and words, and he's certainly given the recording a polish. "The themes were natural," she said. "The ideas were easy."
He's Not That Far is full of musical and vocal texture, a most promising debut.
Kim Wiseman will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday at Mojo's. For more information on Wiseman or her CD, visit (http://www.brasssail.com).
That's why Wiseman sought to give her CD more groove, more of a rock feel. And in the future, she's considering creating something that even secular people can enjoy; the spirituality will always be an element of the music, she said, but "I may try to be a little more subtle about it, so the non-Christian can pick it up without it being like sandpaper."
On Saturday at Mojo's in the River Music Experience, Wiseman will perform her first non-church concert since her CD's December release. "I'd really like to get it to some off-church sites," she said.
There's no doubt that He's Not That Far is Christian music, but Wiseman certainly shows potential for soft-rock crossover appeal. "Take Me Back" is driven by "Nervous" Neal Smith's saxophone, while "Where Is My Savior" is an affecting piano ballad. "Grace, Mercy, & Peace" has a wonderfully strong melody with an almost sorrowful undercurrent that adds depth.
Throughout the record, Wiseman's voice is firm, confident, steady, and clear. Her singing lacks some emotion on the CD, but her phrasing and articulation are strong, and her somewhat-husky voice is rich, with impressive range and unquestionable conviction.
Wiseman's emphasis on songs and sound stems from her belief in the power of music. "Where words alone will not do, music - a powerful tool - is able to reach into the soul and touch a life," she writes in the liner notes.
Although this is her first CD, the 40-year-old Wiseman has been singing in churches most of her life. "I sang before I talked," she said.
She'd recorded some favorite songs for family and friends, butHe's Not That Far is her first foray into original material. She worked with multi-instrumentalist Mark Johnson of Brass Sail Recording on developing the songs. Nine of the CD's 11 tracks are originals, most of them collaborations between Wiseman and Johnson.
The project started several years ago, when Ellis Kell heard Wiseman perform as an opening act for Salvador and suggested she record. She and Johnson tackled the project song-by-song in the studio for 18 months.
"He would teach me," Wiseman said of Johnson. "He would float something [musically], and I would find something." She added that Johnson helped her give shape and form to the tunes and words, and he's certainly given the recording a polish. "The themes were natural," she said. "The ideas were easy."
He's Not That Far is full of musical and vocal texture, a most promising debut.
Kim Wiseman will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday at Mojo's. For more information on Wiseman or her CD, visit (http://www.brasssail.com).
