Nashville, TN (March 25, 2002)-Creative Trust Entertainment, the artist managers of Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day and Mark Schultz, has announced the formation of a new record label, Creative Trust Workshop. The first recording on the new label is Traveling Light: Songs From The 23rd Psalm (a stand-alone companion to Max Lucado's best-selling book Traveling Light) which will release April 16. 
Traveling Light is being co-produced by Dove Award-winning producers Brown Bannister (My Utmost For His Highest, Steven Curtis Chapman) and Steve Hindalong (City On A Hill 1 & 2) who are both nominated this year for Producer Of The Year. The album will feature Amy Grant, dc talk's Michael Tait, Jaci Velasquez, Third Day's Mac Powell, Russ Taff, Sara Groves, PFR's Joel Hanson, Fleming & John, The Choir's Derri Daughtery, new Squit artist Adore, Ashley Cleveland, and platinum selling country artist Bryan White.
Essential Records Celebrates 10 Years of Creating Relevant Music Label Readies "Essential Hits 10" Marketing Campaign, Industry Events and New Releases to Mark Anniversary
(Nashville, Tenn., March 26, 2002)-Known as the label home for top-selling artists like Jars of Clay and Third Day, Essential Records celebrates its 10-year anniversary. To mark the occasion, the label has developed "Essential Hits 10," a trade-and consumer-friendly campaign to be realized in partnership with retail, radio, media and Internet entities. Founded by Essential Records' President Robert Beeson in 1992 for the purpose of pursuing relevant music, Essential Records is a crossroads for conventionally divergent ideas, marking the spot where unique artistry meets commercial appeal and building community meets business success.
Over the last decade, Essential has grown from a staff of one, Beeson, to an efficient team of 15. Battling a competitive corporate market, the label has experienced 15-20 percent growth over the last two to three years and in 2001 claimed the fourth largest Christian retail market share, according to SoundScan. Simultaneously, the label is a profitable entity in the diversified portfolio of Provident Music Group, a division of the New York-based Zomba Music Group.
The "Essential Hits 10" campaign tagline, "It's not only possible... it's Essential," captures the entrepreneurial spirit of the record company and sets the effort's tone as the print promotion rolls out to consumers with the April issue of CCM Magazine. As the Essential community reflects on its decade-long journey, readers will get an insiders' tour of the label in a 14-page special advertising section. The advertorial features a biographical sketch of the label, favorite memories from current artists and an insightful timeline tracing the art that blazed the trail for the label.
Next, Essential Records will take the "Essential Hits 10" campaign to Gospel Music 2002 (April 21-25), the Christian music industry's annual convention in Nashville. During the function, the label will unveil the "Essential Hits 10" retail campaign, including a CD developed for promotional purposes. The Essential Hits 10 CD features 10 No. 1 songs from Essential's catalog-including Flood (Jars of Clay), There You Go (Caedmon's Call), One of These Days (FFH), I've Always Loved You (Third Day), God Shaped Hole (Plumb) and Dress Me Up (Eric Champion)-plus bonus cuts from new artists Paul Colman Trio and Sarah Sadler.
Also during the convention, the Provident Music Group's Wednesday-evening showcase will include appearances by Jars of Clay, Third Day, Caedmon's Call and others from Essential's roster. The concert will take place at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
On July 2, the label will introduce the Essential Hits 10 CD nationally to the general public as a retail companion to Provident Music Distribution's "Sizzlin' Summer CD Sale" campaign, which runs through Aug. 26. As a featured product in the summer promotion, the CD will be positioned alongside 12 select back-product titles priced at $9.97. Titles include If I Left the Zoo (Jars of Clay), Time (Third Day), Long Line of Leavers (Caedmon's Call) and This Is Your Time (Reunion Records' Michael W. Smith). The "Essential Hits 10" campaign will extend into the summer festival promotion season. Radio and Internet promotions will also launch around the July 2 street date. Details are forthcoming.
The balance of anniversary year includes: the U.S. launch of Australia's most successful independent group, Paul Colman Trio (May 21), now on tour with Third Day; a new studio project from True Vibe (Aug. 20); the debut release from singer/songwriter Sarah Sadler (Sept. 10); and following on the heels of a successful spring tour with Third Day, a new studio project from Bebo Norman (Sept. 10). Tying up the year-long celebration will be another distinguished record from the City On A Hill series. Bowing Sept. 24, City On A Hill-Christmas will demonstrate community by marking the joyful season of promises in music. Producer Steve Hindalong will return to helm the project, along with co-producer and writer Marc Byrd.
Provident Music Distribution Reaches Exclusive Distribution Agreement With Maranatha!
(Nashville, Tenn.) March 25, 2002 - Provident Music Distribution announces the significant signing of Maranatha! to a major distribution deal. Beginning April 1, all Maranatha! audio titles will be exclusively distributed to the Christian retail market by Provident Music Distribution. The first new projects to come under the agreement include the latest in the Promise Keepers Series, Promise Keepers Live, coming June 4; Top 25 UK, the latest extension in the highly-successful Top 25 Series; as well as a split-track version of Top 25 Praise Songs, the leading title in the series, both arriving at retail in July.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome Maranatha! to the Provident Music Distribution family," states Don Noes, senior vice president of Provident Music Distribution. "With the phenomenal growth that praise and worship music has had in the last few years, it's exciting to be in partnership with this innovative praise and worship music company. We are proud of their impact on the Church as well as organizations such as Promise Keepers. We look forward to the opportunity of expanding the reach of Maranatha!'s catalog in the CBA market."
Randy Alward, COO of Maranatha!, confirms, "We're excited to be with Provident Music Distribution. Not only have they demonstrated quality systems and efficient distribution capabilities, but they have great hearts and a passion for what the Lord is doing in worship. We believe this partnership lays a wonderful foundation for the future of Maranatha!"
Maranatha! emerged from the heart of the Jesus Movement in the early 1970s as a voice of hope to a turbulent generation. As millions of young people found truth and meaning in Jesus Christ, a worldwide spiritual explosion transformed nearly every aspect of the Church. This religious cultural revolution brought forth a response in song called Jesus Music.
Nashville-based Provident Music Group, a unit of The Zomba Group of Companies, is among the world's top Christian music companies. Provident encompasses record labels Reunion Records, Essential Records, Brentwood Records, Benson Records, Diadem Music and Cedarmont Kids; a music publishing division, Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing Inc.; and Provident Music Distribution, which primarily services the Christian retail market.
New Beki Hemingway Album in the Works
A new album from Beki Hemingway will be released this Spring. Contributing musicians include Chris Bland (formerly of Vigilantes of Love), Jonthan Rundman, and Nashville producer/musician-extraordinaire John Mark Painter (Ben Folds, Indigo Girls, Fleming & John, etc.).
CeCe Winans Performs On Oprah
CeCe Winans and the Winans family were guests for the whole hour on the Friday, March 29th edition of Oprah. The show focused on the upcoming three-month spring "Winans Family Tour," which features the entire Winans family, and help usher in the Easter holiday. The original Winans group, Mom & Pop Winans, Angie & Debbie Winans, Daniel Winans and Winans Phase 2 all performed during the show. CeCe sang No One from her Grammy-winning CD CeCe Winans. Oprah Winfrey has gone on record as saying that BeBe & CeCe Winans are her favorite gospel singers.
Hangnail
It looks like Hangnail won't being going into the studio until September, rather than the originally scheduled time in June.
Diadem Music Artist Helen Baylor Performs At Nigerian Women's Conference
(Nashville, Tenn.) 27 March 2002 - Diadem Music artist Helen Baylor recently returned from Warri, Nigeria, where she performed at the Daughters of Sarah Convention 2002. Hosted by Word of Life Bible Church, the largest church in Warri, Nigeria, Baylor sang before an average attendance of 4,000 people, performing at the convention's three evening services and Sunday morning service.
"One of the highlights of the trip was singing Awesome God with the Daughters of Sarah choir," comments Baylor. "Each time I visit Africa, I'm impressed with the enthusiasm and thankfulness the people there have for Jesus. It seems that compared to Americans, these people might have so much less in the natural but so much more in the spiritual."
This was Baylor's third trip to Nigeria, but it was her first trip inland to the more rural Warri. Her previous two trips took Baylor to the port city of Lagos.
Award winning artist Helen Baylor released My Everything, her seventh full-length gospel album and her debut album for Diadem Music, on January 22, 2002. Over the past decade, Helen Baylor has proven herself to be one of gospel music's leading ladies,-receiving three Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, four Stellar Awards and one Soul Train Lady of Soul Award.
Steven Curtis Chapman Performed On CNN
On Friday, March 29th at 8:20 A.M. EST, Steven Curtis Chapman was on CNN Headline News with both an interview and a live performance to promote his best-selling album Declaration, new DVD and current Live Out Loud tour. On the show, Steven also talked about the explosion of Christian music over the past year.
All Together Separate's Unusual Set To Bow April 23
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- Unusual, the latest recording from California-based Ardent recording artist All Together Separate, will be available at retail April 23, it was recently announced. Co-produced by the members of All Together Separate and John Hampton (Audio Adrenaline, Gin Blossoms, Jimmie Vaughan), Unusual is the follow-up studio project to the band's 1999 critically acclaimed self-titled debut recording.
Showcasing the songwriting skills of All Together Separate, the album's 12 selections were all written by the band. The project's first single, We Know, was serviced to Christian Pop and Rock radio Feb. 22 and March 15, respectively. I Won't Slow Down was released to Christian Adult Contemporary radio March 15. In addition, Unusual features I Believe, Coming Back, Bring It On, I'll Rise (Asteroid) and Candle.
Jars of Clay Captures Rave Reviews with The Eleventh Hour Album and Tour
NPR Weekend Edition Saturday Features Jars of Clay
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) March 28, 2002 - Multi-Platinum, multi-GRAMMY and Dove Award-winning band Jars of Clay is receiving rave reviews for the recently released and No. 1 selling album, The Eleventh Hour, and its supporting tour.
A New York Post reviewer, after hearing the new album, says, "Jars of Clay is a remarkably good rock band." The Eleventh Hour is almost certainly the most accomplished of the band's albums to date," echoes The Tennessean. The Dayton Daily News says, "The Eleventh Hour is a tasty, balanced feast for the ears, mind and spirit." "The set marks a return to the creative well that fueled the band's successful 1995 eponymous debut," notes Billboard Magazine.
Jars of Clay also received a nod for the new album from National Public Radio (NPR). The album and the band was highlighted on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday March 30. Interviewed by NPR's Peabody Award-winner and noted radio journalist Scott Simon, the feature ran during the second hour of the two-hour broadcast. Airing on 520 radio stations across the country drawing over 3 million listeners each week, a complete list of stations and times can be found at www.npr.org/programs/wesat/wesat.a-c.carriage.html.
Taking the songs from the critically acclaimed The Eleventh Hour on the road, Jars of Clay is receiving additional praises from fans and critics alike. "Perhaps the most moving part of Thursday's show came with the live performance debut of The Widowing Field," says a reviewer for The Tennessean, Nashville's largest daily paper, in a review after the opening concert on the tour. "The band used moving lyrics, beautiful harmonies and big-screen clips from the movie to really touch the crowd."
Jars of Clay wrote The Widowing Field exclusively for a recording inspired by the feature film, We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson. The song was chosen to be featured on a 14-track CD released Feb. 20 on Sony/Combustion Music and titled Music From And Inspired By We Were Soldiers. Other artists included on the album are Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash, India.Arie, Five For Fighting, Michael McDonald, Jamie O'Neal, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Tammy Cochran, among others.
In addition to The Widowing Field, the 50-ciy tour is highlighting the band's career songs that have helped sell more than 5 million albums, including Flood, Crazy Times and the No. 1 and multi-format radio single from The Eleventh Hour, I Need You.
Unveiling brand new staging and its first multi-media production, the tour also features special guests Jennifer Knapp and Shaun Groves. The complete tour itinerary can be found at www.jarsofclay.com, www.essentialrecords.com and www.jiverecords.com.
Cornerstone Festival
Joshua Perahia have been invited to play this year's Cornerstone 2002 Festival in July, sharing the HM Magazine stage with fellow '80s rockers White Cross and Barren Cross.
Destiny's Williams Spreads the Gospel
Destiny's Child star Michelle Williams will be the first member of the trio to release a solo record when Heart to Yours hits shops next month. Singing legend Carl Thomas will make a guest appearance on the album, a collection of gospel songs.
Williams says, "When people think of gospel, they think of choirs and funerals and preachers. It's not like that at all. It's not a preachy gospel album. Everybody can listen to it and get the same message."
Juggernautz Roll Your Way!
We're so excited to announce the release of the latest brainchild of Jyro Xhan called Juggernautz. Probably best known for his work in the trendsetting bands Mortal and Fold Zandura, Jyro and company are taking electronic music to a whole new level. Be looking for Juggernautz as they start doing concerts around the west coast. Juggernautz is in stores April 2.
