Rivera and Kablack

Three guy’s who diligently work to pass along a message which says “It’s ok to say you love Jesus.” And "Your not perfect but Jesus still loves you.” This is the basis for the hard work put forth by the Contemporary Christian Group, The Project. Made up of three guy’s from Queens, William “Wil” Rivera, Jonbarry “JB” Kablack and Ronald “Big Ron” Small. They travel to churches, coffee houses, and even festivals through out mostly The Tri State Area including Pennsylvania. They have been as far north as Buffalo NY and as far west as Dallas Texas to participate in the 2007 Gospel and Contemporary Christian Artist Talent search which only 30 Artist throughout the country were picked.
“I saw the three guys up on stage, and could not believe the power and fullness of sound that I was hearing from only three people!” (Bill who saw them in Utica, NY)

“I am a recovering alcoholic and after hearing the song Thank You, I knew it was time to get spiritually saved so that I can save myself physically.” (Sue who saw the group in a coffee house in PA)

“They really make you feel something that I did not realize I was missing in my life” (Jim who saw them at The Vickfest in Buffalo, NY)

This group is a must if you are looking for a fun night of worship and music. To get their schedule of events check out their “MYSPACE” page at www.myspace.com/weRtheproject


(Queens Ledger)
- Phil Guie The Queens Ledger

For Contemporary Christian recording duo JB Kablack and Wil Rivera, their upcoming pilgrimage to Nashville, Tennessee seems to be yet another in a series of blessed events coming their way as they (a) embark upon their third album to date, (b) get ready to welcome their first national television exposure, and (c) head south in search of a recording contract - all while continuing to spread their universal message of hope and change through song.

For years, Kablack, a Middle Village resident, and Rivera, from Bayside, have been inspiring members of their congregation at Sunday services at St. John's Lutheran Church on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale. But lately, the duo's upbeat rhythms and infectiously catchy songwriting have met the approval of a great many other appreciative ears as well.

Calendar year 2008, in fact, turned out to be one of the most productive in the duo's six-year tenure. It was marked by the completion of their second album, "RIVERA AND KABLACK," and its placement on iTunes, Rhapsody, and similar music sites; the making of their first video, "Hold On (Jesus is Coming),” which can be seen on YouTube; and a soon-to-air television appearance on the nationally syndicated ministry program, "GOD'S HOUSE," which is seen by more than 3 million viewers across 12 different states.

Then came word that Nashville record label ROCKETOWN was interested in having Rivera & Kablack perform in a showcase in hopes of getting signed. ROCKETOWN, it should be pointed out, is the brainchild of Contemporary Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith, a nine-time Grammy nominee and three-time Grammy winner, as well as a 22-time Dove Award winner.

For Rivera and Kablack, the attention is well worth the wait. "It's amazing the channels you have to go through to get heard," said Rivera, "but it is what it is."

"It's an opportunity to get heard, that's all I think about," Kablack said. "We need to get noticed, and it's tough."

During difficult times, it may seem hard to believe that music embracing a message of hope and faith is finding such acceptance, but as Rivera explains it, "Now is the easiest time to do the talking (when) they're looking for hope."

Both Rivera's and Kablack's personal histories are in some ways the most significant measure of the strength and resolve that can be found in faith and friendship. Years ago when they first met at Rego Park's Our Saviour Lutheran, Kablack's spirit had recently been broken. He'd been discharged from the military after breaking his back, and returned home in tremendous pain, both physically and emotionally.

For solace, he sought the comfort of his family, his friends, and his faith, as embodied by the congregation at Our Saviour, where he was a dedicated parishioner, and a somewhat distant admirer of the musical stylings of Wil Rivera every Sunday morning, "until the pastor there found out I knew how to play the drums!" recalled Kablack with a chuckle. A musical friendship at Sunday services quickly became an enduring personal one.

Sadly, Rivera had been going through tremendous turmoil of his own at the time. His beloved wife Karen was fighting a losing battle with cancer. As Karen deteriorated, she took refuge in the nascent sounds of Rivera and Kablack's musical partnership that filled her home. "She liked listening to us practice downstairs," Kablack said. And in many ways, the music of RIVERA AND KABLACK is as much a tribute to Karen's memory, as it is to their powerful friendship. "She made us promise not to give up the music," said Kablack.

Rivera & Kablack will hit the road March 21st en route to Nashville, and will be back March 25th, well before the Easter season begins in earnest right here at home. For more information on their music and other endeavors, please visit www.myspace.com/weRtheproject. And of course, they can always be heard every Sunday at 11 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale (well, after March 25th, that is!). - Nick D'Arienzo

Dateline : Thursday, November 29, 2007

Thanksgiving, 2007 - John Kablack, a Glendale Civilian Observation Patrol member, and Will Rivera certainly know a thing or two about gratitude and giving thanks. Like so many people, life unfortunately dealt them some incredibly painful and debilitating blows. In 2001, Kablack suffered a broken back that nearly left him crippled, and it was while on his gradual road to recovery that he and his family first befriended Rivera, only to have to share Rivera’s grief with him just a few years later, when he lost his young wife Karen to cancer.
And yet the two somehow managed not just to get up again, but to move forward, to create, to share, to inspire. And what was it that helped do that? It was friendship, faith, and the mutual endeavor that combines the best of both for them: Their music.
Indeed, Kablack plays the drums and Rivera the guitars and keyboard for THE PROJECT, a Queens-based group that includes Ronald Small on bass. The music they write and perform is of a more spiritual nature, in a genre called Christian Contemporary. For those not familiar with the genre, it is a style far more accessible than one might expect, and one with a decidedly up-beat R&B flavor to it. Nevertheless, it is music with a message, and that message is quite simple: “No one is perfect but Jesus still loves you...” It’s an idea that is certainly applicable 365 days a year, but one that is especially appropriate come holiday time, when our charity and generosity are invariably brought to the forefront, and the end of the calendar gives us time to reflect on that for which we should be truly grateful.
Because THE PROJECT’S message is one that is best shared, the trio spend a great deal of the year travelling - to churches, coffee houses, music festivals, etc. - mostly throughout the Tri-State Area and Pennsylvania. They have been as far north as Buffalo, NY and just recently hit their furthest southerly mark when they visited Dallas, TX in October to participate in the “2007 Gospel and Contemporary Christian Artist Talent Search” for which thirty artists throughout the country had been selected. During their stay in Dallas, THE PROJECT performed in front of a panel made up of various music industry insiders - record label executives, A&R representatives, etc. - culminating in a live concert performance in front of the entire weekend’s attendees, a performance for an audience of about 7000.
As the group travels from venue to venue, the testimonials that pour in on their behalf are as varied as the diversity of enthusiastic fans they meet wherever they go... “I saw the three guys up on stage, and could not believe the power and fullness of sound that I was hearing from only three people!” said Bill, who saw them in Utica, NY.
Meanwhile, a woman named Sue, who saw the group in a Pennsylvania coffee house, raved:“I am a recovering alcoholic and after hearing the song ‘Thank You’, I knew it was time to get spiritually saved so that I could save myself physically.”
Just in time for this Christmas season, THE PROJECT have put together a new song, one which will be featured throughout the coming weeks on 570 AM here in New York City. It’s called “You Showed Me (The Christmas Story)” and chronicles the inspiration that arises from the events surrounding the birth of Christ. For those eager to have a listen, the song can actually be downloaded for $.49 on www.myspace.com/weRtheproject, and in a few weeks on iTunes, Napster, and Amazon.mp3.
Then, on Saturday, December 15th, THE PROJECT will be performing a Christmas show at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Flushing, located at 220-16 Union Turnpike in Flushing. For future area concerts and to purchase CDs, please visit their website.

- By Nick D’Arienzo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -
The Project Nominated for "Contemporary Artist Of The Year" and also “Song Of The Year”
IndieHeaven’s Momentum Awards

Queens, NY, January 2008– IndieHeaven.com, the leading organization supporting Independent artists in Christian music, is pleased to announce that THE PROJECT has been nominated as " Contemporary Artist Of The Year" and “Song Of The Year” for their newest release, “Do You Feel Like I Do” in the 3rd annual "Momentum Awards". This prestigious award will be handed out at the upcoming IndieHeaven CIA Summit2008 conference in Nashville, TN March 29, 2008.

IndieHeaven founder and CIA Summit director Keith Mohr states, "It's important to recognize and applaud the efforts made in recent years by artists who are independent. By providing them the recognition they have earned, we hope to increase their platform and awareness. There are many independent artists who are doing an incredible job with their music and most importantly their mission. We look forward to the awards being a part of our annual artist’s conference." Visit www.ciasummit.com for more information about the Christian Independent Alliance Summit.


“The music and writing style of musical artists Wil Rivera and JB Kablack, have proven to be unique in the Contemporary Christian music genera and it stems from the fact that they have spent the past four years traveling and worshiping as The Project. Most agree that The Project’s sound is infectiously fun while still being undeniably Christian. When The Project are not traveling, they can be found worshiping at St John Church in Glendale, NY and also at Bethany Lutheran Church in Flushing, NY. Both Wil and JB spends their non-musical time as husbands, and fathers, and overall seekers of God's never-ending blessings.”


To register your vote for The Project as the Artist Of The Year and Song Of The Year in this year’s Momentum awards, please visit {http://www.indieheaven.com/momentum_awards.php}
###
Contact:
<The Project>
theproject05@aol.com
917 302 9484


- Local