TIM SOLOMON

Tim Solomon is perhaps one of the finest gospel/soul/R&B vocalists I've heard in ages. The man's heart and soul are blessed and this fine collection of tracks hold inescapable evidence that he is truly wired up to heaven!

Great is thy faithfulness is a five track EP that has been brought into the world courtesy of Tim and an ensemble of highly accomplished co-producers. It's a stunning reflection of what's possible with a little passion and commitment driven by dedication, determination and some sprinklings of help from above!

The first track In times like these opens with some startlingly bright acoustic work from Rick Williamson before Tim's soothing driven vocals begin to pull you in to places you were never quite sure existed until now. The song is almost ballad-like, no... lullabye-like, noooo gospelesque in it's intricacy and in the way it's well crafted melodies act like soft brush strokes to an awaiting canvas of delight. Watch what happens with the vocals at around the 2.5 minute mark and know your amazement is currently being willfully captured all over the world!
Praiz'm is every bit the stuff of contemporary pop gospel excellence that the genre has been waiting for. The real cleverness is in the detail of the arrangements and in the production that has taken the song to refreshingly bright heights. Why oh why Tim Solomon isn't 'currently' part of a major label is beyond me but I guess all good things come to those who shine very brightly at some point or another and Tim Solomon, ladies and gentlemen, shines in this song all the way to the very last audible note!
Just as I am is an absolute delight to behold and as some incredibly perceptive piano leads us straight to the jazz embedded vocals that seem to effortlessly caress the soul, we find ourselves bound by the passion and the embrace in one very welcome swoop! What an amazingly beautiful song this is! The emphasis in the vocals meanders around the superb piano and harmonies in ways that I haven't heard since my next door neighbour 'Big Frank' introduced me to his 1000 rare blues and soul album collection back in Liverpool in the winter of 1980! It just makes ya wanna see the entire performance live and from inside of a truly spellbound audience!
The reprised version of Praiz'm acts like a bridge of innovation that began a few tracks back but this time the backing is brought to the fore and the beats seem a little more penetrable with the addition of some nice sfx inserts here and there!
Great is thy faithfulness is the final track on the ep that makes you wish Tim and the team would hurry up with the album to follow! With some gentle key strokes on the piano coupled with some dynamite soul work emenating from just behind Tim's lips, we have one truly wonderful piece of production work made all the more exciting by the dynamically blessed vocal range that makes up most of what Tim Solomon is all about! This is why my opening statement talks about being wired up to heaven folks.. you try singing like this without divine intervention!
It's at this point that I just had to talk to Tim personally rather than by email.. he just had to know that, for a guy that hasn't really listened to this kind of thing since 'Big Frank', my world just got turned upside down and inside out listening to the work of a true master of the genre and if Tim Solomon's album is anywhere near on the horizon, I hope he has the good sense to send it my way! You only need to have the good sense to buy it!
Colin Lynch - September 27 2006
© 2006 R Cat Communications Ltd - All Rights Reserved - R Cat Communications-Colin Lynch

Tim Solomon is perhaps one of the finest gospel/soul/R&B vocalists I've heard in ages. The man's heart and soul are blessed and this fine collection of tracks hold inescapable evidence that he is truly wired up to heaven!

Great is thy faithfulness is a five track EP that has been brought into the world courtesy of Tim and an ensemble of highly accomplished co-producers. It's a stunning reflection of what's possible with a little passion and commitment driven by dedication, determination and some sprinklings of help from above!

The first track In times like these opens with some startlingly bright acoustic work from Rick Williamson before Tim's soothing driven vocals begin to pull you in to places you were never quite sure existed until now. The song is almost ballad-like, no... lullabye-like, noooo gospelesque in it's intricacy and in the way it's well crafted melodies act like soft brush strokes to an awaiting canvas of delight. Watch what happens with the vocals at around the 2.5 minute mark and know your amazement is currently being willfully captured all over the world!
Praiz'm is every bit the stuff of contemporary pop gospel excellence that the genre has been waiting for. The real cleverness is in the detail of the arrangements and in the production that has taken the song to refreshingly bright heights. Why oh why Tim Solomon isn't 'currently' part of a major label is beyond me but I guess all good things come to those who shine very brightly at some point or another and Tim Solomon, ladies and gentlemen, shines in this song all the way to the very last audible note!
Just as I am is an absolute delight to behold and as some incredibly perceptive piano leads us straight to the jazz embedded vocals that seem to effortlessly caress the soul, we find ourselves bound by the passion and the embrace in one very welcome swoop! What an amazingly beautiful song this is! The emphasis in the vocals meanders around the superb piano and harmonies in ways that I haven't heard since my next door neighbour 'Big Frank' introduced me to his 1000 rare blues and soul album collection back in Liverpool in the winter of 1980! It just makes ya wanna see the entire performance live and from inside of a truly spellbound audience!
The reprised version of Praiz'm acts like a bridge of innovation that began a few tracks back but this time the backing is brought to the fore and the beats seem a little more penetrable with the addition of some nice sfx inserts here and there!
Great is thy faithfulness is the final track on the ep that makes you wish Tim and the team would hurry up with the album to follow! With some gentle key strokes on the piano coupled with some dynamite soul work emenating from just behind Tim's lips, we have one truly wonderful piece of production work made all the more exciting by the dynamically blessed vocal range that makes up most of what Tim Solomon is all about! This is why my opening statement talks about being wired up to heaven folks.. you try singing like this without divine intervention!
It's at this point that I just had to talk to Tim personally rather than by email.. he just had to know that, for a guy that hasn't really listened to this kind of thing since 'Big Frank', my world just got turned upside down and inside out listening to the work of a true master of the genre and if Tim Solomon's album is anywhere near on the horizon, I hope he has the good sense to send it my way! You only need to have the good sense to buy it!
Colin Lynch - September 27 2006
© 2006 R Cat Communications Ltd - All Rights Reserved - R Cat Communications-Colin Lynch

Local voices sing the gospel at the Kennedy Center

By Michelle Singletary
Evening Sun

For two hours last night the John F. Kennedy Center For Performing Arts was transformed into a spirit-filled church, and its ministers were 10 gospel soloists and groups delivering their sermons through song. The congregation knew what to expect at the onset of the program when the artist, about 200 in all,
marched down two aisles and the hosts introduced them as finalists in the Kentucky Fried Chicken gospel music competition.
And soon after that the gospel service with its 2729 church members in attendance began. When the Emmanuel Choraleers, a choir from Washington, started singing the 23rd Psalm, acappella, hand clapping and toe tapping followed.
. . . But it was Tim Solomon, a native Baltimorean, who really roused the audience to shout and praise God. Solomon, holding on tightly to his white handkerchief, now his trademark, used a mixture of gospel techniques drawing particular attention to his ability to clearly enunciate his words.

“That’s all right,” one woman yelled as the young Solomon bent to his knees and reared back . . .. . moving from the last verse of “The Lord’s Prayer” to the first verse of “When I See Jesus.”

His short performance-only 7 minutes and 40 seconds- filled the people with an enthusiasm that brought the crowd to its feet and the raised a chorus of “Amens” and “Yes Jesus.” So it came as no surprise when Solomon was announced the winner of male soloist category.

Other local winners included the Youth and Young Adult Choir of First Baptist Church in Baltimore singing a rousing rendition of “Move Mountains.” The 60-member choir, dressed in red and white, stretched across the stage. The feverish responses-amen’s and hallelujahs- lasted for several minutes as the host tried to calm the audience so the nest group could perform. “I try and tell the choir to sing out but not to scream,” said Michael Williams, director of the youth choir, a new category added to this year’s competition. Great Change added to this year’s competition. Great Change, from Washington, followed the youth choir and won in the ensemble category. The group commanded attention with its blend of traditional and contemporary gospel sounds while singing “ I shall Wear A Crown As Soon As I Get Home.” Another local winner was Elizabeth Hogue, a recent graduate from Morgan State University, who said she let the spirit of God come into her heart, allowing her to preach through her music. Ms. Hogue said her voice was nurtured by Nathan Carter, director of choral activities at Morgan, and it was his training, which helped win as best female soloist. She sang a fusion of two songs, “ How Great Thou Art” and “ We Shall Behold Him.” The King Choral Ensemble showcased its ability to fuse gospel, classical and choral sounds. The Baltimore group sponsored by Mt. Hebron Baptist Church. Won the choir category singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” delivering the song with such harmonic strength that even the ushers were clapping and shouting. Ten soloist and groups from Washington and Baltimore competed last night in five categories; best choir, female soloist and male soloist. The winners received $1,500 for their sponsoring churches and 25 hours of recording Time from New York’s Platinum Factory Recording Studio… “ There is no doubt in my mind Baltimore and Washington have some of the best gospel performers,” said Donald E. Doyle, President of Kentucky Fried Chicken…

- Evening Sun

Local voices sing the gospel at the Kennedy Center

By Michelle Singletary
Evening Sun

For two hours last night the John F. Kennedy Center For Performing Arts was transformed into a spirit-filled church, and its ministers were 10 gospel soloists and groups delivering their sermons through song. The congregation knew what to expect at the onset of the program when the artist, about 200 in all,
marched down two aisles and the hosts introduced them as finalists in the Kentucky Fried Chicken gospel music competition.
And soon after that the gospel service with its 2729 church members in attendance began. When the Emmanuel Choraleers, a choir from Washington, started singing the 23rd Psalm, acappella, hand clapping and toe tapping followed.
. . . But it was Tim Solomon, a native Baltimorean, who really roused the audience to shout and praise God. Solomon, holding on tightly to his white handkerchief, now his trademark, used a mixture of gospel techniques drawing particular attention to his ability to clearly enunciate his words.

“That’s all right,” one woman yelled as the young Solomon bent to his knees and reared back . . .. . moving from the last verse of “The Lord’s Prayer” to the first verse of “When I See Jesus.”

His short performance-only 7 minutes and 40 seconds- filled the people with an enthusiasm that brought the crowd to its feet and the raised a chorus of “Amens” and “Yes Jesus.” So it came as no surprise when Solomon was announced the winner of male soloist category.

Other local winners included the Youth and Young Adult Choir of First Baptist Church in Baltimore singing a rousing rendition of “Move Mountains.” The 60-member choir, dressed in red and white, stretched across the stage. The feverish responses-amen’s and hallelujahs- lasted for several minutes as the host tried to calm the audience so the nest group could perform. “I try and tell the choir to sing out but not to scream,” said Michael Williams, director of the youth choir, a new category added to this year’s competition. Great Change added to this year’s competition. Great Change, from Washington, followed the youth choir and won in the ensemble category. The group commanded attention with its blend of traditional and contemporary gospel sounds while singing “ I shall Wear A Crown As Soon As I Get Home.” Another local winner was Elizabeth Hogue, a recent graduate from Morgan State University, who said she let the spirit of God come into her heart, allowing her to preach through her music. Ms. Hogue said her voice was nurtured by Nathan Carter, director of choral activities at Morgan, and it was his training, which helped win as best female soloist. She sang a fusion of two songs, “ How Great Thou Art” and “ We Shall Behold Him.” The King Choral Ensemble showcased its ability to fuse gospel, classical and choral sounds. The Baltimore group sponsored by Mt. Hebron Baptist Church. Won the choir category singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” delivering the song with such harmonic strength that even the ushers were clapping and shouting. Ten soloist and groups from Washington and Baltimore competed last night in five categories; best choir, female soloist and male soloist. The winners received $1,500 for their sponsoring churches and 25 hours of recording Time from New York’s Platinum Factory Recording Studio… “ There is no doubt in my mind Baltimore and Washington have some of the best gospel performers,” said Donald E. Doyle, President of Kentucky Fried Chicken…

- Evening Sun

Washington Times Magazine

By Tom Nugent Special To The Washington Times
Tim Solomon is walking that highway to heaven. Why does he love gospel singing so much? Hey, That’s an easy one... You gotta understand: He loves this church. Truly he loves this battered, white painted, wood framed church on the east side of Baltimore-a mighty temple, shinning in the summer rain. Her tall spire soaring into the blue dusk. He throws open the front door and strides down the center aisle of the Highway To Heaven Apostolic Faith Church, where he fist discovered the joys of gospel music. This gospel singer is home again: It’s another summer evening in East Baltimore, and it’s time for another music rehearsal. Three steps down the blazing red carpet, and Tim Solomon stops to wave, quite joyfully, toward the jumbo-size altar mural where Christ and the 12 apostles are enjoying a perpetual feast. “Now this,” sings out the youth, “this is were I grew up!” And he grins. Home again! For it was here, among the fiercely varnished pews, the narrow windows of the stained glass and these hand -lettered scrolls proclaiming the “Good News” from every wall (“For Unto Us A Child Is Born”) that Tim Solomon spent more than a decade teaching himself the basics- the basics of that intricate and soul-stirring craft which goes by the name of gospel music. Ask him to describe the joy of it.

“ I started singing when I was 6. I just grew up on it. And ever since I can remember, It’s been part of my nature.

It’s a feeling, you know? It’s the spirit moving through you. And that’s the best part - the way you can just give yourself up to it.” Ask him to define the purpose of it. “For me it’s the Christian message. It’s like the scripture: ‘Go ye therefore and teach all nations’ It comes from the soul. Just singing to the people, just telling them to accept Christ as your savior.”

But if you really want to get down to the heart of the matter, the guts of the gospel business - well, you better ask him to sing. He will, too.
Alone and unaccompanied, he’ll jump behind the tall polished lectern, which fronts the Last Supper mural. He’ll clear his throat a few times. He’ll wave his arms a bit, then pull out a fluttery white handkerchief - his trademark, actually, and a powerful stage prop. And then the gospel singer, who works as a Baltimore Bank teller during the day, will simply let her rip: “It’s a high way...” followed by a low moan. “Up to Heaaav-en...” Now the handkerchief riffles down the air. Now his two hands, like birds suddenly loosed, weave through the dusky light of the stained-glass windows. He stands before the lectern lean as a knife blade, this slender young man in a dark suit. His eyes have gone somewhere else. “Yes Lord, I’m walkin, that long, long way to heaaav-en.” Lord have mercy! He got the steamboat smoking now; you better believed he’s tapped into the juice!
And it takes maybe six bars to see why Tim Solomon has been selected as one of the 10 finalists in the third annual Washington-Baltimore Gospel Singoff,

which will take place at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. Mr. Solomon, an accomplished tenor who will compete as a male soloist, believes he has a excellent chance to win it all. The $11,000 in prize money will be awarded to the singers’ sponsoring churches. That money might go to his own Highway to Heaven Church. But wining the contest, which is sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation, isn’t the crucial point. “Sure I want to do the best I can. But what really matters is singing from the heart; carrying the message. Because I’ve given my life to Christ, I’ve started to realize how important the message I have for others is. If I can touch somebody with that, I’m a winner for sure.”
- Washington Times Magazine

Washington Times Magazine

By Tom Nugent Special To The Washington Times
Tim Solomon is walking that highway to heaven. Why does he love gospel singing so much? Hey, That’s an easy one... You gotta understand: He loves this church. Truly he loves this battered, white painted, wood framed church on the east side of Baltimore-a mighty temple, shinning in the summer rain. Her tall spire soaring into the blue dusk. He throws open the front door and strides down the center aisle of the Highway To Heaven Apostolic Faith Church, where he fist discovered the joys of gospel music. This gospel singer is home again: It’s another summer evening in East Baltimore, and it’s time for another music rehearsal. Three steps down the blazing red carpet, and Tim Solomon stops to wave, quite joyfully, toward the jumbo-size altar mural where Christ and the 12 apostles are enjoying a perpetual feast. “Now this,” sings out the youth, “this is were I grew up!” And he grins. Home again! For it was here, among the fiercely varnished pews, the narrow windows of the stained glass and these hand -lettered scrolls proclaiming the “Good News” from every wall (“For Unto Us A Child Is Born”) that Tim Solomon spent more than a decade teaching himself the basics- the basics of that intricate and soul-stirring craft which goes by the name of gospel music. Ask him to describe the joy of it.

“ I started singing when I was 6. I just grew up on it. And ever since I can remember, It’s been part of my nature.

It’s a feeling, you know? It’s the spirit moving through you. And that’s the best part - the way you can just give yourself up to it.” Ask him to define the purpose of it. “For me it’s the Christian message. It’s like the scripture: ‘Go ye therefore and teach all nations’ It comes from the soul. Just singing to the people, just telling them to accept Christ as your savior.”

But if you really want to get down to the heart of the matter, the guts of the gospel business - well, you better ask him to sing. He will, too.
Alone and unaccompanied, he’ll jump behind the tall polished lectern, which fronts the Last Supper mural. He’ll clear his throat a few times. He’ll wave his arms a bit, then pull out a fluttery white handkerchief - his trademark, actually, and a powerful stage prop. And then the gospel singer, who works as a Baltimore Bank teller during the day, will simply let her rip: “It’s a high way...” followed by a low moan. “Up to Heaaav-en...” Now the handkerchief riffles down the air. Now his two hands, like birds suddenly loosed, weave through the dusky light of the stained-glass windows. He stands before the lectern lean as a knife blade, this slender young man in a dark suit. His eyes have gone somewhere else. “Yes Lord, I’m walkin, that long, long way to heaaav-en.” Lord have mercy! He got the steamboat smoking now; you better believed he’s tapped into the juice!
And it takes maybe six bars to see why Tim Solomon has been selected as one of the 10 finalists in the third annual Washington-Baltimore Gospel Singoff,

which will take place at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. Mr. Solomon, an accomplished tenor who will compete as a male soloist, believes he has a excellent chance to win it all. The $11,000 in prize money will be awarded to the singers’ sponsoring churches. That money might go to his own Highway to Heaven Church. But wining the contest, which is sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation, isn’t the crucial point. “Sure I want to do the best I can. But what really matters is singing from the heart; carrying the message. Because I’ve given my life to Christ, I’ve started to realize how important the message I have for others is. If I can touch somebody with that, I’m a winner for sure.”
- Washington Times Magazine

Solomon Reaches Gospel Finals

By Michelle Singletary
Baltimore Evening Sun

Tim Solomon clutched the white handkerchief in his right hand and held it at arm’s length, drawing upon it for spiritual strength as if the cloth were a staff. The slender, small-framed 20- year-old then nodded for his pianist to play. From the wide mouth of the confident young man sprang the words, “Our father, who art in heaven. . .” The congregation at Jones Tabernacle Church perked up,

pleasantly surprised by the rich and strong tone of Solomon's perfectly enunciated words. Solomon stood still, for the most part taking careful course with each word of Jesus Christ’s prayer to his father. As Solomon’s rendition of Matthew 6: 9-14 neared the end,

the congregation was dripping wet from shouting “Lord have mercy” and “yes Jesus!” Yet Solomon hadn’t finished tapping the power he drew from twisting his handkerchief.

He opened his mouth wide and snapped it shut, attacking each word. “For thine is the Kingdom . . .” he snag as exaggerated facial expressions exemplified his theatrical training. “And the Powerrr . . .”

He paused, causing the congregation, which filled every seat and aisle space in the church, to shout even louder.
“And the Gloryyyyyy . . .” “ Sing, honey,” one woman in the front pew stood and hollered.

Solomon lifted his head for the greater approval. “For everrrrr . . .” He repeated the last verse for the congregation, now standing, clapping and praising God. Repositioning his grip on the handkerchief, Solomon shifted his feet, preparing for his finale. “A-mennnn,” he sang, rolling the word off his tongue and lifting his hands toward the high church ceiling. Tim Solomon slowly bowed his head and then strutted from the altar without ever glancing at the excited congregation. He walked away in his white zoot suit with an air of assurance that he had won a chance to compete in the Kentucky Fried Chicken gospel music finals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C in July.
Next Sunday, Solomon will be competing against Isaiah Lurry of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Washington D.C; in the male soloist category. “ I gave my life to God, and this is God basically opening doors for me” Solomon said of the competition. The native Baltimorean, who is working as a control clerk at a bank, started seriously performing gospel only seven months ago. Although he has been singing since the age of 6 in his church, Highway to Heaven, “theater is my first love,” Solomon said. But after graduating from the Baltimore School for the Arts and performing with a Shakespeare company in Massachusetts last summer,Tim Solomon decided gospel was his “calling.” “ I feel this is what God wants me to do,” he said.
As many new gospel artists are doing, Solomon relies on other musical disciplines to polish his gospel performances.

“The one thing they teach you in the Arts is to have a love for words,” he said. “So I put everything I can into every single word. I’m not into only the emotional or spiritual part of gospel music but also the educational and technique of gospel.”

Tim Solomon said his pianist, Charles Richardson, also a graduate of the School for the Arts and now a student at the Peabody Institute, assists in his training. To become finalists in the Kentucky Fried Chicken gospel music competition, entrants performed before a panel of five judges at a preliminary contest and were rated on intonation, diction, technique and other qualities. Ten Washington and Baltimore gospel group and soloists were selected for the finals.


- Baltimore Evening Sun

Solomon Reaches Gospel Finals

By Michelle Singletary
Baltimore Evening Sun

Tim Solomon clutched the white handkerchief in his right hand and held it at arm’s length, drawing upon it for spiritual strength as if the cloth were a staff. The slender, small-framed 20- year-old then nodded for his pianist to play. From the wide mouth of the confident young man sprang the words, “Our father, who art in heaven. . .” The congregation at Jones Tabernacle Church perked up,

pleasantly surprised by the rich and strong tone of Solomon's perfectly enunciated words. Solomon stood still, for the most part taking careful course with each word of Jesus Christ’s prayer to his father. As Solomon’s rendition of Matthew 6: 9-14 neared the end,

the congregation was dripping wet from shouting “Lord have mercy” and “yes Jesus!” Yet Solomon hadn’t finished tapping the power he drew from twisting his handkerchief.

He opened his mouth wide and snapped it shut, attacking each word. “For thine is the Kingdom . . .” he snag as exaggerated facial expressions exemplified his theatrical training. “And the Powerrr . . .”

He paused, causing the congregation, which filled every seat and aisle space in the church, to shout even louder.
“And the Gloryyyyyy . . .” “ Sing, honey,” one woman in the front pew stood and hollered.

Solomon lifted his head for the greater approval. “For everrrrr . . .” He repeated the last verse for the congregation, now standing, clapping and praising God. Repositioning his grip on the handkerchief, Solomon shifted his feet, preparing for his finale. “A-mennnn,” he sang, rolling the word off his tongue and lifting his hands toward the high church ceiling. Tim Solomon slowly bowed his head and then strutted from the altar without ever glancing at the excited congregation. He walked away in his white zoot suit with an air of assurance that he had won a chance to compete in the Kentucky Fried Chicken gospel music finals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C in July.
Next Sunday, Solomon will be competing against Isaiah Lurry of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Washington D.C; in the male soloist category. “ I gave my life to God, and this is God basically opening doors for me” Solomon said of the competition. The native Baltimorean, who is working as a control clerk at a bank, started seriously performing gospel only seven months ago. Although he has been singing since the age of 6 in his church, Highway to Heaven, “theater is my first love,” Solomon said. But after graduating from the Baltimore School for the Arts and performing with a Shakespeare company in Massachusetts last summer,Tim Solomon decided gospel was his “calling.” “ I feel this is what God wants me to do,” he said.
As many new gospel artists are doing, Solomon relies on other musical disciplines to polish his gospel performances.

“The one thing they teach you in the Arts is to have a love for words,” he said. “So I put everything I can into every single word. I’m not into only the emotional or spiritual part of gospel music but also the educational and technique of gospel.”

Tim Solomon said his pianist, Charles Richardson, also a graduate of the School for the Arts and now a student at the Peabody Institute, assists in his training. To become finalists in the Kentucky Fried Chicken gospel music competition, entrants performed before a panel of five judges at a preliminary contest and were rated on intonation, diction, technique and other qualities. Ten Washington and Baltimore gospel group and soloists were selected for the finals.


- Baltimore Evening Sun