Artist: Robbie Seay Band
Album: Miracle
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewer: Alex Judge

Now I’m not entirely sure how to pronounce “Seay,” but I can “say” that the Robbie Seay Band has produced a good album.  With the typical acoustic guitar, softly distorted electric, and the natural sounding drums, Robbie lets his signature vocals cut through the rhythmic music bed to make your head nod to the beat. The lyrics are well crafted, not overly predictable, and accompanied by the catchy tune that will be stuck in your head for days.

 “We Are Not Alone” seems to have a southern influence in the finger picking and the lap steel-esque guitar while “Long Way Home” and “Lament”  present a more ambient influence.   Robbie reworks the hymn “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go” that results in a style comparable to Needtobreathe. Look for the title track “Miracle” to be an instant favorite along with “Crazy Love,” which exhibits memorable melodic lines and beautifully crafted instrumentation.

For those who are already fans of Robbie Seay, you will not be disappointed. If you haven’t heard the band before, check out this new album and you may find a new favorite. For those who were not into his earlier releases, you may find the experimentation to your liking. Overall, the Robbie Seay Band incorporates a good amount of old, tried and true styles with some musical exploration. The songs on this album got my head nodding to the rhythm and had me humming along even after the song ended.

Sparrow recording artist Robbie Seay Band will celebrate the forthcoming release of its latest project, Miracle, with an 8-city Texas tour, kicking off March 23.The band will be joined by new Integrity artist John Mark McMillan and local singer/songwriter Jillian Edwards. See below for a complete list of tour dates. For additional information, visit www.robbieseayband.com or www.myspace.com/robbieseayband. Street week interviews are available upon request at mandy@savvymediasolutions.com.
 
Robbie Seay Band Miracle CD Release Tour Dates
 
March 23
Houston Baptist University
Dunham Theater
7502 Fondren Rd.
Houston, TX 77074
7:00 PM  
Tickets: $10  
www.itickets.com
    
March 24
First Baptist Church Magnolia
18525 FM 1488 Rd.  
Magnolia, TX 77354  
7:00 PM  
Tickets: $12  
www.itickets.com    
          
March 25
Common Grounds
1123 South 8th Street  
Waco, TX 76706  
7:00 PM  
Tickets: $10 adv/$12 door
www.itickets.com
          
March 26
                  The Palace Theater College Station                      
105 S. Main St.   
Bryan, TX 77801  
7:00 PM
Tickets: $10  
www.itickets.com   
          
March 27
Mosiac Austin
5619 Airport Rd.  
Austin, TX 78751  
8:00 PM  
Tickets: $12  
www.itickets.com  
*Robbie Seay Band and Jillian Edwards only
               
March 29
TriPoint Church San Antonio
3233 North Saint Mary's
San Antonio, TX 78212
8:00 PM  
Tickets: Free  
 
March 30
Hardin Simmons University
Behrens Auditorium  
Abilene, TX 79698
7:00pm  
Tickets: $10 or free w/ student ID
www.itickets.com
*Robbie Seay Band and John Mark McMillan only
 
March 31
The Oaks Fellowship
777 S I-35E
Red Oak, TX 75154
7:00pm
Tickets: FREE  - Love offering will be taken

Sparrow Records artist Robbie Seay Band releases its third label project, Miracle, March 23. A reflection of Seay’s work and relationships within Ecclesia Church in Houston, the record captures thoughts, feelings, and realities of his local community.
 
Produced by Seay and Tedd T (tobymac, Mute Math, David Crowder Band) with additional contributions by Dan Muckala (Brandon Heath, The Afters) and Matt Bronlewee (Chris Tomlin, Leeland), Miracle is a collection of songs inspired by the real life stories of those around him. It is a call and response to life, to what God is doing in their midst, as it happens.
 
Seay wrote the album’s title track, for example, in reaction to a friend who was diagnosed with cancer, while “Lament (We Cannot Wait)” was penned to express the grief of his congregation over a church member’s death. “Let Our Faith Be Not Alone,” sung by Ecclesia for more than a year before Seay recorded it, is a song meant to encourage the church as a community of faith. Similarly, “Kingdom and a King” talks about the church moving together to reach those in need.
 
“In some ways, this record reflects the past year for us - representing a broader journey and reality,” Robbie says. “From the deepest depths of sorrow and angst to the greatest moments of celebration in scripture, the band strikes up and it’s beautiful to be part of that. Each song seems to echo what God is doing among us, that this is not a me-centered life we’re living... we are not alone.”
 
The project’s current single, “Awaken My Soul,” is presently vying for adds at Christian radio, while Robbie Seay Band has confirmed select tour dates with sixstepsrecords singer/songwriter Charlie Hall this spring. Additional tour information is forthcoming.
 
An example of the many ways Robbie Seay Band is connected to both the local and international church is a unique partnership with Church Online. Fans can tune in to services on LifeChurch.tv the weeks of February 6–12, February 27–March 5, and March 20-26 for an exclusive preview of songs from the new album. The band will perform three worship sets, including several tracks from Miracle, to be viewed by more than 140 countries and territories. These performances offer a rare glimpse inside Robbie Seay Band’s Church Online sessions at the Red Tree recording studios in Magnolia, Texas.
Known for a psalmist/songwriter worship style that features raw, insightful lyrics coupled with an equally engaging sound, the Houston-based Robbie Seay Band is comprised of Robbie Seay, Ryan Owens, Matthew Kidd, and Michael Lisenbe. Since signing with EMI CMG imprint Sparrow Records in 2005, the band has released two critically acclaimed albums, Better Days (2005) and Give Yourself Away(2007). The band’s music has received high profile television placement in promotions for FOX’s “American Idol,” as well as CW programs “One Tree Hill” and “Life Is Wild.” At radio, the band’s Christian AC single “Song of Hope” climbed to No. 6 and remained on the charts for an entire year from 2007-2008. The song became the No. 7 song on the year-end AC chart. When not on the road, the Robbie Seay Band leads worship at Ecclesia Church, a Houston-based community of faith that seeks to embrace culture through practical love. For more information, visit www.robbieseayband.com or www.myspace.com/robbieseayband.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Feb. 4, 2009 -- The GMA Foundation (GMAF) inducted artists Michael W. Smith, Dolly Parton, Dr. Bobby Jones and The Dixie Hummingbirds along with music producer Lari Goss into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame on Feb. 2, 2009 at a ceremony at Richland Country Club in Nashville.

The GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame was established in 1971 and has inducted more than 150 members since its inception, including 2007 inductees Phil Keaggy, The Statler Brothers, The Winans and Joe Moscheo.  Previous inductees include Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Keith Green, Amy Grant, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Andrae Crouch, Sandi Patty, Vestal Goodman, Tennessee Ernie Ford, 2nd Chapter of Acts, The Oak Ridge Boys, Petra, Bill and Gloria Gaither, the Rambos, Evie, Richard Smallwood, Jake Hess, The Lewis Family, Thomas A. Dorsey, the Fairfield Four, Billy Graham and the Jordanaires.