In her most recent release, "Precious Lord Take My Hand," Pittsburgh-born artist Stephani Ezatoff proudly carries on a musical tradition that spans generations. She pays a heartfelt and well-thought-out tribute to one of the most well-known hymns in Gospel music. This single is a big step forward for Ezatoff as an artist, built on respect, honesty, and a lasting love for spiritual music.
This cover is different from others because of the great team that worked on it. Ezatoff is joined by a group of famous musicians, all of whom Brian Speer produces in Nashville. Johnny Minick, a gospel legend, gives the Rhodes Piano and Hammond B3 Organ warmth and depth, making an instrumental base that is both timeless and full of soul. Angela Primm, Gale West, Johnny Minick, and Aaron Minick each have strong voices that add to the background without detracting from Ezatoff's emotional performance. Their harmonies make it deeper.
Gary Lunn (bass) and Dave Cleveland (guitar), both experienced Nashville session musicians, add depth to the soundscape and give the track a sense of place in Music City. This is a perfect, heartfelt piece of work of the highest quality.
Ezatoff really knows how important this 1932 hymn by Reverend Thomas A. Dorsey is emotionally and historically. She captures the song's timeless essence while adding a modern vibrancy, drawing on Dorsey's famous switch from Blues to Gospel. The result is a performance that is both familiar and new. It is a personal display that pays homage to its roots while firmly establishing itself in the present.