Patrice Egging - Cross His Heart

Cross his Heart is the debut album from Patrice Egging, and as strange as this may sound, I'd have to say that Patrice is one of the most inspired artists that I've run across. That's not to say that any other artist featured on the show is any less inspired, but Patrice's story and especially her music are recorded and inspired in a very unique way. When I heard the album for the first time, the sound and images were very contemplative and the music flowed beautifully and the title track from the album Cross his Heart is a representative example of Patrice's style.

As I read more about Patrice and her music, that's when I realized just how inspired she was. Patrice sits at the piano and plays. The music you hear on the CD is improvised. Patrice admits that some of the songs do stick and she can come back to some of the songs. Others are simply spoken through her and are never heard again. This improvisational style is the key thing that sets this album apart for me. Many of the tracks on this album are very melodic and its amazing when you realize that many of these songs were played in a one hour sitting.

I have tremendous respect for Patrice's fresh approach to music ministry. She does play for services and out in public, in fact I know she was at a conference in Dallas recently. I am personally of fan of improvisation and to hear this album to know the story behind it reminds me that all music is a gift. I feel like sometimes music ministers get so caught up in the recording process that they sometimes lose the energy and the spirit that brought them into music in the first place. Patrice's music is a reminder to me as to what it means to be filled by the Spirit.

Reviewed by Rob Ayoub