Ben Tankard – All Keyed Up

All Keyed Up by keyboardist Ben Tankard is not what you’d expect from a gospel artist… In fact, there’s not much expected or “normal” to Ben Tankard’s life at all. He’s a former professional basketball player, credited as the Godfather of Gospel Jazz, a Reality-TV dad, Aircraft pilot, and also an extremely gifted multi-instrumentalist in addition to being an absolute virtuoso at piano. His solo debut All Keyed Up is arguably his most interesting record due to its use of unconventional samples and sounds, even compared to modern left-field dance music standards. The record mostly sits in a smooth downtempo, boogie, fusion kind of zone – what Tankard would dub as a new genre called “gospel jazz.” Eden Celebration, with its upbeat electro beat, New Age chords, Tarzan sample, and drum machine percussion, is the clear standout here and a truly unique track that highlights Tankard’s pure creative genius.

– Phil Cho

Recommended – A4 Melodic Heaven, B1 All Keyed Up, B5 Eden Celebration