After he and his choir’s surprising success with their debut album in 2000, Montgomery—the musically gifted pastor of Houston’s Abundant Life Cathedral mega-church—returns here on a two-disc, live production, having handed the baton to his music director, Mark Taylor. With a 70-member-plus voice choir, hot rhythm section, and lavish orchestration, Taylor makes all the moves of a master. Songs include strong, live renditions of studio cuts from the first disc and an equal number of new, also solid, selections. “You Did It Before” adds an infectious Stevie Wonder groove to its bedrock gospel message. “So Good” is a slow-burning ballad, and the late Thomas Whitfield’s “With My Whole Heart” is achingly beautiful. If there were any doubters the last time around, Montgomery & Co. have now staked a legitimate claim to longevity.—GE
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