Genre: Christmas, Pop/Rock, Worship
Members: Janna Long, Greg Long, Melissa Greene, Jeremi Richardson
For fans of: 4Him, Point of Grace, The Martins, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Truth, ZOEgirl
Label: Sparrow/EMI

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It's about time more efforts were made to preserve the history-in-the-making that is contemporary Christian music. A natural tendency in mainstream circles, several artists have recently scored hits by recording cover albums of songs first popularized in the 1940s (Rod Stewart), 50s and 60s (Barry Manilow), and 60s and 70s (Michael McDonald's Motown albums). Such a practice feeds artists and audiences alike, paying tribute to an inspiring past while rediscovering the music's relevance today. Now, premier Christian vocal group Avalon gives new voice and a debt of gratitude to various landmark faith-driven songs of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s on its ninth studio project Another Time, Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics. And quite serendipitously, the process has blessed Avalon's members beyond all expectations they had at the outset.

"These are songs that first made us want to do what we're doing today," says Greg about their take on the works of Amy Grant ("Thy Word," "El Shaddai"), Michael W. Smith ("Place in This World"), Steven Curtis Chapman ("For the Sake of the Call"), and others. Melissa remembers singing "The Basics of Life" (4Him) during her high school days and taking her first solo on "Friend of a Wounded Heart" (Wayne Watson).

For Janna, a founding member of Avalon, the memories have much to do with the group's own story. While Another Time, Another Place focuses most on music that pre-dates Avalon's existence, the group does cover "People Get Ready . . . Jesus Is Comin," the 1996 hit by Crystal Lewis. "We were on tour, opening for Crystal, when that song was so big," recalls Janna. "It was her encore every night. And during that tour, she won the Dove Award for Female Vocalist and we won New Artist. It was so fun and exciting. 'People Get Ready' holds a lot of meaning."

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