Jazz in The Spirit Is Back!!

By Lisa D. Kelly

Jazz in the Spirit 2022 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California was such a great success, they decided to do it again this year!  What’s all the excitement about?  What is Jazz in the Spirit 2023?  It’s a smooth jazz and gospel music outreach concert whose main goal is to unite people from diverse cultural backgrounds for a night of worship, fellowship, and fun!  Doors open at 6:00 pm, Friday, October 27, 2023, and admission is FREE!  What a great way to end the week!  You’ll want to get there early because they are expecting a packed house!

Skip Cain and Jessica Lund will lead everyone into worship with their unique gospel singing styles.  Skip, known to some as a jazz and blues soul singer and crooner, doesn’t mind doing a little preaching occasionally, as he’s singing.  Skip says, “The Church brings me joy!  Even though I started off as a front man in a teenage garage band singing at various events, I was drawn to sing for the Lord at church.  The patience of the Lord has been a blessing to me.  A lot of my inspiration comes from my beautiful 91-year-old mother who still sings at church every Sunday faithfully.  Psalm 100 says: ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…’  That’s where I am.  I love to sing praises to the Lord.”

Jessica Lund brings her soul to every gospel and country music song.  When she sings there isn’t a dry eye in the building.  Jessica says it is “such a blessing to be used by the Lord to bless others and bring them into a place of worship and reflection of who He is.  My heart is never to have my voice showcased or for me to be the center of any song.  My heart is to bring fun and an energetic spirit to the gospel collectively with others.”  There is profound purpose in serving and glorifying the Lord through song.  For Jessica, that purpose is to help others to be seen and to experience the freedom that comes through the gospel, the Good News, of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

“I started playing at Immanuel Baptist Church because of my long relationship with Bob Barrett.  He and I played together at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest for eight years before Bob Barrett became the musical Director over at Immanuel.  Soon after, about 11 years ago, Bob called me and asked if I would like to join him at Immanuel, and I have been there ever since,” says renown electric guitar player, Blake Aaron.  Even though Blake has topped the Smooth Jazz charts, has several #1 Billboard singles, and has recorded and/or performed with such musical greats as Philip Bailey, Sheila E., Bobby Womack, Carlos Santana, and many others, Blake still plays his guitar regularly at the Immanuel Baptist Church Sunday morning services.  Blake will be sharing his musical genius with you at the Jazz in the Spirit concert.  If you close your eyes for just a moment while Blake is playing, you might actually think Jimi Hendrix came back to life as a smooth jazz artist.  You are going to love hearing Blake shred his guitar.  And if you’re lucky, he just might come over to you and give you your own private performance.

Last, but not least, is Charles A. Kelly, Jr.  You may know him in the neighbor as Manager/Coach/Assistant Coach for the local Little League teams.  Or, you may have seen him and his children serving in the Worship Arts Ministry at church for many years, where Charles (who was always surrounded by keyboards) and the Praise and Worship Team opened up concerts for Christian artists, CeCe Winans, Israel Houghton, Jeremy Camp, the Katinas, Mary Mary, Salvador, Selah, and Tommy Walker.

When asked how he had learned to play multiple keyboards at a time, Charles credits much of his musical experience to the time he spent in the music studio working with Stevie Wonder and his time on the road as Musical Director touring with Sister Sledge (song: We Are Family).  So, with all that experience, why go into music ministry for the Church?  Charles says,  “I got into Christian music initially because I felt it was a healthy environment to resume my music career while helping out at the church as a volunteer.  However, as time went on, I realized that volunteering to play keyboards in the church services was bringing me into a much-needed personal relationship with Christ.  As I began to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I soon realized that God has a purpose for me playing Christian music.  It had become an integral part of my life, and it still is.

Now, after many years of playing keyboards, Charles, for the first time, has fused his love for Christ with his musical experience in his first album as a solo artist titled, You’re Not Alone.  Each song, though instrumental, tells a story about Charles’ personal relationship with either God, his wife, or even himself.  Come to the Jazz in the Spirit 2023 concert and let the gospel music and smooth jazz flavors rejuvenate your soul!  We’ll see you there!!

Concert begins at 6:30 pm

Immanuel Baptist Church

28355 Base Line Street

Highland, California 92346

(909) 425-1777

Author: Wallace