Yes, that’s me, naked.

From smooth-hop, to rock-a-billy, jazz to folk, I sit a little outside the norm of Christian music. On our anniversary a few years back, my wife and I flew to California, rented a convertible, and drove the West Coast highway. The beach was empty and as I’m a light ocean swimmer, ( I put a mile in most summer days along the eastern coast) I had to try the pacific waters.

I know, I know, it was reckless, and I had no bathing suit. But the time was ripe for a swim, and we would not pass that beach again. So there I am, all exposed, (my pants are hidden behind that big rock,) I’m wet, cold, but energized, the water freezing, the wind pimpling, the waves slamming, the slime kelp tangling; but the sun shines, the water glistens, and the sea foam laughs. There I am, walking for my pants, my wife snapping a photo. (If you are wondering, she did not join me in the swim.)

And that’s my music; all exposed. For these tunes capture a moment, a scripture, a question of faith, a life event, a feeling. The topics range from doubt, wonder and worship, to love, excess, guilt, fear, gratitude, global warming, and silliness. But I’m a church musician, and as a volunteer director of music of my small church, Woodmont United Church of Christ, I’ve got to marry my experience with our members’ need to hear the scripture in a meaningful way. So when I write and sing for church, I keep it personal, revealing the nakedness of my soul, my faith and my doubt, my fears and my comfort. These songs were written for my church family. For I believe honesty is central to receiving, living, and sharing Jesus’ message of inclusion, welcome, and forgiveness. As the title track of the album suggests, “I want to be real.”

I am grateful for the friendship and talents of the Worshiping Musicians: drummer, Wayne Kenyon, and vocalist Carol Topitzer. For more than fifteen years of Thursday rehearsals, Wayne and Carol have welcomed my experiments as I fit my experience into the topic for each Sunday sermon. It worked like this: I would arrive with a tune sketched on a scrap of paper. After working for ten or fifteen minutes, I ask them, and if it got a thumbs up, we’d work it some more, and I’d take Friday night and Saturday to finish the lyrics or adjust the key, melody, etc. for Sunday morning polishing before the service. When it was over, I’d tuck it away until that scripture came around again, where we can polish it some more. I’ve got years of tunes, and naked once more, I’m recording them and sharing them with any wishing to hear.

I’m not a professional, I’m just a guy who loves writing and presenting songs of faith for his church family. Some of these recordings will be solo performances, some live, some with the church Worshiping Musicians, and some with special guest musicians, including my good friend and international smooth jazz recording artist Jay Rowe and Connecticut electric guitar sensation Rohn Lawrence. I hope you enjoy the tunes as much as we did recording them. I am very grateful to you, dear listener, and I thank God for our community of faith at Woodmont United Church of Christ, for giving us a place for sharing both our musical and our journey of faith.

With gratitude, Bruce A. Barrett