CITY OF PEACE MEDIA RECORDING ARTISTS
BRAVE THE COLD THIS SUMMER
Critically-acclaimed City of Peace Media recording artists Jordan Elias and Sean Spicer recently flew to Alaska’s interior to minister to the native people of Akiak, Alaska, reportedly the smallest village on the Yukon. Akiak is known for having one of the highest suicide rates in the U.S.
Eskimos, many arriving from neighboring villages by boat, filled the stands for Elias’ and Spicer’s nightly concerts in the local school gymnasium. Elias shared the Gospel, as well as music from his debut project, Desert Cry, named one of last summer’s Top 10 Rock releases by Gospelmusicchannel.com. The Top 10 list included offerings from both Christian and mainstream artists such as Newsboys, John Mellencamp, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Future of Forestry, The Choir, Chris August and Ed Kowalczyk (former lead singer of multi-Platinum mainstream band, Live).
Elias also shared music from the new Galilee of the Nations project, Best of Messianic Praise & Worship, Volume Three, digitally released September 6, on which he appears alongside some of the world’s best known Messianic recording artists, including Joel Chernoff, Karen Davis and Ted Pearce. Spicer, who plays in Elias’s band, shared music from his new project, Olive Tree, which also digitally released September 6.
In addition to the concerts, Elias and Spicer met and prayed with people on the street in Akiak, visited the grave of a recent suicide victim and celebrated a birthday in the village.
“While we were in Akiak, there were a number of suicide memorial ‘community feeds’ — we walked through the village going from one ‘community feed’ to another,” says Elias of the various community gatherings. “The food at the ‘feeds’ consisted of rice, chicken, salmon, beaver, moose, swan, caribou and whale blubber salad. A little bit ‘out there’ for those of us who come from the ‘Lower 48’!”
“God has given us such a love for the people of Akiak and we are honored that He called us to share the Gospel with them,” continues Elias. “About 80 people professed faith in Yeshua while we were there. There is a pastor in town now and people are being baptised and fellowshipping together from house to house.”
Pictured: Photo 1 — Following a concert, Elias (third from left) fellowships with a newly saved Akiak mom and dad and their children. Photo 2 — Sean Spicer (left) and a new little friend in Akiak.
About Jordan Elias:
If there is such a thing as a music gene, Jordan Elias has it. A third generation music industry progeny, Elias traces his musical heritage back to his grandfather, legendary Motown producer Jerry Marcellino, who helmed projects for such superstars as Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Lionel Ritchie and The Commodores, Al Jarreau, Bobby Darin and Smokey Robinson.Jordan’s father, Yochanan Marcellino, cut his teeth in the music industry and went on to found several successful record labels, including Kerygma Records, Galilee of the Nations Music and City of Peace Media. With the release of his debut project, Desert Cry, in May 2010, Elias proves the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Co-produced by Jerry and Yochanan Marcellino, the music of Desert Cry is a refreshingly organic combination of old soul, Gospel and thundering Jesus rock.
Elias delivers a one-two musical punch of raw, bare-knuckles rock ‘n’ roll guitars wrapped around thick, meaty melodies followed up by moments of sweetly nuanced, intimate piano-based worship ballads.
With three generations of musical history in one studio, it should come as no surprise that the end result would be a stunning package of intense, relevant, accessible yet thought-provoking songs.
What may be surprising is the fire and passion Elias exudes. Fresh out of the gate, he proclaims the truth without pulling punches, sugarcoating nothing.
Desert Cry is available on City of Peace Media, and is distributed through Provident-Integrity Distribution. For more information on Elias and Desert Cry, visit JordanElias.com or cityofpeace.com. For more information on Best of Messianic Praise & Worship, Volume Three, visit galileeofthenations.com.
About Sean Spicer:
Olive Tree, the instrumental CD from critically acclaimed, award-winning Christian guitarist Sean Spicer, has created a buzz among fans of free-form guitar. The CD’s release followed closely on the heels of Spicer’s recent Jazz/Blues Song of the Year Covenant Award win for his Keith Green-inspired composition, “No Compromise.”
The eleven-song collection of original material, which released March 1 on City of Peace Media, encompasses a range of genres from swirling, ethereal smooth jazz and knee-bending worship arias to rejoicing jazz fusion numbers, making it impossible to pigeonhole. Spicer has been influenced by musicians as varied as David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Alex Lifeson (Rush) and Andy Summers (The Police), as well as Phil Keaggy and Larry Carlton’s contemporary jazz fusion.
Spicer’s Olive Tree is available through City of Peace Media and Provident-Integrity Distribution. For more information on Sean Spicer and Olive Tree, visit cityofpeace.com.
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