Jimmy Needham Review ~ Launch 2010 Concert!

By Jennifer B

Jimmy Needham is a musician from Houston, TX. In 2006, he released his first album _ Speak , but it was his sophomore album, **Not Without Love** , in 2008 that really introduced Jimmy to the music scene. **Not Without Love** is full of bluesy-jazz sounds and beautifully-written lyrics. He wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the CD, and they all seem to tie into the idea that love is the essential factor in the Christian faith. You may have heard his song "Forgiven and Loved" on the radio or around Watermark; Jimmy wrote that song in response to his legalistic tendencies. In it, he speaks of trying to earn God's favor, being a Bible-beater, and focusing just on the do's and don'ts of Christianity. He realized that what he was missing from his faith was love. On his website he states, “There is something so appealing when we love like Jesus did. I missed out on that for so long. No more. That’s what **Not Without Love_** is all about.”

Jimmy's newest album, Night Lights , was released earlier this year and has a grittier feel to it. It is more diverse than his prior albums, even including spoken word tracks which showcase his amazing, insightful writing. While he has been compared to John Mayer and Jason Mraz, Jimmy Needham is very much his own man. He is talented in a multitude of ways and uses his talents to bring glory to God. Jimmy will definitely bless the Launch Retreat this weekend. If you have a chance to catch some of his music, either by purchasing the albums or finding his songs on Pandora, absolutely take the opportunity to listen and enjoy.