Trin-i-tee’s Gift of Song
By Michael A. Gonzales
The night before my meeting with Trin-i-tee 5:7, the acclaimed gospel trio performed at J&R Music World in lower Manhattan. Only a few blocks from Ground Zero, the electronics/CD store has hosted events for Trin-i-tee in the past, but this being the holiday season, the ladies had come to preview songs from their recently released Christmas album Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas.
“We love this time of year,” says Adrian Anderson, the only group member to come from the west coast (Sacramento), while her group “sisters” Chanelle Haynes and Angel Taylor hail from New Orleans. “We’ve done holiday shows together for years,” she says, sitting in the lobby of their East Side Hotel the morning after the in-store performance, ” but this was the first year we had the time to record an entire album of Christmas material.”
A breath of fresh air when they first appeared on the gospel scene in 1998, eleven years later Trin-i-tee 5:7 continues to achieve new career heights. Their fourth album T57 (2007) was certified platinum and was nominated for a Grammy Award; in addition, the disc would go on to win two prestigious Dove Awards, the gospel music industry’s highest honor.
“We have some of the most devoted fans on the planet,” Chanelle says, having recently returned from a short European tour where Trin-i-tee entertained American troops. “When it was time for us to think about our next project, we knew we wanted to do an album that would be a gift to the people who have made our long career possible.”
Although it doesn’t come wrapped in colorful bows and silver paper, Trin-i-tee’s holiday spectacular Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas is the perfect gift for devotees and newcomers alike. “From the beginning, we knew we wanted to try and make a lasting Christmas album,” Adrian states. “Before Trin-i-tee even went into the studio, we went back and studied classic albums and video clips of Christmas material that we considered timeless.”
After listening to countless holiday songs recorded by artists ranging from Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” to Michael Jackson’s “Give Love on Christmas,” both which are included on Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas, the women of Trin-i-tee felt more than ready to put their personal spin on such unforgettable material. Other songs recorded for the project include “Silent Night,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Joy to the World.”
“We found quite a few old videos of The Supremes performing Christmas songs and we just couldn’t get enough,” Adrian laughs. “It’s not like we were trying to copy anything, but those clips were such an inspiration to us. Believe it or not, we also watched a lot of clips of Dean Martin and Sammy Davis as well.”
Recorded in just two weeks, Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas builds on the tradition of Christmas discs while also giving Trin-i-tee 5:7 the opportunity to embark on their own musical journey. “The songs we selected are those that will make you warm inside,” Chanelle Haynes says. Before the official holiday, the trio will perform for the Army personal stationed at Fort Hood, which was recently the scene of an infamous mass shooting. “Christmas is a time of God and family, so it was our goal to make a record that would make the listener feel good inside.”
Putting in long hours—sometimes up to sixteen in one day—Trin-i-tee recorded an average of two tracks a day. “It was a lot of pressure,” Anderson admits. “While I wouldn’t want to be under that kind of pressure again, it just shows how focused we were. We felt God watching over us very closely.”
Along with the ladies’ three powerful voices, credit for the sound of the Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas project goes to producers/musicians Eddie “E-Trez” Smith III, Jesse J. Rankins, Jonathan D. Wells. Known collectively as the Bama Boyz, the talented studio crew has produced remixes and original tracks for Beyonce, Solange and Mya. In addition, they also produced eight tracks for Trin-i-tee’s platinum-seller T57.
The Bama Boyz’ work on the T57 disc earned them a #2 spot on the Gospel Charts, a Grammy Nomination and a Dove Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. “We’re like one big family in the studio,” Angel says. “It’s a blessing to work with such a talented crew of young men who know our sound as well as we do. The Bama Boyz are able to bring out the best in Trin-i-tee.”
The Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas package also includes a bonus DVD of five performances taken from Trin-i-tee’s most recent television special, Gospel Music Channel presents Christmas at Union Station. The DVD highlights the women’s charismatic performance and visual appeal, reminding us why they are the best-selling female trio in Gospel music.
“After the Christmas break we’re looking forward to going to the studio to work on our next project of original material,” says Angel. While the Trin-i-tee 5:7 enjoys traveling the world and making music, they each understand that there is nothing like being home for the holidays.
Surrounded by the love of God as well as great food and family, Love, Peace, Joy at Christmas serves as the perfect soundtrack for a blissful season.
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