Songs: I Have Found The Way, Did You Think To Pray, I'll Trade The Old Cross, My Lord Is Writing All The Time, I'm Not Afraid Of Tomorrow, Kept And Protected By God's Love, The Glory-Land Way, Let My Life Be A Light, Lord I'm Ready To Go, The Vision, Heaven's My Next Exit, The New Jerusalem, You Are My Hiding Place, We'll Go Home Together On The Cloud

Personnel: Doyle Lawson--mandolin, guitar, lead and baritone vocals; Dale Perry--acoustic bass and bass vocals; Barry Abernathy--banjo, baritone and lead vocals; Owen Saunders--fiddle; Barry Scott--guitar, lead and tenor vocals; Steve Gulley--guitar and vocals; and special guest Jerry Douglas on dobro

One of the popular themes in bluegrass -- besides my - baby - left - me - and - the - mountains - and - the - old - hometown - on - the - midnight - train -- is gospel music. Some of the most heavenly harmonies are found in that good old gospel sound. And when it comes to bluegrass gospel music the first name that comes to mind is mandolinist Doyle Lawson, and to the surprise of no one he has a new gospel recording out that is called Kept & Protected. For over 20 years Lawson and the various members of his band Quicksilver have been making gospel records, and this one is number 12. Last year's recording, There's A Light Guiding Me, not only received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album, it also won the International Bluegrass Association Award for Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year. With Kept & Protected that Grammy nomination may very well turn into an actual award next year.

The hallmark of gospel music and Quicksilver are the harmonies, and despite how you may feel about this kind of music there is no denying that this band can sing and pick with the best of them. Led by Lawson on mandolin, lead and baritone vocals, there are 14 songs on this CD that will have you shouting hallelujah! by the time it is over.

The very first song, I Have Found The Way, is an hot uptempo number that sets the tone for the rest of the recording with wonderful ensemble singing and hot breaks on fiddle, mandolin and banjo. There are seven more ensemble selections on the CD, with the song The Vision featuring some Eagle-esque oohs and aahs. There are three a capella cuts – My Lord Is Writing All The Time, Let My Life Be A Light, and You Are My Hiding Place. And newcomer tenor singer and guitarist Barry Scott -- who at times sounds like a younger Vince Gill -- gets to shine on the best song of all, I'll Trade The Old Cross For A Crown, and on the title cut, Kept And Protected By God's Love. Scott has a voice that we'll be hearing lots more of in the future, as bandleader Lawson will want to keep and protect him as long as he can. Or at least until Scott starts to live the song Lord I'm Ready To Go, like previous singers Terry Baucom, Lou Reid, and others have done over the past 20 years. Also featured on this recording are Jerry Douglas on dobro, and former guitarist and tenor singer Steve Gulley (on two songs only).

If you are not into the spiritual side of bluegrass music this CD may be a little too preachy for you. But if you ever feel a need for some Sunday morning music, or if you feel like its time for a little "soul searching," you need not search any further than beingKept & Protected.