print: PAJAM - Interview (January 2007) | BlackGospel.com, Your Gospel Music Ministry Source!

Interview with PAJAM
(Paul D. Allen & Walter Kearney)

January 2007, BlackGospel.com by Christopher Heron

It’s been a decade since PAJAM first introduced their signature sound to Contemporary Gospel music fans. The debut release of Karen Clark Sheard’s Finally Karen (Island) back in ’97 marked the arrival of, not only a legendary artist from Gospel’s royal family, but the unveiling of a new production team that would soon shift the paradigm in Gospel music.

J Moss, Paul D. Allen and Walter Kearney are the affable and anointed members of the powerhouse production team known as PAJAM. Based in Detroit, Michigan, PAJAM is responsible for composing, arranging and producing hundreds of tracks recorded by well-known figures such as Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker, Kierra KiKi Sheard and Dorinda Clark Cole, just to name a few. Their imprints on the mainstream and commercial sectors are just as impressive.

The acronym – PAJAM - could easily stand for “powerfully arousing, juiced-up, anointed music”. However, the truth is much simpler. Ever since teaming up in the studio, Paul Allen & J Moss (P.A.J.A.M.) have found soulful symmetry in music that has earned them the reputation as one of the most lethal musical weapons the Lord has produced for this time. Walter Kearney was the perfect final piece to the PAJAM puzzle, offering valuable business experience and shrewd marketing input to complete the team of titans that has shaked and rattled its way into the homes, cars and MP3 Players of fellow believers.

Remarkably, the PAJAM portrait is far from completed. With contributions to over 10 albums this year, ‘07 marks PAJAM’s most prolific and purpose-driven year to date. With the release last year of Byron Cage’s An Invitation To Worship (GospoCentric), PAJAM was reintroduced to music fans as a powerful praise team to kick-start any worship service.

But on January 30th, PAJAM will further serve the needs of worshippers with a groundbreaking Praise & Worship album entitled, Sing To The Lord. The deeply sacred release for the saints reinterprets church standards like “Open The Eyes Of My Heart” and “Worthy Is The Lamb” in a way that highlights the production style of PAJAM, while offering contemporary worshippers another style and perspective to praise.

BlackGospel.com spoke with Paul D. Allen and Walter Kearney about their latest production for Integrity Gospel, their venture into Praise & Worship music and the pain and travails of being a pioneer for the Lord.

Christopher Heron: Few would question the abilities of PAJAM to produce and release a powerful Praise & Worship album particularly after the involvement of PAJAM on Byron Cage’s successful release, “An Invitation to Worship”. But could you share with us your new found love and admiration for Praise & Worship music that has become part of your repertoire and the song collection of so many of today’s Gospel artists?

PAJAM–Walter Kearney: Actually, this has always been a part of what we do. A lot of people wonder where are these PAJAM projects we do for the church. Well, we’ve been doing a number of songs that are in that direction but I think this album – PAJAM Presents Sing To The Lord – will stand out because this entire album we had the opportunity to actually create and produce the music for the church. It stands out in the sense that it’s the entire project.

CH: Praise and worship music is, of course, significantly different from Contemporary Urban Gospel music. Is there a different approach or method that you use when composing, rearranging, and producing gospel music for, let’s say, the Straight Gate Church or Byron Cage or any of the other artists you’re working with versus the signature sound you’re working with for your Urban Gospel music releases, let’s say for J Moss, Ramiyah or 21:03?

PAJAM–Paul D. Allen: We’re all musicians. I grew up playing in the church, J (Moss) grew up singing and playing in the church as well. Walter is a very good musician, too. We all came up in the church. We’re all musicians when it comes to Gospel music, Praise & Worship, Jazz, even crossover. We can play all of those genres. Our approach to writing, producing and arranging music is pretty much the same. When it comes to Praise & Worship music, you must have a heartbeat or a spiritual heartbeat to be sensitive to the type of things that go along with that type of music.

Every time we approach a type of music, we approach it based upon what it is, whether it’s Praise & Worship, Gospel, Contemporary Gospel, or Traditional. We produced the Mighty Clouds of Joy and our approach was different because it’s Traditional quartet music versus producing Hezekiah Walker. We handle each project similar, in terms our work ethic, in terms of our aggressiveness, and in terms of making sure we get whatever is the best from the artist for that music.

CH: There are a number of Praise & Worship anthems originally written on this album such as, Paul Beloche, Darlene Zschech, Jared Anderson, just to name a few. How did you select from so many international church standards for this, your first official Praise & Worship album?

PAJAM-WK: Those songs were already very popular and successful songs. We sat down with Jackie Patillo, who was with Integrity Gospel at the time. She just wanted a more soulful feel to these Praise & Worship songs because they were already a hit. She didn’t want to change them by doing something too different to it. So, we tried to give a different approach, a Gospel approach to these songs because that’s something that they felt like, “Hey this will cross genres,” songs like, ‘Trading My Sorrows’, and, “Open My Heart,” are songs that anyone can sing, not just a particular audience. Their vision was to “gospel-ize,” these standards.

CH: PAJAM has worked with many labels over the years like Gospel Centric, Verity, Island Black Music, etc. What made PAJAM and Integrity Gospel a good partnership and team for, “Sing to the Lord,” in particular?

PAJAM-WK: I think that a lot of labels like the versatility that we have and what we bring to the table. As well, they like our method in which we coordinate projects. When we do a project, we look at it from a number of different aspects, including whom are we trying to reach with the project. We consider the marketing strategy behind it and the target audience; whether it’s the age group or a particular type of person. We try to look at a project and try to see how the consumer would look at a project. When we come to the table, we also have business minds. The record company tends to respect the fact that we get the job done and quite efficiently. Actually, we have already worked with Integrity Gospel on other projects, including Ramiyah. We established a direct working relationship with them. And of course, once they heard and saw the quality of our production and the music that we create. It turned out to be a very good joint venture.

PAJAM-PDA: It’s also about timing. They finally had a project they were ready to present to us a very different and yet creative collaboration. Timing is what it’s all about.

CH: You are well-respected respected, well-known producers, and managers. On another front, PAJAM also has nurtured, produced, and introduced a couple of fine young talents over the years. One as you mentioned, was Ramiyah and more recently, 21:03. Tell us, what was the inspiration and determination to bring these two very special teen talents into the spotlight. And how do feel about their ministries and reception both from the industry and from the public?

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PAJAM-PDA: I think the one thing about the gospel industry is that we have to broaden our minds in terms of standards. When Kirk Franklin first arrived as an artist, few accepted him, until he crossed over as an artist. Before him, no one accepted James Cleveland until he crossed over with Gladys Knight’s remake, Jesus Is The Best Thing That Ever Happened. It’s the same with the Winans. There are so many different stories.

There are, fortunately, some young kids with talent, such as Ramiyah and 21:03. These young artists, for some reason, are going to need some type of mainstream attention before Gospel really gets it and that’s the unfortunate part I think. Gospel has been so traditional in certain areas. It’s hard for many Gospel fans to take a young person seriously, in terms of their ministry, even when they’re being sincere.

I think we’ve been a little hard on some of the younger talent. They are many more out there like Charles & Taylor. I think Gospel’s stance is, “You really can’t do anything or say anything, you don’t really know enough yet at your age to be able to present ministries.” We have to broaden our minds. A lot of them didn’t have a chance or the opportunity to go through hardships. Well thank God they didn’t go through it.

We have to broaden our minds. We have got to have these kids reach their peers. Because, on some front Yolanda Adams, is not reaching our kids in the same way some of these younger, sincere artists out there are able to reach their own peers.

PAJAM-WK: And that’s been our golden rule, to create artistry, to create talent that’s not according to the norm. Each of the groups that we’ve created have been visions that we have, based upon what we see as a void within the industry. We sense the same need that the younger generation has the same desires to receive something from their peers. So, we try to find the types of entities that are able to reach those young people in order to give them something other than riches.

PAJAM-PDA: I think we miss these young Christian groups because the Gospel industry, whether it be music or preaching, or church do not relate to the same people and these artists give the younger generation them someone relatable. There are a lot of kids out here trying to reach out. They’re reaching for hope, they’re looking for peace, they’re looking for some kind of resolution to a lot of things that they’re going through, issues that they’re dealing with like sexuality, drugs, and pregnancy, which are all prevalent now, more so than ever before. They need someone that can reach them and relate to them. And I think our problem has been not relating to those kids.

CH: PAJAM is always on the cutting edge, working tirelessly on young music projects. Tell us some of the new releases PAJAM has their fingerprints all over in 2007.

PAJAM-PDA: Well, our first release is, “Sing to the Lord” with Integrity Gospel. We have Vanessa Bell Armstrong coming out in February of ’07. There is Darlene McCoy, another EMI artist coming out March of ’07. In April, we have J. Moss V2, that’s coming. We’re working on the Top 25. It’s a Praise & Worship collaboration with the PAJAM approach. That series is coming out later on this year. 21:03 is coming up later on as well. I also have my album this called, “PDA”. Byron Cage is recording his new album in New York at the Apollo Theater and that’s going to be released in April with special guest appearances by David Hollister, Kelly Price, 2103, even, myself, PDA as a guest on that album.

PAJAM-WK: We’re also recording on Donnie McClurkin.

PAJAM-PDA: Yolanda Adams is coming out in March. Thank God for being busy.

PAJAM-PDA: Soon we will feature a new all gospel group. We have another family from Detroit, a lot like the Winans and the Clark Sisters. We’ll be releasing that by the end of the third quarter of ‘07. I hope that’s enough for you.

CH: My final question is who is this album, “Sing to the Lord” written, produced and recorded for? Who is this album designed to reach? And what type of emotional impact were you hoping to achieve when this plays in the homes, in the cars, and on the MP3 players of your listeners?

PAJAM-WK: The initial impact was for the gospel church. That was the target of the original vision of the record company. We can always stretch and complete the vision so that those songs will reach every age, every demographic within the Black church. That’s where we are going with this project; so that they can take these same songs and be used by God.

For more information about PAJAM, visit the official website at www.pajam-music.com. To contact PAJAM, email the team at pajam@sbcglobal.net.