In Brief

** 1/2 Fred Hammond, “Radical for Christ,” Verity/Face to Face. By traditional black gospel standards, Hammond’s watered-down style is hardly radical. That’s a term best reserved for a trendsetter such as Kirk Franklin. Still, on the rousing “When You Praise” it’s apparent why Hammond has made a name for himself in contemporary gospel circles.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two (fair), three (good) and four (excellent).