Artist : Neal Morse

Album : Jesus Christ the Exorcist (Live at Morsefest 2018)

Release Date : 04-12-2020

Added : 16-01-2021

Album of the playlist 2020 : Live Albums of the second part of the year

In my last column on the studio recording of 'Jesus Christ the Exorcist ' released in 2019, I had expressed the wish to have the live show of this progressive religious fresco. In fact, on the occasion of the 'Morsefest' 2018 (the annual progressive festival hosted by 'Neal Morse' in his hometown of 'Cross Plains', USA), this progressive opera had already been presented to the public and this album live with DVD/Blu-ray is now available. Around an impressive panel of guests from the progressive world, this live makes us relive this concert with the video essential in this kind of story showing all the work done by 'Neal Morse' to mount his story on 'Jesus Christ' with singers who become full-fledged actors as in all musical works of this style and we can cite for example exemple 'Transitus' by 'Arjen Anthony Lucassen' who just released or 'Beloved Antichrist' by 'Christofer Johnsson'. In short, beyond the musical aspect which shows all the talent of 'Neal Morse' to compose songs of great richness whether at the vocal and instrumental level, this live is a real performance and allows, thanks to the image, to add an even stronger emotional aspect to this historical fresco, which for me makes it one of the best live performances of 2020.

Line Up / Musicians

Neal Morse (Guitars, Keybords, Vocal), Paul Bielatowicz (Guitar), Bill Hubauer (Keybords), Eric Gillette (Drums), Randy George (Bass), Ted Leonard (Vocal), Talon David (Vocal), Nick D’Virgilio (Vocal), Rick Florian (Vocal), Matt Smith (Vocal), Jake Livgren (Vocal), John Schlitt (Vocal), Mark Pogue (Vocal), Wil Morse (Vocal), Gabe Klein (Vocal), Gideon Klein (Vocal), Julie Harrison (Vocal), Wil Morse (Percussions, Keybords), Gabriel Klein (Percussions), Laura Epling (Violin), Jake Tudor (Violin), Michael Lucarelli (Viola), Maggie Chafee (Cello), Gideon Klein (Bass), Holly Smith (Corne), David Cooper(Trombone), Dominique Caster (Trumpet), Gabriel Collins (Saxophone, Flute)