Bob Rice - The Gospel Accordion to Bob Rice

I guess I started playing accordion for the same reasons everyone else does: to pick up girls and for the 'bad boy' reputation that comes with it. Though I only started playing accordion about ten years ago, I first fell in love with it's sound when I was in high school. Two albums came out that blew me away: Paul Simon's 'Graceland' and John Cougar Mellencamp's 'The Lonesome Jubilee.' I think a clean accordion sound is the perfect accompaniment to an acoustic rhythm guitar. That's the kind of sound I strive for. People who have seen me perform live know I always pick up an accordion to play a few songs. That's usually my favorite part of the show-and I hate to put it down! So I figured I'd write more songs that featured my accordion playing, and that's where the idea for 'The Gospel Accordion Bob Rice' was born. What I've come up with are a bunch of songs that are a mix of bluegrass, country, Irish, contemporary Christian music, and rock and roll. Instead of trying to explain how it sounds, let me try to say how if feels: joyful, thoughtful, and prayerful. Many of the tracks are songs that joyfully celebrate God's love for us and what's He's done in our lives. For example, the song, 'Never Been Disappointed' rejoices at how God's plans are better than our own: 'You say that You know all Your plans for me / I say, 'Tell them to me now,' You say, 'Wait and see' / And when I do, it's the same thing I find / You didn't bring me this far to leave me behind!' Other songs are more thoughtful, such as, 'Let This Be A Church Again,' which I wrote after visiting a bar that was once a church: 'Oh, let this be a church again / Come back to your home / Remind us what these walls are for / To worship you alone.' But my real hope is that some of this music would lead folks into prayer. One of my favorite tracks is a song based on the spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux titled, 'Small.' 'I want to be just one word within your story / I want to be faithful to Your call / Oh, to be a single note within your symphony! / Teach me how to be small.' Though I love the accordion, I'm more in love with the Gospel. Music is an inspiring way to hear the Message. I hope this album blesses you and is a 'joyful noise' for the Lord.