Review Of
I Draw Near
Alvin Fruga
March, 2006 on BlackGospel.com,  Review by Jennifer Belot

When a living legend lauds your ministry, it causes others to sit up and take notice.  Pastor Andrae Crouch’s endorsement of this music minister in saying –”Alvin is one of the most heart-throbbing, prolific and anointed young writers that I have heard of late. His music has brought me to tears of praise and worship. Watch this young man closely." – is enough to make anyone wonder just who is Alvin D. Fruga (pronounced fru-zhé).

The adjectives and the accolades are many: Minister of the Word, Praise and Worship Leader, Soloist, Composer, Producer and Author.  Those are just some of the titles appropriated to California native Alvin Fruga.  A Dove and Stellar nominee as a songwriter, Alvin has been pursuing ministry since he was a young man, singing as well as playing piano at his local church and evolving into a well-respected minister of music. 

Although the name may not be instantly recognizable, you may have heard his music during your peaceful moments of worship as he is the producer of the Quiet Times instrumental recordings.  As an author, he recently penned When They Began To Sing, a manuscript devoted to the biblical requirements of today’s ministers of music, a topic he undoubtedly knows intimately having been called to minister in song with the Oral Roberts Television Singers, and serving as a worship leader for some of the largest churches in America, including the Faith Dome in Los Angeles and the 10 000 seat capacity Mabee Center on the campus of Oral Roberts University.  He also spent four years as the Minister of Music at Higher Dimensions Family Church, pastored by Bishop Carlton D. Pearson and most recently spent nearly three years as the Pastor of Worship and Fine Arts at Heartland Church in Irving, TX under Pastor Dan Dean of the famed contemporary Christian group Phillips, Craig & Dean.

Pastor Dan Dean has this to say about Alvin Fruga “Alvin is such an extraordinary blessing to the Body of Christ. His incredible talent blended with his intense desire to encounter the presence of God make this man of God and his family a blessing anywhere that they happen to be… My life and the life of our church have been enriched by his diverse gifts. I wholeheartedly give my endorsement and blessing to this wonderful, capable, and anointed man."

This brings us to the topic Alvin’s latest project.  Entitled I Draw Near, it is an intimate look inside the heart of a man whose core substance is worship.  The first track, Thank You is filled with slow island rhythms which lull your spirit into an atmosphere of serene thankfulness under the syncopated sounds of the tam-tam.  Fruga’s charismatic voice transports the listener to a sun-drenched praise & worship service on the Island of Jamaica in an amalgamation of the southern American quartet sound and Caribbean tropical beats.

I Draw Near, the title track of the album, is wrapped in the soft, reverent tones meant to bring a congregation into a spirit of worship whilst the clashing notes of the vamp lend an operatic character to the song, a stark contrast to the simplicity of the verse.

Atop layered guitar strings and Alvin’s fluid tenor is raised in simple adoration in More.  This is definitely the standout hymn of the album as Fruga and his singers go into a rousing litany unto the name of Jesus, pleading for “more, more, more…” of Him.  Furthermore, should you indulge the imagery, this song’s climax is reminiscent of the vamp from Kirk Franklin & The Family’s “Savior More Than Life To Me”

Whether or not this was the intent of the songwriter, the uncomplicated nature of the choruses on this album can be transposed quite easily to praise & worship services in any church setting.  Whether in the hallowed tones of At Your Feet, highlighting the talents of alto, Dionne Lambert or the duet with Alvin and his wife Sennola in Here I Am, or in Jean Lopez’s confident soprano uplifted for showers of blessings in Rain On Me; these songs all possess a similar quality: the emotive contrition of self before God in song.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is a mid-tempo chorus that finds its oomph in the recitation of the Name above all Names.  The repetitive refrain hints at the choir sounds of the early nineties, a sound that is repeated again in Do A New Thing In Me, which recalls the familiar biblical prose of Psalms 51 and Romans 12.

Although not an orchestral sounding album, the Guitar-heavy acoustics of I Am Satisfied and Wonderful blend nicely with the chorale voices in variations of soprano and baritone harmonies, thus satisfying the musician’s inclination.  Furthermore, the piano finally gets its moment to shine, in the neo-classical, jazzy instrumentation of Complete In You.

If Israel Houghton is the leader in upbeat, bass heavy, praise & worship feasts, Alvin Fruga finds himself at the other end of the spectrum in both stylistics and amplitude, offering instead, simple ditties for praise and worship leaders to mold and apply to their congregational needs.  Considering all things, Alvin Fruga is a man, no, a minister whose sole desire is "… to pour out on the world that which God has poured in to me."  Alvin doesn't consider himself a performer. He is a minister. He is not an entertainer. He is a worshipper.   And as he has drawn nearer to the heart of God through the gift of music, he invites us all to journey along with him to the ultimate destination.