This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.
CeCe Winans‘ voice transcends genre, race and generations — something incredibly rare in the gospel and Christian music realms. Her Tiny Desk concert, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of her solo debut Alone in His Presence, is a moving journey through the many eras of her monumental career.
Winans laughed when she told me, “Ashley, you had me working today!” She dusted off songs she hadn’t performed in decades to craft this moment. (And that’s without even touching the groundbreaking work she did alongside her brother BeBe Winans.) From the joyous call and response of “Pray” to the crowd’s audible gasp at the opening line of “Alabaster Box” to the heartfelt “Goodness of God” singalong, this performance isn’t just nostalgic, it’s a reminder of Winans’ enduring spiritual and cultural impact. She is one of the most decorated gospel artists of all time — witness a living legend take the Tiny Desk to church.
SET LIST
- “Well, Alright”
- “Pray”
- “I Am”
- “More Than What I Wanted”
- “Alone in the Presence”
- “Alabaster Box”
- “Believe For It”
- “Come Jesus Come”
- “Goodness of God”
- “That’s My King”
MUSICIANS
- CeCe Winans: vocals
- Thomas Hardin Jr.: keys, music director
- Tyrone Jackson: guitar, music director
- TJ Fuller: bass
- Allen Mabson: drums
- Brandon Newsome: percussion
- Christi Richardson: background vocals
- Chaunda Jefferson: background vocals
- CeCe Dunn: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Ashley Pointer
- Director: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Video Editor: Maia Stern
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Mitra I. Arthur
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistant: Dora Levite
- Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
- Tiny Desk Team: Lars Gotrich, Josh Newell
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins