Going gospel is a tricky proposition for any secular songwriter, especially for one who isn't planning on making a permanent career shift to the Christian market.

Tulsa rock veteran Philip Zoellner went into the studio to do just that, and emerged with "Ride into the Sky," a full-length album that goes down just as smoothly as his previous efforts. He'll be playing at 10 p.m. Saturday at Tapwerks in Bricktown.

His pop sensibilities thankfully remain intact, and even the songs that veer closer to traditional Christian music don't sacrifice his musicianship. For proof, check out the entire record free.

PROMOTION
"I have no idea how to promote a gospel record. It's like giving birth to a chimpanzee," Zoellner said. "What do I do? I guess I feed it, but it's a completely different animal for me. I'm used to doing a record, then I go to bars."

As he tries to figure out how to best promote the album, he'll keep playing bar gigs. He is confident that there is a need for quality gospel music " he just has to find the right market.

"Here is an interesting factoid: Elvis only received his Grammys for his gospel records " pretty interesting," Zoellner said. "So there's definitely people out there, and being in the Bible Belt, there's certainly no shortage." "Charles Martin

For the full story, pick up a copy of Oklahoma Gazette.