Jesusfreakhideout.com: Norman Lee Schaffer, "One More Sinner Saved" Review

JFH Indie Review

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Norman Lee Schaffer
One More Sinner Saved

Artist Info: Discography
Street Date: January 24, 2025
Style: Country / Contemporary
Official Site: NormanLeePrayOn.com
Buy It: Amazon Music

Three years after That's My King, country gospel artist Norman Lee Schaffer is back at it with his tenth full-length gospel album, One More Sinner Saved. Schaffer continues to bring his blend of country, bluegrass, and blues rock, while sharing the Gospel, building up the Church, and praising the Lord. The title track leads the album, using electric guitars, banjo, and fiddle to get the listener engaged right off the bat. The momentum is halted a bit with the next track, a slower ballad called "Rest A While With You." The album does dramatically change pace on a couple of occasions, though, unlike the rigid, fast-slow-fast-slow pattern of That's My King. Schaffer did find a better pacing for One More Sinner Saved, letting the energy of the upbeat songs and the tenderness of the ballads have a little more breathing room sometimes before changing it up. Even more consistent, though, is Schaffer's reverence for, and dedication to, the truth of Christ. "You Are My Jesus" is a sweet worship song that's easy to sing along with, as is the closing track, "Represent the King." Meanwhile, "Keep On Walking" almost feels like a Crowder-esque swamp pop track about our need for God in every aspect of life, and "Less of Me" goes all-in on a fiddle-led bluegrass sound that reminds me of Twin Forks or even Copperlily. Norman Lee Schaffer has somehow managed to stay pretty low-key in Christian contemporary music, but fans of blues rock and country gospel may want to take notice. One More Sinner Saved is available right now wherever you get your music.

- Review date: 2/22/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

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JFH Staff's Second Opinion

Singer/songwriter Norman Lee Schaffer is a pastor in the central Florida area, as well as a lifelong musician and entertainer. Schaffer has been on stage with some of the greats in country music history, including Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, and Loretta Lynn. While his resume is already impressive, his brand of Christian country music is also quite good. It seems like a lot of country music artists in the Christian sphere are more so just southern gospel with a twang. Instead, Schaffer brings a blend of music from the greats mentioned above, along with some 90s and early 00s country. This isn't modern bro-country, but instead features some rocking guitars (with lots of overdrive), coupled with normal country instruments like the steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and more.

The title track opens the album and sets the pace nicely. "One More Sinner Saved" is a rocking country tune that embodies the best parts of the genre. On top of that, instead of a message about beer, trucks, and girls, Schaffer sings of a conversion story. He sings, "Now I'm walking, talking, praising Jesus' name. Yeah, I am rolling with the flow and I'm thankful every day." This is the type of song that embodies the best parts of the album, along with tracks like "Me and Jesus Gonna Get It Done," or the funky "Keep on Walking" (such a fun bass line!). However, Schaffer also does touching ballads like the worshipful "You Are My Jesus" well. One More Sinner Saved is exactly what I'd like to hear from a Christian country album. This takes me back to better days of country music and offers a powerful and hopeful message. Country music fans should find a lot to like about this one. - Review date: 3/3/25, written by Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: None

Album length: 10 tracks: 34 minutes, 7 seconds

Street Date: January 24, 2025

Buy It: Amazon Music

One More Sinner Saved (3:25)
Rest A While With You (4:15)
Me And Jesus Gonna Get It Done (2:49)
Everything You Do (3:03)
You Are My Jesus (3:25)
Keep On Walking (3:01)
Show Me The Way (3:08)
Less Of Me (2:39)
Waiting On You (5:04)
Represent The King (3:16)
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Jesus Freak Hideout (Scott Fryberger): It's now been about three years since your last album. How long after That's My King did you wait to start writing for One More Sinner Saved?

Norman Lee Schaffer: Once we are done with one album I start writing the next.

A writer writes and I am always crafting songs and testing them out on our church audience. This is my 10th Gospel album I wrote, and before that, I wrote 10 Country albums. I guess the bottom line is I never stop writing. I have performed for many years and still enjoy it but there is something about strumming a few chords and writingsome words that is magical.

JFH (Scott): Have you had any memorable experiences surrounding your music ministry since your last album?

Norman: On the last album, I wrote my first Christmas song "I Believe In Christmas" and I got to perform it with The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra at multiple performing art centers in Florida. It was an amazing blessing to sing with Maestro Pasquale Valerio and his 60 piece orchestra in front of thousands at Christmas time. Performing one of my songs with a symphony was the best Christmas present I could ever get.

JFH (Scott): What was the inspiration for the album title?

Norman: I have been performing since I was 6 years old and now I am 63. Like a lot of other entertainers in the music business I have certainly had a colorful past. How I am even standing here to today is but for the grace of God. It's not the fact that I found Jesus it's the fact that he found me. One more name in his book, one more lost sheep found, one more sinner saved.

JFH (Scott): Can you tell us a bit about the production process? Did you work with Tracy Collins again?

Norman: Tracy Collins owns Indiginus.com (Creators of affordable, high quality sample libraries) and has produced all 10 of my Gospel albums and a Christmas album. He is also my music director at the church I pastor, The Garden Worship Center. Tracy also played keyboards in my country road band 30 years ago. He is one of my oldest and dearest friends. I trust him with my life and certainly my music.

The making of a song:
I write a song in my home studio in Ocala, FL. I Then take it over to Tracy's studio in Belleview, FL and go over the basic idea of the song. Tracy does the tracking to the song and then I come back a few days later and lay down the vocals and background vocals. We then send it up to Ronny Cates (Petra) in Atlanta, GA to do the mixing and add any bass or guitar he feels the song needs. The song is then sent to Joe Causey (Voyager Mastering) in Baton Rouge, LA for mastering. We do this 10 times and then we have an album. It is then sent to Disc Makers in Pennsauken, NJ to manufacture cd's and thumb drives. We then sell tickets and have a CD release concert at my church and the entire cost of the project is paid for in one night. CD BABY does a great job at selling all the music and Jeff McLaughlin (A-Sides Radio Promotion) handles all my radio promo.

Surround yourself with amazing people and you will make amazing music!

JFH (Scott): What songs/albums have you been enjoying lately?

Norman: I am a big fan of older country: Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Kenny Rogers and I have also had the pleasure of performing with all of them. I'm also a big fan of the Motown sound if need to get my groove on.

JFH (Scott): Do you have any live performances planned for 2025?

Norman: I preach and sing at The Garden Worship Center at all 3 services every Sunday and have for the past 15 years. We also have an Ice Cream and Music Festival the last Friday of every month at The Garden where I perform with my entertainer friends. I also perform at some of the retirement communities in Florida to do a lot of fundraising for charities. I also have some dates with The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra for Labor Day and Christmas.

JFH (Scott): What do you hope that people take away from One More Sinner Saved?

Norman: I think I like what my good friend Ronny Cates said about the album:

"Listening to a Norman Lee Schaffer project is like going to Disney World. It's always a fun adventure. At Disney some rides are fast and some are slow. Some rides are filled with ups and downs and some with twists and turns. But at the end of the day, you're going to be thankful for the time you spent there."

JFH (Scott): Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Norman: We can talk about Jesus and we can sing about Jesus, but I think we all need to act like Jesus, too. It might be time to turn up the Love. Amen