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The Motor Town tunesmith who produced Anita Baker's first three platinum albums, Michael J. Powell, is about to do it again with his Christian Supremes. His R&B styled gospel quartet, Special Gift, is recreating Motown magic with their breathtaking vocal virtuosity. The hype without the hyperbole, Special Gift's long-awaited debut album, "A Set Time" (Crystal Rose Records), is an exciting and intriguingly welcome alternative to the explicit music heard on the airwaves today.

The fifteen songs featured on A Set Time are perfect vehicles for Special Gift, one of contemporary Christian music's most creative and original new arrivals. Group leader, singer/songwriter/musician Kayla Parker and the three young women who comprise Special Gift -- Donyle Jones, LaTonya Holman and Meri Thomas -- first began sharing their musical message of God's truth and trust in Jesus to their peers when they joined the choir and began singing together at Pershing High School in Detroit in 1987. Today they continue to share their musical message of righteous living. They sing of faith, hope and abstinence to a generation they feel has been overwhelmed with infidelity, skepticism and gratuitous sex. With the exception of the group's one married member, they all espouse abstinence until marriage as they believe the Bible commands them to.

Crisp and clear, the album is generating attention for its pristine ballads; mid-tempo songs with hooks large enough to land Moby Dick, slamming, hip-hop, club cuts, funky rhythms, cool beats, rich acappella harmonies and unforgettable melodies. Yet, for all the attention and excitement surrounding Special Gift, their focus remains, first and foremost, on making music that praises the Lord, touches lives, ministers to the heart and releases the frustration of suffering and pain. With creative chemistry, Special Gift does all five on their album. Their music leaves you spiritually energized, complete and satisfied.

From the hand-clapping sing-a-long "More Than Just A Friend" and the welcoming warmth of "l Wanna Be With You," to the cool doo wop harmonies of "Happiness Is," this set bristles with excitement. They provide rich acappella on "Ooo...Can't Find The Words 2 Say," then shifts to a seductive Quiet Storm mood on "Tomorrow," before breaking out with the bass on club grooves such as "Lah, Lah" and "Part Of My World." Among the albums other standout tracks, most of which were penned by the talented 25-year-old group leader Kayla, are "Someday," "Trust In The Lord" and the title track "A Set Time."

Kayla's earliest musical experiences came from singing in high school and church choirs. The budding songstress taught herself the harmonies to all the Clark Sister's songs on the piano. Kayla then spent her leisure time transforming R&B songs by DeBarge into gospel songs. "My mother supported my musical interests, but she said I was limiting myself by not creating my own songs," the songwriter recalls. Then, in 1988 Kayla says, "The Lord started to give me songs." That's when she wrote her first song, "I'm Tired" and she's been writing prolifically ever since.

Still, Kayla didn't take her gift seriously at first. I was just doing it as a hobby," she laughs. "I wasn't planning to do this as a career." She tried to enroll in college because she thought that was the right thing to do "But the door slammed in my face" she says when she couldn't come up with the tuition money. Then, through family friends who worked with the legendary Clark Sisters gospel trio, she began to do background vocals for them. She was then a pit singer in "Only The Strong," a gospel play starring Daryl Coley and Vanessa Bell Armstrong. After a month, Kayla left the ensemble.

"I've never given anybody a tape or anything, the doors just opened," Kayla says. In 1990 she met Michael J. Powell and started recording with the girls from her high school chorus. However, the album release was postponed several times and lay on the shelf for four years. "Now I'm doing what I feel I'm supposed to do," Kayla recalls saying at the time. "And nothing's happening. I'd see other groups come out and do things and be happy for them. Then, I wonder why not us?" At last, Special Gift's time has come and they deliver a sound of A new Motown with joyous harmonies, happy lyrics and funky backbeats.

Motor Town's four Christian Supremes attend the Perfecting Church, a 7,000 member church in Detroit pastored by Marvin Winans who duets with them on "A Set Time." They have also backed Earl Klugh, Vicki Winans and Vanessa Bell Armstrong. However, they don't think they'll be doing backgrounds much longer. "We're about to start something," Kayla laughs. "We're gonna stir it up just a little."