The John Michael Talbot Collection focuses on his solo work for the Sparrow record label. These widely variant songs are culled from The Lord's Supper, half of the double-disc Mass in D Minor, through to 1990's quietly contemplative The Hiding Place. There are pieces performed in the folk-blues idiom, symphonic and/or choral arrangements, as well as dips into Celtic music, Renaissance-inspired harmonies, ballet suites, and Catholic worship songs. Despite these seemingly disparate styles, almost all are given Talbot's distinctively melodious vocal treatment and nimble picking whether it be classical, rootsy, or a custom blend thereof. There are few others who so thoroughly create the space for reverence and contemplation. And as with his work with brother Terry, the music, much based on biblical text, complex structure, and theory, is heads and shoulders above even today's most winning Christian pop. --Paige La Grone