Kierra Sheard: Tiny Desk Concert

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths.

After a moment of praise in her set, Kierra Sheard said jokingly, “I don’t wanna make this Tiny Desk Sunday morning service.” That ability to unapologetically speak on faith in any location, even the Tiny Desk, is a hallmark of Gospel music and a strength of Sheard’s. Since her solo debut at 17, Sheard has released music that keeps God’s word at the forefront, while being packaged to reach audiences who might not be in the church pew on Sunday mornings. That music has garnered her several Dove and Stellar awards, as well as multiple Grammy nominations. She and her brother, producer and drummer J. Drew Sheard II, learned music ministry under the tutelage of their mother, Karen Clark-Sheard, and aunts, who make up the legendary gospel group The Clark Sisters.

In our meeting prior to filming her Tiny Desk, Sheard asked “Can I get at least one run?” To which our team replied “Absolutely — more than one!” Those soul-stirring runs are present in this uplifting medley of new cuts from her latest album, All Yours, and tracks from her 20-year catalog. “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” aptly introduces Sheard’s presence at the Tiny Desk. I found myself continually singing “All Yours” and “Hang On” for days after the performance. Her testimony in “It Keeps Happening” and “Something Has to Break” moved many in our office as Sheard declared, “What I can’t do, God can do!” And in classic church “turn to your neighbor” fashion, she implored the audience to “Turn to somebody and say, 'I’m supposed to be here!' ” There is no doubt Sheard is supposed to be at the Tiny Desk.

SET LIST

• “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”
• “You Don’t Know”
• “Yes”
• “Love Like Crazy”
• “Praise Offering”  
• “It Keeps Happening”
• “Indescribable” 
• “Something Has To Break” 
• “All Yours”
• “Hang On” 
• “Miracles”

MUSICIANS

• Kierra Sheard: lead vocals 
• Justin Brooks: keys, musical direction
• J. Drew Sheard ll: drums, musical direction
• Aaron Draper: percussion 
• Tony Stanford: guitar 
• Alan “Snoop” Evans: bass 
• De’Sean Jones: saxophone 
• Frank Walton: trumpet 
• Zacharia El-magharbel: trombone 
• Marcus Johnson: vocals 
• Kevin Stewart: vocals 
• Johnyce Jackson: vocals 
• Jemika Ferguson: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

• Producers: Mitra I. Arthur, Bobby Carter
• Director/Editor: Maia Stern
• Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai 
• Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel
• Audio Engineer: Josh Newell 
• Production Assistant: Alanté Serene
• Photographer: Michael Zamora
• Animation: Jackie Lay
• Florist: Kelanda Edwards
• Tiny Desk Team: Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer
• Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
• Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
• VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins