by Alex HendersonOver the years, Glenn Jones' albums have ranged from impressive to uneven and inconsistent. It was uptempo material that sometimes got the former gospel singer into trouble -- ballads and romantic fare were always his strong point as a secular artist, and he handled them a lot more convincingly than various attempts at funk. With It's Time, the soulster emphasizes ballads and slow jams and delivers one of his strongest albums ever. Jones is wise enough to keep things romantic, and his longtime followers will be impressed by how confident and inspired he sounds on "When We're Making Love," "Thankful," "24/Seven" and other offerings that were produced by Gino Vannelli's brother Ross Vannelli. In addition to eight new songs, the CD contains some bonus tracks that were recorded live during an appearance on New York urban contemporary station KISS-FM, including performances of his hits "We've Only Just Begun," "Show Me" and "Here I Go Again." Like Luther Vandross and Freddie Jackson, Jones is someone who can be sleek and gritty at the same time. Recommended.