Kerri Chandler
A Basement, a Red Light & a Feelin’ Vol. 2
Madhouse / Champion
Koaz 6:23 is back with, you guessed it, a double CD compilation/mix. But, don’t worry, the man who gave us “Hallelujah,” “Stompin’ Grounds,” and “(You’re My) Inspiration” has not lost his touch. Garage has become jazzier in Chandler’s hands, adding a peculiar insular melancholy to your 4/4. The first disc has that sound carefully crafted by Kerri (all but two songs having been written/co-written by him) and features Roy Ayers (speaking of “Hallelujah”), Isis, Arnold Jarvis, Anthony Flanagan, and Chandler as Grampa.
The entire disc is wrapped in a deep, throbbing lushness that borders on the erotic with especial stand-outs being Isis’ “Hanging On,” Chandler and Ayers’ “Vibrations,” the percussive happy-go-lucky “Central Africa” by Panic, and the heavy-handed pathos of Christopher “Gate-Ah” McCray’s “Even Though.”
The second disc catches Chandler on the decks live at GBH @ Centro Fly this past February. It’s full of those seamless transitions we’ve come to expect from mix CDs with a few pleasant extras. The music is definitely more interesting than what he does with it – but that’s true in almost every case. It’s enjoyable and most certainly of the quality we’ve come to expect from the man. Neither disc ever comes close to disappointing.
Champion Records: http://www.championrecords.com
