STYLE: R&B RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 101614-17558 LABEL: Save The City 094922364777 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RELEASE DATE: 2010-11-15 RRP: £9.99
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
Byron Chambers styles himself "Mr Talkbox" just so you know he's more skilled than fiddling around with studio trickery and autotune to get that distinctive sound. The talkbox sound was made famous by Peter Frampton in the '70s and in funk, Roger Troutman of Zapp. Lately Byron has been a part of Toby Mac's Diverse City Band but like other band members he has also pursued a solo career. 'My Time' is the perfect introduction to his music as he creates infectious funky tunes that are packed with melody and humour. "Ground Zero" adds a bit of rocky guitar but doesn't lose the funk! "Fighting" sets some Chambers family testimonies to a groove and encourages the listener to not give up. Other highlights include the catchy "Get On Up" and gospel hitmaker Canton Jones shows up for the rousing "Clap Ya Hands". Chambers proves to be a skilled musician and songwriter but this album feels like a firm introduction rather than a killer punch. There's plenty to be enjoyed here and in many ways he follows a similar musical path to Toby Mac so fans of the former dc Talker will love this and I'm looking forward to seeing what Chambers has up his sleeve for next time.
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Product Description
Byron’s musical career began in his father’s Gospel group at the age of five. Growing up in a musical household, Byron was introduced to various genres of music. He listened to everything from Gospel to Jazz. However, there was one particular sound that caught his heart: The Talkbox. He heard it used by an R&B Funk Master artist named Roger Troutman. When he heard it, he immediately wanted to play it himself for God. From there his journey began.
Byron Chambers toured, performed and recorded as keyboardist for NSYNC, Britney Spears, Jordan Knight, Gloria Estefan, Jonathan Butler, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Fred Hammond, CeCe Winans, Kurt Carr, Bishop T D Jakes and more.
He also co-wrote and performed TobyMac’s gold-selling Diverse City.