Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Long time followers of R&B/soul will know that Chris Jasper found fame as a member of the Isley Brothers and in recent times has released a stream of albums on his own Gold City label. This latest set begins with the hymn evergreen "How Great Thou Art" before moving into soul balladry a la Will Downing or Teddy Pendergrass. Then there is a step into funk though the four-minute or so of "Funky Thing" teeters into monotony. The weaker moments are somewhat redeemed by the way Chris' voice just oozes soul, passionately caressing every note he sings. However, what lets the whole show down is the seriously dull, wooden programming, particularly for the drums and bass; this record would have so much more life and vitality with real players bringing some human feeling to the music to match the soulfulness of the vocals. Instead there's a flatness and lack of dynamism that leaves the listener feeling "and?" instead of shouting "yeah!" Chris possesses a fine voice but this set is unlikely to restore him to the R&B/soul hierarchy.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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