Soul singer/songwriter/instrumentalist Jeff Hendrick has an affinity for the soulful dance music of the late 70s and early 80s, and it comes through loud and clear on his sophomore disc, Soul Celebration. Hendrick’s work resembles the early pop/soul albums by Bobby Caldwell, but with whispery vocals similar to Michael Franks. It’s a style that has won him many fans, particularly in the UK, where Soul Celebration was been a smash for most of ‘06. And there’s certainly a consistent groove on Soul Celebration, though the largely programmed arrangements have a sameness that takes away from the disc’s overall power. Fortunately, Hendricks is musically a good enough songwriter to nonetheless create some pretty outstanding moments on the disc, most notably "Summertime," "Old School Party" and "Celebrate" – some of the year’s best stepping songs. Hendrick is clearly still developing as a producer and arranger, but he makes a solid step forward with Soul Celebration, a worthwhile disc that has enough bright spots to get me excited to hear more music in the future from Jeff Hendrick.
by Chris Rizik
