::ALBUM REVIEW::

The industry heard rumors of a possible reunion in the near future with former members of the New Life Community Choir - a choir that currently celebrates twenty years of infectious singing since their public debut. And the waiting period began. Now the wait is over. John P. Kee, after several project drops on the Verity label, has released the latest juggernaut of New Life tunes on "The Reunion"; a two-CD collection possessing re-recorded favorites dating back to 1989's "Wait On Him". Throw in a few new tracks and the album is sealed. Even that is a small factual synopsis of what this project is, there is more to this journey than a trip down memory lane.

Recorded at the New Life Fellowship Center (Kee's church) and Mountain Top Ministries in Las Vegas, the two-disc experience is a gigantic reunion featuring New Life's strongest roster members and supporters. But for a project of this magnitude, one can begin analyzing why there's no choir roster in the linear notes, there's not enough Kodak eye-candy (what's up with the copy and paste shots in Adobe Photoshop) featured and why several important key figures from New Life's past such as Shawn McLemore, Erick Matthews, Montrell Darrett, Ivan Powell, Ledell Abrams, Dewayne Woods and Drea Randle didn't resurrect for this historical event. Technically, there are a few missing elements offered here, but after a few runs through these selections, you're bound to forget about what could have happened and cherish immediately what did happen.

The overall production is typical Kee. Brassy horn arrangements on Roland boards, Chris "C.J" Kee shaping things up on the drums, lots of treble and New Life's studio-like crisp vocals. Familiar faces in the music department are no surprise: Garland "Miche" Waller on piano, Donald Hayes on sax, Tony Russell on bass and Tim Mole on lead guitar. So listeners are already set to hear the usual from a sound perspective. Even if there is not a live horn section offered on this one, the sound is pretty tough and showcases how fierce a regular set-up can be in the hands of Pastor Kee.

The song selection is pretty much a no-brainer; since most of the tracks, except for three, are treasured classics. And with twenty-nine tracks in all, and few medleys, sending the numerical digits of songs to a good thirty-eight, you can easily bet that your favorite Kee composition was covered on this collection. Mother Jenkins, a feisty character played by comedian extraordinaire Rickey Smiley, calls up Pastor Kee with several complaints as she drives him into a posture of nerve-wrecking frustration. Kee's acting skills isn't his strongest characteristic, but it does showcase Kee's heart for humor. "We Glorify" opens up things musically and gets a reworked intro along with the overrated and overdone usage of the studio applause button. There's barely any changes offered here; even Vanessa Bell Armstrong whom was featured on the original version in 1992. But the song still sticks and has that worthy acceptance even after all these years. Basically all the songs flow like this on "The Reunion". And in Kee's rare form of "remixing" classics, he breathes new energy and drive into songs that were good and makes most of them better. Good example can be found on "Wave It Away" which showcases a production resembling the work of J. Moss. Kee and Isaac Carree both share lead duties, while the retro-Rhodes sound works well with the thumping bass lines from Morgan Turner. Forgotten tracks like "It's Possible" from the "Not Guilty" collection are living proof that with a little herb and spice, a song can be revived from the ashes. With a danceable groove, hearty drum bumps and funky bass romps, this song is definitely the perfect thirst quencher for any contemporary gospel praise party. On the "oh-oh-oh-ohhh" part, Kee even throws in a three-part harmony change; making this one of the irresistible tracks on the first disc. "The Lord Is Able" and the "I Shall Do/The Anointing" medley also brings back sweet memories - especially since Kee barely changes much on these tunes, except for a rawer, live feel from the band and a more edgier flair. Shelia Lakin, whom only appears once on the latter track, does a fine job in covering her most recognizable hits with the choir.

The album's credits fail to mention the third recording site for some of the musical offerings; probably because it would define some of the tracks has being smart "album fillers". The "Not Guilty: The Experience" companion video, shot on location at The Charlotte Theater in 2001, featured many memorable remixes. Two of them ("Rhema Word", "Changed Me") are placed on here in short, edited versions. "Rhema Word" is peppered with an intimate, tender performance from Kee and special musical guest Rhonda McLemore towards the end. If you didn't care for the original, don't feel sorry. Adding this healthy arrangement to the mix is an abundant addition: listening to the choir infectiously cry out "I can't make it, I can't take it, I can't live without it" is a joy in itself; proving that the New Life Community Choir has enough zeal and talent to reign with the industry's leading musical aggregations. We just wished they included Tonex's appearance on this song from the video on this one...both Rhonda McLemore and Tonex' were amazing. But we know how those contract issues are.

Glorious remakes are not that hard to find here. "I Must Tell Jesus", which spans for a good five minutes, features blazing horn sequences, New Life's affectionate vocals and neat loops on the vamp. Hearing "You Can Make It", which first appeared on "1992's "We Walk By Faith", gets a more relaxed, mid-tempo makeover. "Jesus is Real", set at the same tempo, updated with modern production is sweet to the ear. "Grateful", which showcases emotional delivers from Lejune Thompson and Vanessa Bell Armstrong, has enough heart to almost wish there was a video capturing this moment. The theme of survival is fitting for the merge of "New Life" with another classic hit, "Standing In The Need" and even features a smooth breakdown that will marvel R&B slow jam fans.

Even though there's plenty to get excited about, all the renditions aren't memorable ones. "Me Out", another forgotten gem, sounds more generic than the original in the sound department. While Armstrong saves the end of the song, there's not enough stirring originality here to launch this in the list of "favorites". "Wait On Him" features Lil' Rufus (sounding almost like Dorinda Clark-Cole at times) with Kee on a soggy rendition of the classic hit. The quick run-through of "We Walk By Faith" is hard to forgive and the mushy sequence of five songs with various meanings in just four minutes on the up-tempo medley of "We Walk By Faith/Rain On Us/Sweeter/God of Mercy/Oh How Wondrous" is harder to comprehend. Yes, Vanessa Bell Armstrong sounds as luxurious and compelling as she did years ago; showing no signs of aging, but Kee's arrangement of this melody is still in question. It's even harder to understand why "Right Here", a song taken from the "Not Guilty" project, has much more running time than "Show Up" (a mega-hit in 1994). But all of the super medleys are not party-poopers, the churchy, upbeat drive on "He'll Welcome Me" works well with "Thank You Lord" and "It Will Be Alright"; satisfying those church-goers that wanna take a trip to "Durham, North Carolina outside the county line". "Lily In The Valley", featuring Lowell Pye alongside Kee, gets a spiritual facelift worthy of Keith Wonderboy Johnson's attention, but glides unexpectedly into the ultra-melodic "Clap Your Hands". Certainly, the melody sticks, and with a few modulations attached, this track ends on a perfect note.

The new tracks are pale in comparison to the intense, thickness of the overall appeal of Kee's hits and probably will be lost in the mix. "I'm Covered", the groovy disco-flavored track, is the freshest presentation of the newer tracks. "We're Back" showcases Men of Standard's Lowell Pye and Isaac Carree with Kee on a studio track; proclaiming the joy of reuniting together and would have made a perfect album opener since it fits well with the theme offered here. "High Praise", featuring Tye Tribbett, is far from being a classic with its busy lines, overtones and cheesy one-liners.

While quite good and affectionate, there's not enough new material offered here to make this a well-balanced offering from Kee's kitchen. Nonetheless, the album is an excellent memoir for Kee fans and is one of his best collections since "Strength". And with two discs assembled, this may be one of the better albums to close out the year from any gospel artist.