Trying to vary the selection, Gregory includes two standards made over hip-hop style: “I Only Have Eyes for You” and “Higher and Higher.” It would have been interesting to hear Gregory sing both classics straight, as his Broadway-trained voice could have added soul and emotion. Since he appeared in The Jackie Wilson Story, he could have applied that experience to covering “Higher and Higher.” Instead the hip-hop remakes sound like forced attempts to fit in the current R&B market.
Gregory possesses a powerful, soulful voice that has impressive stylistic range. His next album should capitalize on those strengths and not succumb to trends. I would like to see him collaborate with Musiq Soulchild or Donell Jones, two artists who successfully blend old-school soul with contemporary beats. Scattered tracks on In Search of High Love show promise; with the right songwriters and producers, Gregory could make a real splash on the R&B scene in the future.
To learn more about Chester Gregory, visit his official site and MySpace page. The video for “Questions” is available on YouTube.
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