Chris Kenner - Land Of 1000 Dances

He liked it like this

Chris Kenner was one of the New Orleans singers who benefited from meeting up with the producer/arranger Allen Toussaint. The latter handled those chores on the man’s huge I Like It Like That hit, which was bigger than either of them could have ever imagined. This album, originally issued on Atlantic in 1966, gathers most of Kenner’s issues on the Instant label from 1961-63. It appeared in the wake of the success of Cannibal & The Headhunters’ Land Of 1000 Dances cover, which added the “na-na-na-na” intro chant. Kenner’s original lacks this and is slower, but still has its repetitive charms of his lead working with the backing vocals, which was key to his particular style. He never wandered too far from this approach, probably best heard on the major hit and Something You Got, though there are some good gospel-influenced moments on the two slower songs, Time and Go Through Life. You get no more than the basic album here, but it’s a good artefact of the early 60s New Orleans sounds.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Collectors’ Choice | CCM 808-2

Reviewed by Kingsley Abbott
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