Gordon Chambers - Love Stories (2007)

Gordon Chambers' name is familiar to liner notes-scanning fans of contemporary R&B released since the early '90s. Known originally as a songwriter, Chambers' breakthrough occurred in 1994 with Brownstone's "If You Love Me," a Top Ten pop hit he composed with producer Dave "Jam" Hall and the group's Nichole Gilbert. Throughout a career that has developed for over two decades, Chambers has written material for an impressive group of artists, including Phyllis Hyman, Anita Baker, Brandy, Aaron Neville, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé, among dozens of others. During the early 2000s, as he continued to write and produce behind the scenes, Chambers started an independent recording career likewise rooted in traditional R&B songcraft. Chambers' debut, Introducing... (2004), featured a version of his, Anita Baker's, and Barry Eastmond's "I Apologize," the original version of which was a Grammy-winning Top Ten R&B hit for Baker. After Love Stories (2007) and Sincere (2011), Chambers was dealt a series of personal blows, including several deaths in his family, a devastating fire, and some doubt about whether he should continue to record. He nonetheless returned with Surrender (2017), on which he was joined by Lalah Hathaway and Eric Roberson. © Andy Kellman