Terry Callier - Total Recall (2003)

Terry Callier has earned a reputation as the king of the chillout singer/songwriters, with his soulful voice and folk-jazz songs. So it's not too surprising, since his renaissance, that a remix album happened. It all starts out perfectly with a version of the Motown classic, "Just My Imagination" from Tom Findlay of Groove Armada, with some sweet backing vocals from Mary Lee. In many ways, this style is the ideal frame for Callier's wonderful voice, giving a bit more muscle to the rhythm, but never overwhelming the central figure. Even the spoken word introductions to three of the tracks don't spoil the pace of the disc; instead, they simply set the mood and atmosphere. Everything is excellent, but some pieces are simply outstanding, like the Zero 7 remix of "Love Theme From Spartacus," and the superbly artful "Sierra Leone." Additionally, there's a video for "You're Gonna Miss Your Candy Man" to round out the package. In some ways, perhaps, it's wrong to credit this to Callier, since it is a remix project. But he is the main, unifying figure, and the voice and original music is his. And it proves that he truly is the modern champion of late night music.~Review by Chris Nickson