Tony Humphries

Mixer finally use their United DJs of America series to show that this country's dance music history goes deeper than the many shades of electronica that were previously displayed by superstar DJs such as Josh Wink, Kimball Collins, and DJ Craze. Even the hearty house of David Morales showcased the harder sound of modern house music. But for this release, Mixer has found a true elder of New York's dance music community, Tony Humphries. The name may be the least recognizable to dance music's youthful fan base, but senior heads and music scholars will happily recall Humphries' groundbreaking Club Zanzibar and the starting point for New York's soulful disco house sound named after the legendary Paradise Garage.

That is not to say that Humphries' track selection is stuck in the '70s and '80s. 1990s house music titans Masters at Work remix young guns Sunkids, while Chicago tech-house producer Mazi electrifies the disco loops on "Could It Be You." But the wailing diva vocals of Donna Blakely still carry the original garage vibe throughout the track. And there lies the historical thread that runs through Humphries' sound. Regardless of the pressing date on the vinyl, the overriding inspiration is still strictly in the post-disco/early-house vein that he helped pioneer. It would have been nice had he included some of the original Zanzibar selections for comparison's sake, but regardless, the feeling is still there. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide