Kenny Carpenter

Hot on the heels of David Mancuso's Loft Sessions and Larry Levan's Live at the Paradise Garage comes Studio 54: The Underground Classics, presented by resident Kenny Carpenter. Though most of these tracks date from after the late-'70s prime of both disco and Studio 54, Carpenter's mix is a prime history lesson for listeners interested in the diverse sounds, styles, and labels contributing to the underground disco scene. His memory is also quite sharp two decades later; he kicks off with a magnificent proto-electro track (Chas Jankel's "3,000,000 Synths"), then cycles through all manner of club tracks from the Clash to M.F.S.B.. Underrated disco divas feature all over the mix too; Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation," Evelyn King's "I'm in Love," and Geraldine Hunt's "Can't Fake the Feeling" push up the energy level, while a mellow jazz cut like TS Monk's "Candidate for Love" brings it all down quite nicely. Not quite as essential as Mancuso's or Levan's mixes, Studio 54: The Underground Classics is still a great look back. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide