Welcome Guest | RSS

Many Fantastic Colors

Without music, life woud be a mistake (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces,
I would still plant my apple tree
(Martin Luther)


Attention: Please visit my new blog:

(More)Many Fantastic Colors



Main | | Log out | Login
Site menu
Search
Our poll
Rate my site
Total of answers: 5
Statistics

Total online: 1
Guests: 1
Users: 0
Login form
Main » 2011 » August » 19 » The Sax Pack - Same (2008)
7:12 PM
The Sax Pack - Same (2008)
The joyful trend towards all-star tours in smooth jazz began in the mid-'90s with Guitars & Saxes and became the standard on summer festival circuits well into the 2000s. One of the most exciting and popular of these has been the Sax Pack, a clever turn of phrase that brings to mind great showmanship and supreme cool -- qualities that popular and soulful genre saxmen Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, and Steve Cole have in spades. All of them have enjoyed lengthy solo careers but were inspired when Kashiwa presented the idea of a trio tour around 2003 after seeing a PBS documentary on The Rat Pack. The concept was an instant success, and has resulted in lengthy annual tours ever since, but no doubt record company red tape held up the process of committing the energy of their three horns to commercially released tracks. Shanachie, Waters' longtime label, won the rights, and this "debut" album -- while not fully capturing the blistering energy and improvisations this trio projects on-stage -- is full of outrageous, melodic, mostly high-grooving fun. A little short at nine cuts, they seem to be playing it a bit close to the vest until the final three originals, when they cut loose on the bubbling, retro-soul tune "A Little Bit Closer," the urgently soulful, free-spirited jam patterned after their longtime idol "Maceo," and the moody, blues-drenched closer "Goin' Home," which gives them all ample stretching time as the others back them with sensuous horn section subtlety. The disc kicks off with the playful, instantly infectious first single "Fallin' for You," which all three wrote but totally captures the vibe of many of Kashiwa's previous hits. They load the front end of the track list with in the pocket, perfectly catchy original tunes that only hint at what they're capable of, but part of smooth jazz's success is being cool and polished so they get away with it. Live, their covers of "The World Is a Ghetto" and "Tequila" are major party tunes, while here the festivities are a bit more candlelit (but again, well played and supremely slick and cool) and less raucous; Jeff Golub's guitar contribution on "Tequila" adds some great crunch to the mix. The mixed bag here epitomizes the dichotomy between radio-ready pop instrumentals the smooth jazz format jumps on, and the festive jams that happen when great musicians play live. The good news that even the songs that leave us wanting more sizzle are still enjoyable to tap along to. (by Jonathan Widran)



Personnel:
Ranedy Bowland (guitar)
Wayne Bruce (guitar)
Steve Cole (saxophone)
Chris Davis (keyboards)
Jeff Golub (guitar)
Gerey Johnson (guitar)
Jeff Kashiwa (saxophone)
David Andrew Mann (drums, synthesizer)
Mike Ricchiuti (keyboards)
Bernd Scvhoenhart (guitar)
Kim Waters (saxophone)



Tracklist:
01.
Fallin´ For You (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 4.33
02.
The Sax Pack (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 3.37
03.
All I Really Want (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 4.26
04.
The World Is A Ghetto (Allen/Brown/Dickerson/Jordan/Levitin/Miller/Scott) 5.28
05. Tequilla (Rio) 6.17
06. You Are My Staqrship (Henderson) 4.47
07. A Little Bit Closer (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 4.40
08.
Maceao (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 5.59
09.
Goin´ Home (Cole/Kashiwa/Waters) 5.33


ARMU 0049


Views: 1193 | Added by: Riffmaster | Tags: Year Of Recording: 2008, jazz, Sax Pack | Rating: 0.0/0
Total comments: 0
Name *:
Email *:
Code *:
Entries archive
Site friends
  • Coming soon

  • Tag Board



    All Music, All Blogs

    Copyright MyCorp © 2024

    Make a free website with uCoz