|
|
 |
| The smooth jazz pianist/composer's own tunes meet covers like Watermelon Man and Norah Jones' Don't Know Why, with guests Rick Braun and Peter White. |
|
|
|
| 1 Watermelon Man |
|
|
| 2 Right Here, Right Now |
|
|
| 3 Le Grand |
|
|
| 4 Don't Know Why |
|
|
| 5 Jellybeans and Chocolate |
|
|
| 6 Third Encounter |
|
|
| 7 Swingin' Waikiki |
|
|
| 8 Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight |
|
|
| 9 Wistful Thinking |
|
|
| 10 Quiet Room |
|
|
Album Review
A true elder statesman of contemporary jazz (whose seminal mid-'80s recordings helped pave the way for the smooth jazz genre), pianist David Benoit stayed relevant, fresh, and funky due to three factors -- brilliant melodies, stylistic diversity from track to track, and working with hip, edgy producers. Rick Braun co-produced two of Benoit's recent, similarly brilliant offerings, "Professional Dreamer" (1999) and "Fuzzy Logic" (2001), and on "Right Here, Right Now" assumes the helm fully, guiding Benoit through a wide terrain of musical territory, sometimes adding his own trumpet expertise. There's the ongoing fun of funk/soul triumphs like "Watermelon Man" (Herbie Hancock's classic fashioned with the old-school bounce of another Benoit influence, Ramsey Lewis), the retro-minded title track, and the brassy jam "Jellybeans And Chocolate" (featuring Brian Culbertson and Euge Groove). Benoit's more thoughtful side emerges on the film score-like "Le Grand," an unofficial tribute to the style of Michel Legrand featuring a dense percussion atmosphere, and the understated, melancholy "Quiet Room," a tribute to Benoit's late father (featuring Braun and guitarist Pat Kelley) and something of a sequel to his Grammy-nominated piece "Dad'S Room." Benoit's other stops include hitching posts in "Swingin' Waikiki" (ah, the joy of bossa, featuring saxman Andy Suzuki) and a mystical, bass-throbbing "Third Encounter." Aside from his occasional Vince Guaraldi reduxes, Benoit with a few exceptions never much relied on cover tunes, but here includes two besides the Hancock tune -- a dreamy "Don'T Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" with Peter White and an orchestra, and a sparse easy listening cover of "Don'T Know Why." Years passed, smooth jazz radio kept playing his oldies, yet his new stuff kept getting better and better. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
|
|
|
• Biography
|
Other albums by: David Benoit |
|
|
more  |
|
