Solo Guitar
Artist: Earl Klugh
Community Score: 10.00

Earl Klugh's long-awaited solo album showcased his pretty sound on the acoustic guitar, giving two- to three-minute melodic readings of superior standards. Some of the pieces (notably, "I'm Confessin'") found Klugh playing a relaxed stride similar to some of the guitarists of the '30s. ~ Scott Yanow, Cadence, All Music Guide Read More

The Dance
Artist: Dave Koz
Community Score: 6.75

Since his self-titled 1990 smash debut, Dave Koz has been one of smooth jazz's greatest musicians. The saxman scored big on the radio and in retail even when he turned away from his established R&B/pop sound on 1996's Off the Beaten Path, which was done with more acoustic instruments. The Dance brings him back to the hard-hitting R&B funk... Read More

What Does It Take?
Artist: Candy Dulfer

No doubt some very talented fashion and makeup artists got paid a bundle to entice your eyes with seductive, softly lit visions of the gorgeous blond Dutch sax star. The good news is, even without the hard to resist packaging, Dulfer once again hits the mark with one of those funky smooth jazz discs that could keep the dullest party humming.... Read More

Between Black and White
Artist: Hiroshima

1999 marked 20 years since the band's unique combination of distinctively Japanese elements -- June Kuramoto's classical-flavored koto, Johnny Mori's booming Taiko drum -- with funky pop, urban, and jazz sensibilities first hit the instrumental music charts, and 25 years since saxophonist and East L.A. native Dan Kuramoto first formed the... Read More

Classics in the Key of G
Artist: Kenny G.
Community Score: 8.00

Some jazz critics may point to Classics in the Key of G as proof of Kenny G's lack of jazz substance, but it really is proof of how well he makes instrumental pop albums. Yes, Kenny G has reworked a predictable set of pop classics, from "Summertime" to "The Look of Love," to fit his signature smooth sound, but that should be expected from an... Read More

The Collected Marion Meadows
Artist: Marion Meadows
Topaz
Artist: The Rippingtons
Community Score: 9.00

Whether traveling musically to places like Aruba or Kenya, or spending a playful weekend in Monaco as he did in 1992, Russ Freeman has mastered the art of the exotic, smooth-jazz sojourn. Rather than getting a passport this time, he and the new Rippingtons lineup (with guest Paul Taylor replacing longtime saxman Jeff Kashiwa) take a trip just... Read More

The Song Lives On
Artist: Joe Sample
Community Score: 2.00

The daughter of the popular late R&B singer Donny, husky voiced Lalah Hathaway is the perfect foil for Joe Sample's compelling notion that The Song Lives On. Finding a happy medium between the graceful straight-ahead jazz trio vibe of his Invitation album and the plucky pop energy of Spellbound, Sample provides Hathaway on seven of the 11 tunes... Read More

Miracles: The Holiday Album
Artist: Kenny G.
Community Score: 8.00

For those who prefer a jazzy Christmas or Chanukah, Kenny G may just offer the compact disc every collection needs. Miracles: The Holiday Album is a collection of songs that offers an alternative to the standard holiday fare. Kenny G's saxophone provides a pleasurable interpretation of many favorite holiday melodies, including "Winter... Read More

The Definitive Collection
Artist: Jeff Lorber

Long before the coining of the radio-generated buzzwords "new adult contemporary" or "smooth jazz," the composer/keyboardist Jeff Lorber was riding a creative wave of pop/jazz fusion, building a loyal following for a synthesis of sound so fresh and distinctive that only one name could really define it -- the Jeff Lorber Fusion. It was pop, it... Read More