Live at Birdland West
Artist: Gerald Albright

Virtually all of saxophonist Gerald Albright's previous recordings were in the pop/R&B field, making this mostly straight-ahead session a major surprise. Albright, alternating between alto and tenor, plays quite well throughout this set, which is highlighted by versions of "Impressions," "Georgia on My Mind," and "Limehouse Blues." Tenorman Kirk... Read More

Double Take
Artist: Joe McBride

There's no shortage of smooth jazz royalty guesting on Joe McBride's brisk and bouncy Double Take, but for once it might be nice to hear some of those first rate melodies and nimble improvisational jaunts over rhythm pockets created by a real drum kit. Beyond the overreliance on electronica, however, this is the kind of disc proving that genre... Read More

Greatest Hits
Artist: Kenny G.

Kenny G's music has always been pop-oriented, so a Greatest Hits collection serves him much better than it would if he was a straight jazz musician. The 17-track collection rounds up all of his pop Top 40 hits and many of his adult contemporary favorites, including "Songbird," "Don't Make Me Wait for Love," "Silhouette," "Forever in Love," "By... Read More

Modern Days & Nights: Music of Cole Porter
Artist: Bill Evans

For this set, tenor and soprano saxophonist Bill Evans joins with the Andy LaVerne Trio to explore eight Cole Porter songs, plus the Evans original "A Cole Porter Flat." Rather than being a swing re-creation set, the musicians drastically reharmonized the Porter songs, reinventing the tunes and making them sound much more modern. Sometimes it... Read More

The Moment
Artist: Kenny G.
Community Score: 8.67

Although The Moment followed four years after Kenny G's blockbuster Breathless, the saxophonist didn't change his approach at all during his time off. Kenny G remains a sweet, melodic instrumentalist, who works entirely in lush, slick adult contemporary pop settings. His playing has improved somewhat in those four years -- he soars and dives... Read More

City Speak
Artist: Richard Elliot
Power Forward
Artist: Wayman Tisdale

At this point, Wayman Tisdale was better known as a one of the NBA's tough power forwards, a position often described as the equivalent to hockey's enforcer, but on the jazz tip Tisdale's silky smooth and a purveyor of mature romanticism. He's not a virtuoso on any of the instruments he plays (yet) -- bass guitar, keyboards, or the synthesizer... Read More

Pearls
Artist: David Sanborn

David Sanborn is joined on this CD by an orchestra arranged by Johnny Mandel for a set of music dominated by melodic versions of standards. Sanborn does not get all that far away from the themes (which include "Try a Little Tenderness," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "For All We Know," "This Masquerade" and a very emotional "Everything Must Change"... Read More

Illusions
Artist: George Duke

George Duke is truly a music virtuoso. From his many contributions as a producer, arranger, writer, musician and singer, the California native has layed down one grand effort after another. On this album, first and foremost, Duke utilizes this vast platform to express his musical passions. And in his own ingenious way, he voices his indiscreet... 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

Upfront
Artist: David Sanborn
Community Score: 9.00

Directly following his adventurous Another Hand, some listeners were disappointed with the fact that David Sanborn did not permanently switch from R&B/crossover to creative jazz. However, this CD is generally quite appealing and takes some chances within its genre. Although bassist Marcus Miller is once again an important collaborator, the... 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