CD/LP/Track Review
Citrus Sun: Another Time, Another Space
All musical genres fall prey to formula. Smooth Jazz, with its high radio-visibility quotient, perhaps succumbs more often than others. It’s refreshing, then, when a group brings something different to the table. Happily, this is the case with Citrus Sun.
Produced by guitarist Jean Paul Maunick, founder of the popular Acid-Jazz band Incognito, Citrus Sun is a well-founded ensemble of players whose attention focuses on details, rather than grandstanding. In addition to fellow Incognito members Julian Crampton on bass, and Richard Bailey on drums, former Average White Band guitarist Jim Mullen furthers the British soul perspective in the music. Mullen’s work throughout is a joy to hear, his light, soulful tone enlivening such tracks as “Tanya’s Song” and “Somewhere, Nowhere.” A four-man horn section is used with taste rather than blast, as on “What It Is,” where they mesh well with Dave Baldwin’s imaginative synth colors.
Also notable is Graham Harvey’s electric piano, whose sound harkens back to the days of Joe Sample’s work with the Crusaders. The group’s refusal to bother with the dictates of broadcast architecture is amply exemplified by the eight and a half-minute closer, “Mellowed.” The track opens with a long, almost progressive-rock-like fizzle of synth and programmed keyboards, and proceeds to groove along nicely until a mid-section of glistening interstellar space prompts a band member to say, “What’s going on here? It’s an interesting picture.” Interesting, indeed.
Track Listing: Make Me Smile/Tanya
Personnel: Gary Sanctuary
Record Label: Heads Up International | Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
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Post your comment on Citrus Sun's Another Time, Another Space.
- Brandon Leverett wrote on 2008-05-01 17:55:30 [ REPORT ]
i could not agree more - i am writing this SEVEN YEARS after this review! i discovered citrus sun 2 days ago!
what a breath of fresh air and this album is OLD!
i love the cut somewhere nowhere, since i heard it on swiss groove internet radio, i can't stop listening to it.
but trip man, the WHOLE cd is good, i have been listening to samples and i am into the whole thing. soothes my soul, makes me feel good, positive energy, what music is supposed to do to you man, know what i mean?
i am waiting for the ebay auction 2 end in 3 days and when i get the citrus sun cd i intend to wear the grooves off of this sucker. THESE GUYS ARE AWESOME!!
i live in a culteral wasteland - los angeles california - we do not get most of the uk blue eyed soul and acid jazz stuff, this sucks BIG TIME!
i should not have had to wait SEVEN YEARS before hearing from these terrific musicians.
we are musically deprived here, the clear channels and the payola and the awful smooth jazz kenny g' and wayman tisdales are killing it man. thank you citrus sun, i realize that it is hard to be original and fresh in this world of smooth jazz garbage, i am glad you guys made the effort, i will play your cd for the rest of my life, it goes into the classic collection with azmuth, pat metheny, george duke, swing out sister and of course incognito.
thank you fellas, excellent work.
