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Al DeGregoris: All In Good Time
ByLong a fixture on the smooth jazz scene, DeGregoris, an award-winning composer, has pulled together some of the business's top smooth jazz artists and they collectively offer up ten crisply performed and intensely enjoyable selections. This is simply smooth jazz at its bestgrooves that cover the gamut from laid-back to fairly funky, melodies that inexplicably ear-worm and energized solos that inspire. With celebrated performers such as Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Nils and Chuck Loeb in the musical kitchen, a feast is about to be served.
"JD's Groove" sets the silky tone for the session with DeGregoris's keys twinkling over echoing guitar and subdued pulses below. A funkier-feeling "Into the Night" has a sing-song quality to its melodic hookas does the call-response offering, "Hey You," with saxophonist Marienthal hip-wading in the funky musical water with DeGregoris's whites and blacks joining in.
Original compositionsand superb compositional originality ("Autumn Chill," "After A Rain") ---are featured exclusively on this musical menu. DeGregoris, a savvy composer, knows his genre inside and out. Whether composing alone or co-authoring selections here with Jeff Lorber or Nils, the compositional content is neatly constructed, presenting rhythmically variant melodies that are elegantly simple, easily approachable and vividly memorable.
The musicianship on All In Good Time is impeccable. DeGregoris's keyboarding both melodically and in his solo forays is genre-ideal. Guitarist Nils shines bright throughout in both solo and support roles. And, the various rhythm section collaborations drive the frontlines both relentlessly ("All In Good Time") and with perfectly subdued energy. It all blends beautifully.
With All In Good Time Al DeGregoris and help offer us a dish that is served up smooth, incredibly well-done and musically delicious. Dig in.
Track Listing
JD’s Groove; Into The Night; Sunnyside; Hey You; Autumn Chill; All In Good Time; Absolute; After A Rain; Tranquility; Connect The Dots.
Personnel
Al DeGregoris: keyboards, piano, bass programming (10); Nils: guitars; Darryl Williams: bass; Ricky Lawson: drums (1, 5, 6); Richard Rightman: drums (2); Tony Moore: drums (4); Oliver Brown: percussion (2); Jeff Lorber: keyboards (4); Eric Marienthal: saxophone (4); Jimmy Haslip: bass (7); Chuck Loeb: guitar (7); Curt Bisquera: drums (7); Jeff Suttles: drums (8, 9).
Album information
Title: All In Good Time | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Shark Music Group/a-pex Records
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