Jazz Articles about Byron Motley

Byron Motley: Jazz & Cocktails

by George Harris
October 28, 2005

Jazz & Cocktails is great. With a vocal mixture combining the sass of Jackie Wilson, the jive of Louis Jordan, and the vulnerability (a chick magnet) of Smokey Robinson, Byron Motley displays creativity, ingenuity, and dexterity on a swinging and ultra-hip set of standards and dreamy ballads. On the latter, Motley is delicate and breathy with the lyrics, as on “June Night" and “I Wish I Knew."

He's also willing to take chances on well known favorites: on ...