Jeff Hackworth: Just For You

The great thing about receiving albums to review is that you get to hear some exceptional music which I otherwise would not hear. Remember the name, Jeff Hackworth. His debut release is called Just For You and if you happen to be a Jay Beckenstein, Kirk Whalum or Tom Scott fan, then you will take to this album like a duck to water.

If you close your eyes and have a totally neutral mind, this sound would not be out of place on a Spyro Gyra album or Fattburger album. Hackworth's playing is clean and precise and his band all provide an adventure which is more reminiscent of a higher profile band.

Hackworth has penned nine out of the ten tracks and provides us with an excellent rendition of one of my all time favorite Earth, Wind and Fire tracks "Reasons." The album has a nice blend of funk, smooth and bossa arrangements with "Night Glide "and "Avenue Jam" certain dance floor fillers, "Reasons," "Sunrise Sonata," "Last Goodbye" and "Sunday rain" (another Songbird if ever I heard one) are right out of the top drawer for those romantic candlelit dinners, whilst "Forgotten Whispers," "Just for you" and "Change of season" are music to make you melt with bossa rhythms—la Justo Almario, Hector Costita, Seawind or Brasilia.

The remaining track is the more Sanborn sounding "Blue Rendezvous" which Hackworth has dropped in to show his versatility. This is truly an excellent debut effort.

Forget that you might not have heard of the name Jeff Hackworth, because I think it might be on everyone's lips in the near future.