Horn Engine: Not Like This

"Not Like This" from the Horn Engine team is somewhat of a textural departure from their more intense, funk and Jerry Hey Horns-oriented earlier fare. Composed by the late Grammy-winner Jeremy Lubbock for Al Jarreau, the song has been covered by artists as wide-ranging as vocalists Helen Merrill and Mark Murphy, and brass men Till Bronner and Jim Rotondi.

The Horn Engine team stays devoted to the original 1980s Jarreau recording. However, the embellishments render the effort unique. Arranged by Vinny Scrima, the texture is lush, elegant and very deeply moving. Tom Saviano's Fender Rhodes provides the launch pad for Bill Dowling's mellow flugelhorn melody rendition. The lines of Lubbock's original composition have somewhat of a vibe of the Arthur Schwartz-Howard Dietz classic, "Haunted Heart." That texture resonates here as well, as Dowling's cover is soulful, passionate and intensely beautiful,. He delivers it with a minimum of vibrato and a canyon-full of feeling. Saviano's Rhodes accompanies with great taste.

That setting is subsequently contrasted by the impactful blast of Dowling's overdubbed high trumpet and gorgeous strings. Saviano's production is dramatic and oozes with cinematic gusto. The section is without doubt what makes this track a stunner. A solitary horn and strings with added keys takes the portrait to a serene and satisfying ending.

With "Not Like This," Bill Dowling confirms he is not only a sterling trumpeter and also that he can be lyrical and emotive. Saviano, always a superlative musician, again stands out as both producer and performer. Vinny Scrima's arrangement and orchestration is solid gold.

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