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Grady Nichols: Sophistication
Nichols’ sax style is similar to Euge Groove’s, and although he doesn’t provide as many hooks as Groove, Nichols' main asset thus far is his superb playing. He obviously knows his way around his instrument, and isn’t afraid to hold long notes and dip and groove with those notes, all the while staying within the framework of his songs and never losing the melody. His alto works best, but he does switch to soprano on “Within the Blue“ and “Quiet Times.” But the alto is what he does best, which he shows on “Tuesday Morning,” the memorable radio hit “All Right,” “Livin’ the Life,” and “End of the Night,” which he duets with Botti to make some delightful sounds.
While there’s plenty of generic sax stuff out there, Nichols is able to make a thoroughly modern smooth jazz recording without sounding derivative. That’s an accomplishment.
Track Listing
Tuesday Morning; Livin' the Life; Sneak; End of the Night; All Right; Dinner and a Movie; Within the Blue; Behind the Scenes; Circle of Friends; Alone With You; Quiet Times
Personnel
Grady Nichols
saxophoneGrady Nichols (alto, tenor, soprano sax); Jeff Lorber (keyboards, programming); Ray Fuller (guitar); Chris Botti (trumpet); Paul Pesco (guitar); Gene Morrison (trombone); Bill Gable (trumpet, Rhodes); Rich Gable (flute);
Album information
Title: Sophistication | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Unknown label
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About Grady Nichols
Instrument: Saxophone
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