100% African - American jazz with maybe a touch of Brazil here and there. Given the material, not surprisingly, there's also some soul in there but best, or worst of all depending on which peg you've hung your hat on, it swings!
Not like in the old days - these days we dance to a different drummer - but the overall effect is the same. We still tap our feet, albeit not always to four in the bar, sometimes it's five and a bit, other times it's anybody's guess but the important thing is that the beat is always there - the trick is finding it.
Which is no problem here, it jumps right up and grabs you.
Marc Myers on his legendary Jazz Wax blog referred to the music here as being from the Third Great American Songbook, the second being from the 1960's pop explosion from which emerged Bacharach, Hal David, Leiber and Stoller etc.
This, as the title implies, is like Vol 1, an exploration of the music of Earth, Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder.
It is done beautifully. Braden digs in so deeply that a third GASbook is now firmly established. He blows prodigiously powerful tenor yet wears his heart on his sleeve when he plays flute on Stevie's Bird of Beauty. If you're of an emotional nature keep a box of tissues handy - you might need 'em!
I have to confess that I'm not familiar with the original versions of the tunes but, then again, nor was I familiar with the early performances of some of Porter and Gershwin's (later to become) masterpieces. However, once the jazz fraternity got their mitts on them the rest became history and the composer's families lived wealthier and happier ever after.
The songs here are simply a testimony to my theory that if the song's good enough and the players are good enough then that's good enough for me! Lance
In the Stone: Master Blaster (Jammin'); Reasons; Profusions; Send One Your Love; Bird of Beauty; Arise; Creepin'; That's the Way of the World.
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