The master of that special sax “groan” and serious funk, household smooth jazz artist Richard Elliot, is again knocking ‘em dead with his latest release Summer Madness. The man simply never misses. Here on Summer Madness, after opening with a slammin’ cover of Spyro Gyra’s “Cachaca,” Elliot proceeds to coax his way into our listening sensibilities and capture our every musical sense with his classic combination of funk, soul, jazz, and just being Elliot. Tracks like the mid-tempo “Breakin’ It Down,” the killer cover of Carlos Santana’s classic “Europa” and the ultra-funky “West Coast Jam,” among others here, are simply the typical slayers always offered by the saxman. No one does it quite like this giant funkster.

With over 30 years of playing and 17 solo albums to his credit (including this one), soulful sax giant Richard Elliot has a lot for which to be thankful. Legions of fans flock to hear and see this Richard Elliot CDsaxman whether he’s performing as a solo act or as part of a group such as Dave Koz’s Summer Horns or his Guitars and Saxes ad hoc groups (started a long while ago and an act I feel very fortunate to have caught many times since its inception). Here to carry on that solidly soulful R&B/jazz sound that is interwoven into his very fabric, the artist now offers Lip Service as his latest project