This is my favorite Kazu Matsui recording. I have others but this one with Robben Ford is very good. If you are a fan of Robben Ford, you get to hear a different side of him. Great vocalsl from Robben. I have been looking for this album in CD format for years. A must have for Kazu Matsui Project fans and Robben Ford fans.

Saxuality is the debut album by Candy Dulfer. Dulfer was no stranger to music since she is the daughter of Hans Dulfer, a famous Dutch saxophone player. Prior to her debut album, Candy Dulfer performed with Rosa King at the North Sea Jazz Festival, opened for Madonna during her 1987 concert in Rotterdam, collaborated with Prince on Graffiti Bridge, joined Prince on his 1988 tour and had a #11 hit with "Lily Was Here" together with David A. Stewart.

Guitarist U-Nam is commonly known for his skillful reinterpretation of the style of George Benson and Nile Rodgers, which runs through many of his albums. His recourse to the funky music of the 70s and 80s is also popular. But with his new album U-Nam Goes Big Band (2020) he now falls back on the traditional big band music as known from Duke Ellington or Glen Miller. The album is based on a collaboration between U-Nam and the Lutz Krajenski Big Band. The band leader Lutz Krajenski has already performed with Tom Jones, Ulrich Tukur, Roachford, Inga Rumpf, Udo Jürgens, Randy Crawford, Jasmin Tabatabai, Mousse T and more. One can therefore speak of a pronounced tendency towards popular music, which has been translated into the language of jazz. The album opens with the swinging positive-minded Something Right. A jazzy improvisation develops from the well structured guitar playing, as we are familiar by U-Nam. In the Blink of an Eye is an Estonian evergreen by Arne Oit (music) and Harold Payne (lyrics), that reminds us of the transience of life. So it's a thoroughly contemporary piece. Various soloists rise from the Big Band to support U-Nam and the melody. The One is a further evergreen by Arne Oit (music) and Philip Cody (lyrics), an ode to the Chosen One who brings sunshine to the day.

Fabulously funky. Hypnotically rhythmic. Soulfully Sophisticated. Those six powerful words alone could be the entire overview of this album. But that would be an injustice to the newest project from the genius guitarist, composer and producer U-Nam. Soaring from the success of his previous Billboard Top 25 Smooth Jazz album Future Love, U-Nam picks up where he left off and continues the unfinished work of this album s predecessor. The Love Vault, due to be released October 11 on this own Skytown Records label, was born out of U-Nam s vast collection of previously unpolished, unrecorded or archived songs in the musician s extensive arsenal of music. Amid his infectious guitar licks lies a hip and rich sound that is heavy on throwback funk influences. Sexy Fresh, the albums premiere release, emits a romance drenched vibe that is funky and alluring. Love Potion is an intoxicating concoction of guitar, unrelenting rhythm, and one of U-Nam s signature arrangement sounds, synthesized string accompaniment, yet another trademark of the retro dance groove. Applying the innovative technology of talk box and vocoder, U-Nam implements vocals on a couple of tracks, including Back Seat Lover ( previously recorded by Mayer Hawthorne). Uptempo, happy and addictively appealing, this particular track rates among my favourite on The Love Vault, and the backing vocals of Gennine Francis-Jackson infuse some soulful dynamics and depth. In what is an glaring tribute to the sound of soul music s legendary love walrus, Barry White, Hear, My Dear draws from the title of Marvin Gaye s late 70s hit Here My Dear. The amazingly talented saxophonist Magdalena Chovaancova fo the Euro jazz trio Threestyle lends her talent on this swagger filled groove accompanied by lush string arrangement and additional horn backing. Into The Night delivers an afterhours, fast moving cool drive down the strip on a summer night. Among the many admirable techniques of U-Nam s music is the meticulous arrangement and production expertise, and if my memory is correct, he ranks as the only artist I know that consistently employs strings and horn backing that delivers a multi layered and dimensional sound to his natural artistic brilliance.

While we seldom, if ever, offer reviews of best of collections, guitarist U-Nam s latest release The Essential Collection bears repeating a quick analysis of some of the grooves offered here and does also offer two completely new and hot tracks. Drawn from numerous previous projects, the majority of tracks here should be familiar to U-Nam fans and should certainly capture new fans, as well. Included are tracks from his albums Back From the 80s, Surface Level, C est Le Funk, Unanimity, and Weekend in L.A. (A Tribute to George Benson). If you missed picking up any of these gems, tracks like the romping lead track, a cover of The Crusaders classic Street Life, the supercharged, party-hearty Going for Miles, Something s Up, Throwback Kid (definitely one of my faves), Groove Paradise (another of my faves), the hot and steamy groove Shine On, and the powerful Back In Style (yep, another fave of mine but then, so many are!) should convince you to grab this album to catch up (at least, to some decent extent). Then, there are the newbies: A bouncy and lively cover of Barry The Maestro White s Let the Music Play and the guitarist s own slick, movin jam Soul Breeze. Man, can this cat throw a party. In my review of his Surface Level release, I referred to him as a jazz superhero. Hearing these jams again and adding in the two new tracks, I have to say that he s wearing that label well. A busy man these days having started his own label and signing some real quality talent, you may have assumed that, at some point, he d have to release a best of collection in the interest of time and to remind us of the top-tier material he s released under his own name. Well, here it is, all dressed and ready to party with you.