By: Dr Matt Warnock
Download "Sending My Love" From Amazon.com
Sending My Love is a laid-back, smooth-jazz album by guitarist Norman Brown. Featuring nine original tracks, with a cover of the Kenny Loggins song “Celebrate Me Home,” the album is skillfully arranged and features solid playing by Brown and bandmates Herman Jackson, keys, Emmery Williams, piano, Alex Al, bass, Teddy Campbell, drums, Juby, rhythm guitar and percussionist Kevin Ricard.
The album walks the line between the smooth-jazz and R&B worlds as it features excellent guitar and vocal work by Brown, as well as sophisticated horn and string arrangements that provide a nice accompaniment to the vocal and improvised work on the record. Tracks such as “Here’s My Number” and “Sending My Love” showcase all of these features in an easy listening and enjoyable fashion.
Brown’s guitar work is solid throughout the record. Reminiscent of the great George Benson, Brown brings to the table a heightened sense of melody, strong octave playing and a knack for knowing the right moment to play a faster, more sophisticated line in his solos. Fans of Benson’s later work will no doubt enjoy Brown’s playing and singing on this album.
Sending My Love will make a nice addition to any smooth-jazz fans library. The players dig in on the groove, Brown’s playing is first rate and the arrangements are well thought out and carefully executed. What more could one want from a modern, smooth-jazz album?
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