Alphonse Mouzon: The Sky Is The Limit (1996)

This is a perfect mixture of smooth contemporary jazz & soulful funk w. Richard Elliot-sax, Ronnie Laws-sax, Larry Coryell-gtr, Ray Parker Jr.-gtr + 1985

Tracks 9-12 are previously released on THE 11TH HOUSE (LP).

Personnel: Alphonse Mouzon (electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, percussion); Paul Jackson, Jr., Ray Parker, Jr., Torsten de Winkel (guitar, electric guitar); Larry Coryell (electric guitar); Richard Elliot (lyre, tenor saxophone, lyricon); Chris Schneider, Ernie Watts, Christian Schneider, Ronnie Laws (tenor saxophone); Terumasa Hino (cornet, flugelhorn); Geoff Stradling (electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Mike Mandel (electric piano); John Lee, Kai Eckhardt-Karpeh, Nathan East (electric bass); Julia Waters, Maxine Willard Waters (background vocals).

Tracklist:

1. Why Don't You Break It

2. Jean-Pierre

3. Do You Want to Dance?
4. Making Love With You
5. Come and See What I've Got
6. Sky Is the Limit, The
7. Starting All over Again
8. Rock & Roll Waltz, The
9. Don't Break My Funk
10. Old Friends
11. Night for Love
12. One More Time
The Sky Is The Limit
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Alphonse Mouzon: The Survivor (1992)

First class recording, featuring a diverse and interesting line-up of jazz guest stars. Notables such as Lee Ritenour on guitar, Brandon Fields on alto sax, Russ Freeman on acoustic guitar, and many others work together to help Mouzon create a wonderful, joyous celebration of life through jazz. Extremely well recorded, the sound just pops out of the speakers and fills the house.

Tracklist:

01. Games People Play

02. Feeling Good
03. Two Lonely Hearts
04. All That Jazz
05. After the Rain
06. Survivor, The
07. It's Not over Yet
08. Soft and Gentle
09. Anticipation
10. In Hot Pursuit
11. Bedtime Stories

Personnel: Alphonse Mouzon (piano, synthesizer, drums, percussion); Phillip Ingram (vocals); Russ Freeman , Lee Ritenour (guitar, acoustic guitar); Gary Meek (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); George Howard (soprano saxophone); Brandon Fields (alto saxophone); Ernie Watts, Kirk Whalum, Richard Elliot (tenor saxophone); Welton Gite (electric bass); Lynn Fiddmont, Sandra Simmons, Lynne Fiddmont, Portia Griffin (background vocals).

The Survivor

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Jeff Lorber: Kickin' It (2001)

Jeff Lorber's label debut on Samson Records is a typical jazz fusion effort that will sound familiar to fans of his band of the 1970s and '80s, the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Teaming with co-writer/producer/arranger Steve Dubin, Lorber constructs a series of upbeat rhythm tracks over which he plays melodically on either acoustic piano or Fender Rhodes electric. He is joined on nearly every track by a guest saxophonist and/or guitarist. Tenor saxophonist Gerald Albright sits in on "Snakebite," "Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'," and "Kickin' It" (with guitarist Stuart Wylen); soprano saxophonist Dave Koz on "Happy Endings" (with guitarist Michael Landau) and "The Bijou"; tenor saxophonist Steve Cole on "Chopsticks"; soprano saxophonist Gary Meek on "Reflections" (with Wylen) and "What It Is"; and tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot on "The 'In' Crowd." Lorber cedes considerable space to his guests, but he still finds room for his own improvisations. He also brings in a horn section on several cuts, notably "Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'," which sounds enough like a lost Steely Dan track that you keep expecting Donald Fagen to start singing on instead of Siedah Garrett, who intones the repeated lines "Keep on/Keep that same ol' feelin'." "Ain't Nobody" is the 1983 Rufus and Chaka Khan hit, here rendered with an appropriately funky feel, and "The 'In' Crowd" is, of course, the 1965 Ramsey Lewis Trio hit, a nod to an obvious predecessor of Lorber's. The keyboardist slows the pace for "Reflections," but most of these tracks are lively pieces with lots of interplay that is only ended when they fade out.-- All Music Guide

Jeff Lorber at Wikipedia

Kickin' It (HF) / Kickin' It (DF) lossless

Various Artists: To Grover with Love (2002)

Arguably, only David Sanborn has had as much influence on the current crop of smooth-jazz sax stars as Grover Washington Jr., and on this tribute album, we get ample proof of Washington's impact. It's a testament to his talent that Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, and Everette Harp, playing three different horns--alto, soprano, and tenor, respectively--all sound exactly like the G-Man. His sway over the three younger players is so dominant on many of their own recordings, particularly Albright's, that the licks that are nods to Washington are indistinguishable from the originals. All of the instrumental tracks on this 14-song set play like Grover Washington Jr.'s greatest hits, with outstanding arrangements by the producer, keyboardist Jason Miles. On a couple of numbers, the arrangements are stronger than the performances. Tracks that work best are Regina Belle, Steve Cole, and George Duke doing "Just the Two of Us"; Herbie Mann working out on "Mister Magic"; and the Brecker Brothers teaming up with Joe Sample and Joey DeFrancesco on "Loran's Dance." Ronnie Laws and Richard Elliot, two players not influenced by Washington, also offer interesting performances. --Mark Ruffin

Buy at Amazon.com
To Grover with Love

Richard Elliot: Rock Steady (2009)

Richard Elliot has a history of picking the right tune and wrapping his signature sax sound around it -- witness People Make The World Go Round from Metro Blue, which topped the radio charts for 11 weeks. Now it's time to Rock Steady ¬ featuring the famed Aretha anthem, as well as first radio single Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up. Rock Steady also boasts appearances by: Gerald Albright, Rick Braun and Jeff Lorber among others. "I think calling this new album Rock Steady was an obvious and inspired choice for many reasons," Elliot says. "The music that inspired the CD has an enduring quality and is part of our American musical heritage. Beyond that, it's the perfect metaphor for the good fortune I have had to be doing what I love to do for so many years. I took a risk leaving TOP for a solo career and never dreamed at the time that I would still have these wonderful opportunities to record and tour over 20 years later. I don't gauge my career based on sales, popularity and money. However, what matters most is my personal and artistic growth and the opportunities that reveal themselves as I evolve."

Rock Steady