It’s been ten years since Steve Oliver first hit the contemporary jazz scene with his debut solo release, ‘First View’. It was nominated for an AFIM award for best smooth jazz recording and Oliver found similar success with his 2002 follow up ‘Positive Energy’. The radio hit ‘High Noon’ which came from it provided a reference point for his growing fan base and when ‘3D’ was released in 2004 it further added to his already impressive body of work. His seasonal album, ‘Snowfall’, followed in 2005 yet his 2006 project, ‘Radiant’ although receiving widespread critical acclaim somehow slipped the Smooth Jazz Therapy net. Despite the fact that Oliver’s two disc DVD –CD set ‘One Night Live’ has been out since June 2008 its not too late to revisit the joys of ‘Radiant’. In fact, given Steve will be setting sail from Miami on January 31 as part of this year’s line-up for the All Star Cruise, there has never been a better opportunity to rediscover his music.
First thing to remember about Steve Oliver is that despite being a fabulous guitarist he is also an excellent vocalist. But that’s not all. He is also an engaging and different voice artist and, in addition, is able, by the use of his synthesized guitar, to single handedly produce a whole range of instrumental and orchestral sounds. This diversity coupled with nine self penned tunes and excellent support on keyboards from Michael Broening makes ‘Radiant’ stand out from the crowd and the CD is quickly into its smooth stride with ‘Feeling Good’. With a relaxed tempo and a shuffling beat it certainly transmits the emotion the title suggests it should and by adding an enticing Latin sway to the delicious ‘Tradewinds’ he demonstrates he can do melodic smooth jazz as well as anyone around today.
Three of the tracks are illuminated by Oliver’s distinctive vocals and, amongst them, the moody ‘Radiant Dreams’ contrasts nicely with the uplifting ‘Bend Or Break’. This latter song fuses pop and country in a most appealing way yet best of the three is Oliver’s interpretation of the Stephen Stills classic ‘For What Its Worth’. No finer praise can be afforded than to say that his version even surpasses that recorded a year later by Paul Brown and which he included on the CD ‘White Sand’.
‘Good To Go’ is a feisty number with a great beat while for the aptly named ‘Cool’ Oliver is joined by sax-man Michael Paulo. Tight and right in the pocket it brings with it an urgency that is infectious and when, with ‘Reach The Sky’, Oliver again finds his trademark happy vibe, it’s Gerald Veasley who makes a big contribution on bass.
In a collection of significant quality, ‘Shadow Of The Moon’ is notable for its cool laid back groove, the slightly hip ‘Shine’ impresses with Latin tinges and plentiful smooth jazz while best of all is the enchanting ‘Across The Water’. This intoxicatingly beautiful tune shimmers with wonderful keyboards from Tom Schuman and is a delight from beginning to end.
‘Radiant’ is an outstanding album that is well worth checking out. It’s sure to be on sale aboard the All Star Cruise but, if you can’t be there to buy it, go to www.steveolivermusic.com
