Since 2004 and the release of his debut album, ‘Up Front’, Paul Brown has been balancing his career as a solo performer with that of being perhaps the most influential producer in the history of contemporary jazz. Over the years Brown has either worked or played with some of the hottest artists that the genre has to offer and his latest CD features performances from many of them. Titled ‘The Funky Joint’ it is his sixth solo recording and will be released March 6 on the rapidly emerging Woodward Avenue Records. Replete with that special ‘Paul Brown sound’ which lays somewhere between rock, smooth jazz and chill, the collection is also notable for the way it brings together some of the finest smooth jazz talent of the past thirty plus years.
In this respect there can be none better than sax-man Boney James whose previous work owes much to Brown’s deft production touches. James famously played a part in Brown’s 2005 project ‘The City’ where he partnered with him for the sumptuous ‘Old Friends’. It was without question one of the greatest songs of that year and here his contribution to the rhythmic ‘As Clear As Day’ again demonstrates the chemistry that exists between these two fine players.
Euge Groove is another sax player whose career has been impacted by Brown and he repays the favour and then some with a splendid solo on the wonderful ‘From The Ground Up’. Co-written by Brown and the excellent Bob Baldwin (who also plays a part on keys) this is a tune that, in a restrained sort of way, delivers all the rhythm and melody you will ever need. In this regard it is in the good company of ‘Ya Dig’ where Brown makes space for rising sax star Darren Rahn whose prodigious work for other artists’ marks him out as a young pretender to Brown’s production throne.
The track also finds Brown reuniting with long time collaborator Jeff Carruthers who, both as co-writer and on keyboards, plays a significant part. Carruthers is also around for the easy grooving title cut which is the sort of guitar led number for which Brown has become known and is added to in no small measure by a velvety horn arrangement from the legendary Jerry Hey.
The tender yet rhythmic ‘Montreux’ includes first-rate input from two of Brown’s touring band regulars, bass player Roberto Vally and Marco Basci on keys. They combine to equally good effect for the extremely soothing ‘Say It Like It Is’ which turns out to be an absolute gem and talking of tranquil standouts the Brown – Carruthers composition ‘Tuff Times’ is right up there. Featuring Jonathan Fritzen on piano this chilled out masterpiece may well prove to be addictive while elsewhere the album’s only cover is a Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s ‘I Get A Feeling’.
Both vocally and instrumentally it fits Brown like a glove and he is also on tremendous vocal form for the beautifully mellow ‘Love Don’t Come EZ’. However, a real highlight of a CD crammed full of them arrives when Brown teams with the great Bob James for the hugely appealing ‘Backstage Pass’. Back in the day James was a pioneer of what has since evolved into smooth jazz and to find him in wonderful collaboration with one of the genres current standard bearers will undoubtedly remain as one of the events of the smooth jazz year.
