Great grooves with great melodies played by great musicians would have been an apt way to sum up Lin Rountree’s 2005 debut release ‘Groovetree’. At the time I described it as the kind of album to restore faith in smooth jazz as an instrumental medium and now, not before time, this magnificent trumpet and flugelhorn player, the latest artist to emerge from the 'new' Detroit music factory, is back with the follow-up, ‘Sumthin Good’. Despite the fact that the thirteen exquisite tracks do not, in the main, stray too far from what made ‘Groovetree’ great, the collection is nevertheless an indication of Rountree’s growing maturity. With a little more punch on the mid temp songs and a touch more soul on the mellow grooves this seriously good anthology of top notch urban jazz should not be missed.
From the first note of the opening (title) cut there is little doubt that the listener is in for a treat. As good a piece of smooth jazz as you will hear anywhere, its perky radio ready groove is to die for and much in the same vein is the foot tapping splendour of ‘Groovalicious’. Rountree stays radio friendly and is ably assisted by Bamm Davis on piano for the bouncy mid tempo ‘Seldom Sunday’ whereas it is a phenomenal guitar solo from former Earl Klugh and Bob James sideman Perry Hughes that lights up ‘Chillin On’. Paradoxically, although floating atop a distinctly retro vibe, this is a tune that still feels brand new and equally fresh is the wonderfully happy vibe of ‘There He Goes’. Later, when Rountree reaches back to ‘Groovetree’ for an up tempo reworking of ‘Akire’ (here titled ‘Akire II’), he provides a welcome reminder of this terrific illustration of ‘in the pocket’ smooth jazz.
Personal favourites include the beautiful ‘All The Way’ which Rountree co-writes with none other than bass supremo Roberto Vally and the even better ‘Feet On The Ground’. Its exquisite amalgam of rhythm and melody serves to provide that special contemporary jazz ‘x factor’ that many seek but few ever find yet just as good is the soulfully laid back ‘You Will Always’. Rountree does an excellent job with Carl Robinson’s reggae infused ‘She’s Just A Woman’ while ‘Let It Ride’ has a velvety hypnotic quality that is hard to resist. The final ‘bonus’ track, ‘Get Away’, offers up a cameo performance from emerging neo soul diva Valencia. This chilled out urban delight contrasts nicely with the CD’s other vocal number, ‘Kiss On Ya Soul’ which features the sexy vocals of international soul sensation Amp Fiddler. In an album replete with examples of show stopping urban jazz this is just one more.
Released on July 22, ‘Sumthin Good’ is one of the contemporary jazz finds of the year. For more go to www.linrountree.com