Fireman and paramedic Lebron Dennis is a seriously smooth sax-player from Phoenix AZ. His Cutmore Records debut recording, the totally compelling ‘Shades’, was released earlier this year and although weak marketing from the label didn’t help it’s out there as a tremendous showcase for an artist who certainly has a big future ahead of him. Not only that, with A-List support from the likes of Paul Brown, Darren Rahn, Mel Brown, Nicholas Cole and Mario Basci, it is, in the category of smooth jazz saxophone, as good as anything released this year.
‘Shades’ is quickly up and running with the sparklingly up-tempo ‘Groove City’ which, written by Darren Rahn, is the first single to be released to radio. Notable for the distinctive guitar of none other than Paul Brown it is in fact one of eight tracks written or co-written by Rahn and another is the sublimely turned down ‘Kiss and Tell’ that includes magical keyboards from rising star Nicholas Cole.
Rahn also takes the featured lead on tenor sax for ‘Double or Nothing’. This swaggering mid tempo number has a splendidly edgy disposition and much the same can be said of the title cut that proves to be a fine example of textbook contemporary jazz.
Elsewhere the steaming, foot tapping, dance floor filling power of ‘Turn It Up’ could well get dangerously addictive while in similar vein is the zesty ‘Merry Go Round’ and the equally so ‘Kinetic’. For all three the term high octane would not be out of place and in fact Lebron traverses much of ‘Shades’ with his foot firmly on the gas. However, when he eases back just a little the result is the urban vibe of ‘Let It Go’ where backing vocals from Morris Alan and Jodi Light adds a further dimension. It is one of two original compositions by Lebron although he uses the tenderly mellifluous ‘Remember When’ to close out the collection it is the second of his own tunes, the smoothly grooving ‘Always On My Mind’, that indicates huge promise for the future.
Lebron first got into music after seeing Grover Washington Jr. in concert. Given he has gone on to share the stage with the likes of George Benson and Kirk Whalum he is clearly a fast learner. Now, with ‘Shades’, his progression has just got even more mercurial.