With a string of choice albums to his name and a profile that makes him the United Kingdom’s favorite smooth jazz keyboard player, the superb Oli Silk is back with his sixth solo project, the appropriately titled ‘6’. With eleven new compositions plus one carefully crafted cover this cool twelve-track collection not only finds Silk in top form but also in the company of some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz.
This is evident right from the opening track, ‘Meet Me In The Middle’, for which guitarist Chieli Minucci helps Silk to weave an upbeat, funky spell. The tempo remains zesty for ‘Southern Hospitality’ that luxuriates in the brassy veneer provided by Dan Carpenter on trumpet and Gary Honor on flute and sax.
Carpenter stays around to lend a hand first with the decidedly jazzy ‘These Are The Good Old Days’ and then again for ‘Just Can’t Resist’ which is a number that really fizzes. Jazzy is also a word that comes to mind when describing the extremely hip ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ while first single to be serviced to radio is the ultra smooth ‘New Bounce’ that features the always-excellent Vincent Ingala on sax.
It is right up there with the best that ‘6’ has to offer and in this respect is in the fine company of the ultra chilled ‘Slinky Malinki’ which is lifted by jazzy flute from Jeff Kashiwa. Another fine collaboration comes in the form of ‘Call Patrice’, a retro funk vocoder venture that has the sax of Gerald Albright at its core while elsewhere the CD’s only cover version, a tight reworking of the George Howard classic ‘Steppin Out’, finds Silk in the select company of Darren Rahn on sax and Elle Cato on backing vocals.
Cato makes a return appearance for the deliciously soulful ‘U Bring Me Joy’ that has quickly evolved as a personal favorite and another tune currently consuming my attention is the wonderfully mellow ‘Sanctuary St.’ However, all things considered, the Smooth Jazz Therapy Top Track’ is the decidedly vibey (and Bob James inspired) ‘Out To Lunch’.
‘6’ is a great piece of work with understated contributions throughout by Oli Silk regulars Mark Jaimes on guitar, Wesley Joseph on drums and Orefo Orakwue on bass. It is out now on Trippin & Rhythm and comes highly recommended.