‘Twice As Nice’, the sixteenth solo recording from sultry saxman Marion Meadows, was released April 23 on the Shanachie Entertainment label. It includes a veritable who’s who of contemporary jazz talent such as Paul Brown, Joey Sommerville, Jeff Lorber, David Mann, Steve Oliver and Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis. The first single to be serviced to radio was the decidedly jazzy and blues infused title cut that Meadows co-wrote with long time collaborator Davis.
Another track on the jazzy side is ‘Lunchbox’. With Jeff Lorber on keys and a top notch horn arrangement from the always reliable David Mann it is hardly surprising that it has now also hit the airwaves yet it is fair to say that this is an album with ‘radio ready’ written all over it.
Take for example the easy grooving ‘On The Uptown’ that was co-written and features bass player Robert Vally, keyboard player Leon Bisquera and the one and only Paul Brown. With Meadows doubling on tenor and soprano plus Joey Sommerville weighing in on trumpet this one checks all the right boxes and when the tempo eases the result is ‘Yesterday Is Gone’ that showcases the penchant Meadows has for sublimely blending R&B and contemporary jazz. With fabulous vocals from Donnelly Smallwood this is another number co-written by Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis as is the laid back ‘The Thrill Of Rain’ that Meadows uses to close out the collection.
Arguably Meadows is at his soulful best when traveling a more sensuous route and this is particularly so with the sumptuously hypnotic ‘Don’t Wait Up’ and again with the understatedly Latin ‘Kaleidoscope’. Here Meadows’ interplay with both ‘Big Dog’ on keys and Steve Oliver on guitar is nothing short of magical while the album’s only cover is a steamy rendition of the Read and Shamblin penned ‘I Can't Make You Love Me’ that can be found on Bonnie Raitt’s 1991 CD ‘Luck Of The Draw.
In terms of personal favourites the Paul Brown, Lew Laing, Marion Meadows composition ‘Step To This’ is where smooth jazz meets ‘steppin’ in the most wonderful of ways yet all things considered the Smooth Jazz Therapy top track is ‘Pandora’. Written by Meadows, Paul Brown and keyboard player Gerald McCauley, this is a near perfect example of what smooth jazz circa 2021 should be all about.