Anteater

Although not a particularly experimental or famous figure in today's modern jazz world, Steve Cole is a saxman from Chicago who is notable for one thing in particular that should raise a few eyebrows: He. Makes. Smooth. Jazz. LISTENABLE, unlike the music of another certain someone-



Seriously, good smooth jazz?! The very phrase is an oxymoron! It must be bullshit right? RIGHT??!

Well, not exactly. Hell, under normal circumstances I'd be just as skeptical, but after going through this guy's last three albums I've become completely conviced otherwise. Basically, Steve Cole is a smooth jazz sax player who incorporates, among other things, soul and R&B into a genre that has been considered nothing more than elevator music for the past twenty years or so, and even if the result isn't groundbreaking, it's certainly better than one would expect.

Regarding the dude's discography, NY LA in particular is a particularly strong example of why Cole works while people like Kenny G do not. The opening title track alone is leagues better than an entire stack of 90's smooth jazz albums combined; it's got energy, some memorable melody lines, great percussion and even a touch of funk. 'Everyday' tones the energy down a bit, though its got a nice backbeat, and quieter interludes such as 'Missing You' and 'Love Letter' have some elegant, yet respectively different touches to their melancholy, and even pop-soul tracks featuring vocals such as 'Every Little Thing' and 'Tonight It's On' go very far into distingushing this record's diversity compared to the works of artists in a similar vein.

The final cut in particular though, 'Keep It Live' (unsurprisingly a live piece) is actually somewhat experimental in approach and the real highlight of the album. For lack of better comparisons, it reminds me a bit of some of A Tribe Called Quest's earlier material or maybe a Liquid Soul improv., but Cole's presence is distinctive enough to make the song his own without too much trouble.

The verdict then? Smooth Jazz is one of those genres that on its own is fairly mediocre through and through without exception, to the extent where even mainstream listeners have gotten bored of it here in the 21st century. However, in taking cues and a few nods from other genres as well as having an appreciation for actual jazz and improvisation, Steve Cole proves on NY LA that even trash can be turned into treasure when a skilled but strangely obscure musician works his creative alchemy upon it. A commendable effort!

__________________
Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette