Customer Reviews

Ocean Drive

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' Smooth jazz' is mighty difficult to define. 'Ocean Drive' is a case in point. One minute it's fusion ( that's jazz - funk in old money), the next it's mellow soul, then ( for want of a better phrase) it's easy - listening. It's certainly not always exactly jazz but when it is it's inclusive. No wonder Jazzfm have compiled another collection of the stuff. The accessibility and breadth of this music has helped push their audience up to a million and for a jazz station that's pretty good going.

If you listen you're bound to hear stuff you want to own but to build up a collection of this material, some of which is on import or even deleted, would be expensive and time - consuming. However, thanks to the station that plays this music, you can now buy it quite easily in the form of attractively packaged compilations like this or its predecessor 'Pacific Coast Highway'. Purists may baulk but there's a lot of quality here and within the 'sweetened' musical packaging there are fine musicians at work. There are 'smooth' standards from The Rippingtons and GRP boss Dave Grusin ( the immaculate 'Mountain Dance'); blues - soaked guitar from Larry Carlton on 'Minute By Minute' and a heartfelt performance from the Doobie Brother who originally sang the song, the ubiquitous Michael Macdonald, on'The Meaning Of Love'; reworkings of old favourites like 'Moondance'( quite transformed by Earth, Wind and Fire's Philip Bailey) and Donny Hathaway's irresistible ' Valdez In The Country', performed here by Gerald Veasley. Yes, a real jazz tune and an impressive performance, though hemmed in a little by the programmed rhythm. Standout for me though is Arnold McCuller's take on Little Feat's 'Gringo', a thought - provoking song which, in the McCuller version, almost disappeared into vinyl obscurity. Thanks to favourable audience response it was saved, finding its way on to 'Ocean Drive'. There's some bland stuff here as well ( my dad would love Roberto Perera's easy harp voicings on 'Take Your Time'!) but, hey, who cares ? If you're stuck on a motorway somewhere you can't hear this music on the radio, just stick either of these discs into the CD player and chill. The road will clear, yhe clouds will disperse and you'll be bathed in sunshine. You'll be warm, glowing and already half way to San Diego...