Nelson Rangell - Playing For Keeps (1989)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a $2 used CD.

Rangell would probably be considered a smooth jazz artist, but the songs here bear no resemblance to jazz; they're pop songs recorded with a saxophone playing the melody. The music is derivative, but at least it's played well. Rangell's tone on alto saxophone is eerily similar to that of David Sanborn. "Jazz flute" are two words that shouldn't go together, but Rangell is competent enough that it isn't too annoying.

CashBox, September 30, 1989, p. 23

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: For me, the title track is the standout here. He also has a nice cover of Janet Jackson's Let's Wait A While. Skip the fifth track, You Say, but the rest are fairly innocuous.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Side one of my original cassette got a lot of playing time in my car as I drove to and from my first job in the northwestern suburbs of Dallas.