Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Norman Brown - Celebration (1999)


Brown is an urban jazz guitarist/vocalist with a sound similar to George Benson's. You've heard his music on the Weather Channel. (Is that a compliment or an insult?) He's got a good tone and he's a pretty good writer, so that puts him ahead of many artists in the field. One thing I've noticed that distinguishes him from most guitarists is that, when he solos, he uses the full range of the instrument, not just the upper register.

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

Tracks: For smooth background music, all the tracks serve their purpose well. There's a unnecessary cover of The Stylistic's You Make Me Feel Brand New which adds nothing to the soulful original. The beautiful ballad Rain is almost ruined by the unusual, distracting electronic percussion track. Still, there aren't any tracks that I want to skip. In fact, I'm usually pleased when a Norman Brown cut comes up during an iTunes shuffle on the work computer.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this used at the Hastings in Nac not long after moving. It most likely provided background music while I finished up my dissertation in '06.

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