Note: this CD released using HDCD encoding.
I picked this CD out of a used bin at some point during the past few years and I was pleasantly surprised to hear Rushen putting out a mostly instrumental smooth jazz album featuring guests such as Kirk Whalum and Gerald Albright. Rushen produced and arranged the tracks and wrote all but three of them. Fans expecting 1980's pop/R&B may be disappointed, but not this guy. And while there's plenty of synth work on the album (it was the '90s, after all), I'm very pleased with the fact there's a heaping helping of acoustic piano on the tracks. I had never heard of this album before purchasing it, but I'm very glad I ran across it - it's been in fairly regular rotation since its purchase.
The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, eventually losing to Into the Sun by Randy Brecker.
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: Did not chart
- Billboard Jazz: #9
Tracks: My favorites are the originals Almost Home, Wise Ol' Souls, Arrival. and the beautiful ballad Days Gone By. We're also treated to good covers of Sade's Sweetest Taboo and The Stylistics' Hurry Up This Way Again.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I recently saw Rushen perform live and she included track 10 from this album, Arrival, in her setlist. She put on a spectacular show and, while I knew she was a good player, I had no idea how good until I saw her live - simply amazing.
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