Fattburger - Sizzlin' (2003)

The uncredited blurb on the back insert claims this is "The definitive Smooth Jazz Supergroup at the top of their game!" I'm not sure about all that, but I will say this album is very easy to listen to. I wish I had found it back when it was released in 2003 as it would have fit in with the music I often listened to when I was working on my first graduate degree which was a lot of Chris Botti and Down to The Bone.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #16

Tracks: Like I mentioned earlier, it all goes down smooth and easy. At various times, tracks echo back to music from Najee, Spyro Gyra, Tom Scott, Rippingtons, and George Benson. I'm not saying that it's all derivative, I'm saying that the group was hitting to all fields on this one.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Best Of Fattburger (1992)

The Best Of Fattburger (1992)

Who knows why I didn't get into this group back in the late '80s because their music is right up my alley. Maybe it was the silly band name, maybe it was the lack of airplay, maybe none of my friends were listening to them, maybe it was the lack of major label support. Whatever the reason, I finally caught up with them about a year ago when I picked up this compilation CD on the cheap from the used bins over at Hogwild Records. And lemmetellya I'm glad I did.

Latinish smooth jazz/mostly instrumental pop along the lines of The Crusaders/Joe Sample, Spyro Gyra, Flim & The BB's, etc. Very easy to listen to. One of those facepalm/better-late-than-never situations. If this is representative of their recordings, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from the group.

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

Tracks:

I can easily listen to the whole thing top-to-bottom, but my favorite cuts today come from the Good News album: Make That Dream Come True (with powerhouse guest vocals from Ella Ruth Piggee), Eva, and The Doctor. Other top tracks include Almost An Angel and Ed Graves doing his best Al Jarreau imitation on Without Love.

I know what you're thinking: "Hey, Mark, I gotta know about track 9, Who Put The Meat In My Bed?" Well, I'm sure there's an interesting story behind the title and I certainly wish I knew what it was. As for the music, it's the most dated track on the compilation with lots of synths and Linndrum pushed way up in the mix. Still catchy enough, though.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None