Nelson Rangell - Yes, Then Yes (1994)

For most of the last decade, I would spend great amounts of time pouring over rack after rack of used CDs. If I was familiar with an smooth jazz artist and didn't already own the CD, I would usually pick it up for background music at work. That's how I picked this up and it's perfectly fine for that purpose. I still like looking through the used CDs, but streaming music has all but ended my purchase of smooth jazz CDs for work.

Rangell's tone on alto sounds so much like David Sanborn, it's safe to say that if you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other. He's a talented player, its just that he really doesn't have any playing or writing characteristics that set him apart from other smooth jazzers. This disc is a great time capsule that perfectly illustrates the state of smooth jazz in 1994 as the grooves got more R&B-ish and, thankfully, artists began transitioning away from excessive programming/drum machines and got back to using real musicians. The few tracks with programming are painfully obvious here and haven't aged well.

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

Tracks: My top picks are the title track, The Runaround, and Time Will Tell. There's a sappy cover of Vanessa Williams/Brian McKnight hit Love Is that you'll want to skip. While Rangell has an good flute tone, I've never been much for jazz flute, so I'll usually skip Star Stream and Child's Play.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: The last time I pulled out this CD, I was planning a trip to Denver in April 2010 for a conference. As is my custom at such events, I spent much more time planning my evenings on the town than planning my schedule at the actual conference. At the time, Rangell had a weekly Sunday night gig at a downtown Denver jazz club. So I added that to my schedule and gave this CD a listen just in case he was still playing any 16 year old material (hey, you never know...). On that evening, I walked over to the club only to find that Rangell was gone on vacation that week <sad trombone sound>. I quickly found out there are very few entertainment options in downtown Denver on a Sunday night.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Playing For Keeps (1989)

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. Also, "jazz flute" are two words that shouldn't go together, but Rangell is competent enough on the flute 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 teaching job in the northwestern suburbs of Dallas.