Richard Elliot - Soul Embrace (1993)

A smooth jazz pick-up from the used bin, this was intended to provide some background music at work, but doesn't even get used much for that. I'm simply not a fan of his tone and playing style. There's one or two decent tracks, but mostly the music is about as good as the cover design. Critic Scott Yanow isn't much of a fan, either:

...a blatant attempt to win over the Kenny G audience. As usual, the tenor saxophonist emphasizes long tones that any high-school musician could hit, and he plays with great emotion no matter what notes he is hitting. As instrumental pop, this music is tolerable, but its lack of originality and honest soul is troubling.

Admittedly, Elliot has had a long career (upwards of 20 albums), so there are obviously people who enjoy his work. As for me, I won't be buying '90s smooth jazz from the used bins anymore.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: The best song is the cover of 10cc's I'm Not In Love; the worse song is also a cover - Stevie B's Because I Love You.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Best of Richard Elliot (2000)
On the Town (1991)

Richard Elliot - The Best Of (2000)

The first thing a record label does when an artist moves to another label is to release a greatest hits album to make a last bit of money from their recordings. In 2000, smooth jazz saxophonist left Blue Note for GRP, so we get this uneven bit of jazz. Tracks taken from his albums between the years 1988-99. The most uneven thing about this release is the production, which seems to greatly affect Elliot's sound. Curiously, when Elliot himself produces, his sax tone is worse than when others produce.

Tracks: Most of the 16 tracks are pleasant enough for background music, but I always want to skip the over-the-top ballads, including his big hit covers of When A Man Loves A Woman, Here And Now, and, of course, Over The Rainbow, which I've already had to suffer through in this project (click here for more details about that). I normally dislike a token vocal track on an otherwise instrumental album, but I like the Bobby Caldwell track included here, In The Name Of Love. Also good are The Power Of Suggestion and, surprisingly, a cover of 10cc's 1975 hit, I'm Not In Love.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: none

Previously revisited for the blog:
On the Town (1991)

Richard Elliot - On the Town (1991)

Drum machine warning! Over-produced smooth jazz typical of what was coming out in the late '80s - early '90s. The production on this CD didn't do Elliot's tone any favors; it's a little too pinched for my taste (metal mouthpiece, maybe?). Elliot has been called the 'Michael Bolton of the saxophone' meaning that the music is soulless and formulaic, which it is. I can't completely dismiss Elliot since he was a member of the Tower of Power horn section in the '80s and recorded one of my favorite sax solos on the song Credit from that group. Bought on the cheap as background music for my office, this CD works just fine for that purpose because it's shuffled in with other music, but it certainly doesn't require repeated, active listening. In fact, repeated, active listening should probably be avoided.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #2
• CashBox Contemporary Jazz: #2

Tracks: Best tracks are Along The Way and Breezer. The final track, a cover of Over The Rainbow, is absolutely horrifying. Rarely in this CD Project have I wanted to skip a track more than I want to skip this crime against musical taste. It's as bad as the typical American Idol audition: no sense of pitch, phrasing, tone, or rhythm.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, most likely because I have no memory of this music.